The Palanquin Bearers - English Literature

Summary



This poem expresses the joy and pride of the palanquin bearers in carrying the royal princess to her in laws 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 but a privilege as she sits and dream of her future after marriage.



According to the bearers they carry the princess very carefully as if she is like dew or a tear drop. They sing happily as they carry her away. The princess also sways long on hearing their song. They say that she is like the bird that skims on the foam of a stream



Sample Q's And A's

Question 1

Question: Lightly, O lightly we bear her along,

She sways like a flower in the wind of our song;

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.



What is the rhyme scheme of this poem? Pick out the rhyming words in stanza 1.

Answer: The rhyme scheme is aa, bb, cc

The rhyming words are along - song, stream - dream, sing - string.

Question 2

Question: The poet has used a number of comparisons. What is this poetic device called?

Answer: Simile.

Question 3

Question: Match the following:

A	B
Lightly O Lightly	Simile
She floats like a laugh	Refrain
We bear her along like a pearl on a string	Repetition

Answer:

A	B
Lightly O Lightly	Repetition
She floats like a laugh	Simile
We bear her along like a pearl on a string	Refrain

Question 4

Question: Why has the refrain been used in this poem? What does it convey?

Answer: The footfalls of the men are rhythmic and repeated. The refrain gives us the impression of constant and balanced movement of the palanquin.

Question 5

Question: Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:



"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"



a) How does the poet describe the movements of the bride?



b) What do the Palanquin bearers do while carrying the bride?



c) What figure of speech is used in the above line. Name and pick the line.

Answer: a) The poet describes the movements of the bride by using different words of movement. These words are sways, skims, floats, glide. In using these the poet is adding softness to the description.



b) The Palanquin bearers sing as they carry the bride.



c) Smile - we bear her along like a pearl on a string.

Question 6

Question: How do the palanquin bearers carry the bride? What is so special bout them? Answer in not more than 100 words?

Answer: The Palanquin bearers carry the bride very gently and they move very softly. They sing a song as they go along the theme of the song is about the marriage of the bride. They sing that they are bearing the bride lightly and softly. The bride is moving from side to side like a flower in the wind. She glides like a bird on the froth of a stream. She is floating like a laugh from the lips of a dream. They carry her like a pearl on a string like she is precious and delicate. The bride is hanging like a star in the dew of their song. She appears to be jumping like a ray of light seen on the top of a tide. She falls like a tear from the eye of a bride.

Question 7

Question: Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:



Lightly, O lightly we bear her along.

She sways like a flower in the wind of our song;

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.



a) Why do the Palanquin Bearers carry the bride "lightly"?



b) How does the poet describe the bride?



c) Explain the comparison "She sways like a flower".

Answer: a) The Palanquin Bearers carry the bride "lightly" because she is very precious and also it is the most auspicious occasion for her. So they handle here like a very precious jewel.



b) The poet draws a very vivid description of the bride. She states that the bride is "like a flower" "a bird" and "a laugh". By using such similes the poet's intention is to get across that the bride is very fragile but precious and needs to be handled with care.



c) The bride is like a very delicate and fragile and beautiful like a flower, which moves or sways in the air. Thus the comparison

Question 8

Question: Softly, O softly we bear her along,

She hangs like a star in the dew of our song;

She springs like a beam on the blow of the tide,

She falls like a fear from the eyes of a bride,

Lightly, O lightly we glide and we sing,

We bear her along like a pearl on a string.



a) Why do the Palanquin Bearers carry the bride singing? What is this song about?



b) What is the bride compared to in the above stanza?



c) What contradiction is there in the poem? Why has the poet used it?

Answer: a) The Palanquin Bearers carry the bride singing because it is auspicious and joyous occasion. The bride is going to her husband's house with many expectations. The song is all about her in which she is described very gloriously.



b) The bride is compared to a star, a beam, a tear and finally, a pearl on a sting. In doing so the poet is heightening the effect of the glory being given to the bride on the momentous occasion in her life.



c) 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 a deliberate because the bride is in tears at her separation from her family. But she laughs because she is going to be united with the love of her life and begin a new and exciting life.

Question 1

Question: Lightly, O lightly we bear her along,

She sways like a flower in the wind of our song;

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.



What is the rhyme scheme of this poem? Pick out the rhyming words in stanza 1.

Answer: The rhyme scheme is aa, bb, cc

The rhyming words are along - song, stream - dream, sing - string.

Question 2

Question: The poet has used a number of comparisons. What is this poetic device called?

Answer: Simile.

Question 3

Question: Match the following:

A	B
Lightly O Lightly	Simile
She floats like a laugh	Refrain
We bear her along like a pearl on a string	Repetition

ABLightly O LightlySimileShe floats like a laughRefrainWe bear her along like a pearl on a stringRepetition

Answer:

A	B
Lightly O Lightly	Repetition
She floats like a laugh	Simile
We bear her along like a pearl on a string	Refrain

ABLightly O LightlyRepetitionShe floats like a laughSimileWe bear her along like a pearl on a stringRefrain

Question 4

Question: Why has the refrain been used in this poem? What does it convey?

Answer: The footfalls of the men are rhythmic and repeated. The refrain gives us the impression of constant and balanced movement of the palanquin.

Question 5

Question: Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:



"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"



a) How does the poet describe the movements of the bride?



b) What do the Palanquin bearers do while carrying the bride?



c) What figure of speech is used in the above line. Name and pick the line.

Answer: a) The poet describes the movements of the bride by using different words of movement. These words are sways, skims, floats, glide. In using these the poet is adding softness to the description.



b) The Palanquin bearers sing as they carry the bride.



c) Smile - we bear her along like a pearl on a string.

Question 6

Question: How do the palanquin bearers carry the bride? What is so special bout them? Answer in not more than 100 words?

Answer: The Palanquin bearers carry the bride very gently and they move very softly. They sing a song as they go along the theme of the song is about the marriage of the bride. They sing that they are bearing the bride lightly and softly. The bride is moving from side to side like a flower in the wind. She glides like a bird on the froth of a stream. She is floating like a laugh from the lips of a dream. They carry her like a pearl on a string like she is precious and delicate. The bride is hanging like a star in the dew of their song. She appears to be jumping like a ray of light seen on the top of a tide. She falls like a tear from the eye of a bride.

Question 7

Question: Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:



Lightly, O lightly we bear her along.

She sways like a flower in the wind of our song;

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.



a) Why do the Palanquin Bearers carry the bride "lightly"?



b) How does the poet describe the bride?



c) Explain the comparison "She sways like a flower".

Answer: a) The Palanquin Bearers carry the bride "lightly" because she is very precious and also it is the most auspicious occasion for her. So they handle here like a very precious jewel.



b) The poet draws a very vivid description of the bride. She states that the bride is "like a flower" "a bird" and "a laugh". By using such similes the poet's intention is to get across that the bride is very fragile but precious and needs to be handled with care.



c) The bride is like a very delicate and fragile and beautiful like a flower, which moves or sways in the air. Thus the comparison

Question 8

Question: Softly, O softly we bear her along,

She hangs like a star in the dew of our song;

She springs like a beam on the blow of the tide,

She falls like a fear from the eyes of a bride,

Lightly, O lightly we glide and we sing,

We bear her along like a pearl on a string.



a) Why do the Palanquin Bearers carry the bride singing? What is this song about?



b) What is the bride compared to in the above stanza?



c) What contradiction is there in the poem? Why has the poet used it?

Answer: a) The Palanquin Bearers carry the bride singing because it is auspicious and joyous occasion. The bride is going to her husband's house with many expectations. The song is all about her in which she is described very gloriously.



b) The bride is compared to a star, a beam, a tear and finally, a pearl on a sting. In doing so the poet is heightening the effect of the glory being given to the bride on the momentous occasion in her life.



c) 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 a deliberate because the bride is in tears at her separation from her family. But she laughs because she is going to be united with the love of her life and begin a new and exciting life.