Palanquin Bearers - point exp

Synonyms and Antonyms

1. bear : hold, abide, stand ,accept  ( Antonyms : deny, reject, rebuff, refuse)

2. sways : swing, wave, roll, dangle ( Antonyms : still, unmoved, stationary, motionless)

3. skim ; float, glide, slide, moving smoothly ( Antonyms : haste, rapid, hurry, scurry)

4. gaily ; merrily, carelessly, joyously, blithely ( Antonyms :  sadly, dejectedly, miserably, gloomily, dolefully)

5. pearl : prize, gem, nugget, precious ( Antonyms : worthless, insignificant, trivial) 

6. string : filament, thread, twine, fiber, yarn

7. dew :  moisten, morning mist, pure, renewing

8. beam ; ray, light, grin, smile ( Antonyms : dark, scowl, glare grimace)

9. brow : top, summit, zenith, pinnacle, peak, apex ( Antonyms : nadir, low, dips, pits)

10. glide : move smoothly, slide, slither, slip, skid ( Antonyms : friction, rough, rub, abrasion, rasping )

Appreciation of the Poem

1. Alliteration (the repetition of  particular sounds in the first syllables in a  series of words) is used in the stanzas gives musical effect to the poem.;  Lightly, O lightly we bear her along, Gaily, O gaily we glide and we sing, Softly, O softly we bear her along,

2. Poem conveys the joy, delight and pride of the palanquin bearers in carrying the bride to her bride groom’s house.

3. simile is used in many instances; She hangs like a star in the dew of our song, sways like a flower, skims like a bird, floats like a laugh, She springs like a beam, like a pearl on a string.

4. Metaphor is also used in places; wind of our song;  dew of our song;

5. Bearers carry the bride carefully as if she is like dew or tear drop.

6. the imagery is extensive ; She sways like a flower in the wind of our song;

 She hangs like a star in the dew of our song;
She springs like a beam on the brow of the tide,

7. the repetition of the last stanza; ‘We bear her along like a pearl on a string’ ; deepens the feeling of gracefulness with which palanquin bearers are carrying her.

8. from the Indian feministic point of view it represents a an important journey in the life of a woman. Her adherence to the tradtion, the delicacy in nature are explained with different images with the help of figures of speech.

9. the exact words along, song; string, sing gives complete melodic nature to the poem.

11. Element of irony(expressing a meaning directly contrary to that suggested by the words) is seen connotatively if we think if she is going to get that graciousness in the house of her in laws?

10. Poem has the rhyme scheme aa-bb-cc-dd.