Available Answers

1. 1.

   Complete the summary of the poem using the words given below.

   laughing	dew	joy	bride
   marriage	weeping	joyfully	skims

    

   The poem reflects the feelings of an Indian a) ___________ who is customarily given farewell by her parents. The poet has deliberately used the contradictory feeling of b) ____________ and c) ___________. The bride is sad as she is separated from her family.

   This poem also expresses the d) ______________ of the palanquin bearers in carrying the royal princess to her husband's house. The palanquin bearers are taking the princess in a palanquin and say that the royal princess is not at all a burden for them. She sits and dream of her future after e) _____________. The bearers carry the princess very carefully as if she is like a f) _____________ or a tear drop. They sing g) _____________ as they carry her away. They also say that she is like the bird that h) _______________ on the foam of a stream.

2. 2.

   What is the refrain in the poem? Why has the refrain been used in this poem?

3. 3.

   What impression does the poem covey about the bride?

4. 4.

   How do the palanquin bearers feel while carrying the bride? Give reasons for your answer.

5. 5.

   Is the bride happy or sad? Illustrate with examples from the text.

6. 6.

   She skims like a bird on the foam of a stream,
   She floats like a laugh from the lips of a dream.
   Gaily, O gaily we glide and we sing,
   We bear her along like a pearl on a string.

   1. How does the speaker describe the movements of the bride?
   2. What do the palanquin bearers do while carrying the bride?
   3. Which figures of speech have been used in the above lines?