Palanquin Bearers - Summary

Palanquin Bearers| Summary
The poem ‘Palanquin Bearers’ can be well understood in the Indian context. In
most parts of India, the custom was to bring a bride to the house of her
husband in a palanquin by the palanquin bearers. The palanquin bearers
thought it was a privilege to bring the royal princess to the home of their
groom. The royal family ‘s bridegroom would most of the time go with her bride
on horseback.
The palanquin bearers are pleased to bring a royal bride to the house of her
husband in the poem. As they walk, they feel that she is as delicate as a flower
that swings as they walk in their song. She skims smoothly as the birds glide on
the wild river.
The palanquin bearers are pleased to bring a royal bride to the house of their
husband in the poem. As they walk, they feel that she is as delicate as a flower
that swings as they walk in their song. She skims smoothly as the birds glide on
the froth of river.
“She skims like a bird on the form of a stream” is the description given by the
bearers to suggest how tender and delicate the bride is.
Palanquin Bearers
She looks so graceful when she sits in the palanquin and the view is so nice to
see. One remembers the sight of a bird sitting in a stream on the ripples. Her
laughter shows she’s happy about the new life she’s leading.
The second paragraph tells us that the palanquin bearers are so careful when
they carry her as if she were a pearl on a string. She’s very valuable to them. She
is compared with a star that sparks and springs like a light beam. She seems to
fall like a tear from the bride’s eyes. Her tears show that she is miserable
because of her separation from her parents and other relatives. The palanquin
bearers carry her softly and smoothly to the extent possible so that she would
not feel the journey exhausting. They carry her as if she was an invaluable jewel
held by her husband.
This shows that they have gained a certain respect for her and delicately treat
her and her emotions. The poet emphasizes the emotional situation of the bride
and her mixed emotions continually. Especially the last line of both stanzas. “We
bear her along like a pearl on a string.” This represents the real palanquin with
the strings as the sticks and the pearl as the string. This also shows that the
palanquin carriers try their best to prevent the royal bride from being
emotionally hurt.
Palanquin Bearers
Palanquin Bearers | Questions

Q.No.1 What are the feelings of the palanquin bearers as they carry the princess inside
the palanquin?
Answer: The palanquin bearers are delighted as they are carrying a royal bride
to her in-laws. As they walk, they feel that she is as delicate like a flower who
sways at their song. The palanquin bearers are so careful when they carry her
as if she were a pearl on a string. This showcases that they have gained some
respect towards her and actually treat her and her emotion delicately.
Q.No. 2 “Lightly, O lightly we bear her along; she sways like a flower in the wind of our
song.” What are these opening lines suggestive of? Do you think the palanquin bearers are
sensitive to the presence of the bride?
Answer: These lines suggest that the bride inside the palanquin is very delicate
and light. She is invaluable and also it is the most sacred and auspicious
occasion for her.
The palanquin bearers are very sensitive to the presence of the bride as they
handle her like a very precious jewel. They are so careful when they carry her as
if she were a pearl on a string.
Q. No.3 What is the rhyme scheme of the poem? Pick out the pairs of rhyming words in the
poem.
Answer: The rhyme scheme of the poem is aa, bb, cc
The rhyming words are along – song, stream – dream, sing – string, tide – bride
Palanquin Bearers | Literary Devices

Q.No. 4. In line 4 the poet says, ‘She floats like a laugh from the lips of a dream’ and in
line 10 she writes, ‘She falls like a tear from the eyes of a bride.’ Do you think that the
poet has deliberately used the device of contrast? Why has she done so?
Answer: The contradiction is when the poet describes the bride as “she floats
like a laugh” and then she writes “she falls like a tear”. It is deliberate because
the bride is in tears at her separation from her family. But she smiles because
she is happy over going to be united with the love of her life and start a fresh
and exciting life.
Q.No.5. Simile: A figure of speech used to compare the qualities of two objects or things
using
words such as ‘like’ or ‘as’. For example
a. The poet compares the bride to a flower.
b.She hangs like a star in the dew of a song.
The poem is full of similes. Pick out all the similes used by the poet in the poem.
Answer: The poet has used various similes in the poem as given here as under:
1. She sways like a flower in the wind of our song;
2. She skims like a bird on the form of a stream,
3. She floats like a laugh from the lips of a dream.
4. We bear her along like a pearl on a string
5. She hangs like a star in the dew of our song;
6. She springs like a beam on the brow of the tide,
7. She falls like a tear from the eyes of a bride,
Q.No.6 Refrain: poets often use the device of the refrain. The refrain is a line or a part of a
line or a group of lines repeated in the course of a poem. Did you notice that some words,
lines/parts of lines are repeated in the poem?
Pick out these words or lines that are repeated. What effect does such repetition create in
the poem?
Answer: The lines and words that are repeated in the poem are :
i. Lightly, O lightly we bear her alone.
ii. We bear her along like a pearl on a string.
iii) Softly O Softly
iv) Gaily O gaily
The refrain gives us the impression of a constant and balanced movement of
the palanquin. It also adds in the rhythm of the poem.
Moreover, it bestows music to the song of palanquin bearers.
Q.No.7 You have studied in the last poem about images. Read the poem and complete the
following table by matching lines from the poem with the related images conveyed by
them.The line from the poem Image conveyed
Answer:
Skims like a bird = gliding movement of a bird flying over a stream

Sways like a flower = movement of a flower moving from side to side due to breeze
Floats like a laugh = laughter on the lips of a person during a dream
Hangs like a star = Be calm and heads down like a star over
Springs like a beam = sparkle like a ray of light
Falls like a tear = dropping of tears from bride’s eyes at the time of marriage

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Palanquin Bearers| Summary

Palanquin Bearers | Questions

Palanquin Bearers | Literary Devices

Skims like a bird = gliding movement of a bird flying over a stream

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