2.2 Indian Weavers
Title:
The title ‘Indian Weavers’ focuses over Indian artisans particularly weavers. The adjective ‘Indian’ is used with a definite purpose appreciating the work of Indian Weavers. As the weavers intertwine the fabrics, the poetess aims to interlace a message through the poem.
Ice Breakers
A) Artisans are also called craftsmen. They are creators of diverse goods and use their hands to create unique, functional and also decorative items using traditional techniques. Now complete the web given below:
Answer:
B) List the seasons/occasions when we need:
Answer:
(a) woollen clothes - winter
(b) casual clothes - home
(c) rich silk clothes - festivals, weddings, party
(d) colourful, comfortable clothes - travelling, picnic
C) Let’s play a game. The teacher will ask the students some questions. Students will understand that there are some exceptions to the general rules. Let’s start.
1) One who weaves is a - weaver
2) One who plays a game is a - sportsman
3) One who sings is a - singer
4) One who dances is a - dancer
5) One who teaches is a - teacher
6) One who cooks is a - chef
D) We have often seen the picture of Gandhiji spinning on his charkha. Discuss the reasons behind this. One has been given for you.
(a) To give rural people an opportunity to earn their livelihood.
(b) To promote Indian handicraft skill
(c) To make a symbol synonymous with the power of self-reliance, perseverance, and determination.
(d) Mahatma Gandhi initiated the Swadeshi movement by taking up the charkha and encouraging the Indians to spin their own cloth.
E) Name some tools used by the weavers.
Answer:
a) Loom
b) Tapestry Needle
c) Warp Yarn
d) Shed Stick
e) Weaving Comb
f) Scissors
g) Weaving Yarns
h) Dowels
i) Bobbin
F) Name some types of yarns used by the weavers.
a) Linen
b) Alpaca Fiber
c) Sheep's Wool
d) Silk from Silkworms
e) Hemp
f) Cotton
g) Bamboo
h) Rayon
i) Nylon
j) Jute
New words:
1) Weaving – interlacing threads to produce fabrics or cloth
2) Break of day – morning, dawn, sunrise
3) Halcyon – Asian/African kingfisher bird
4) Wild – untamed, free
5) Robe – dress, clothe, frock, dressing gown, housecoat
6) Plumes – feathers of bird, quills
7) Marriage-veils – bridal veils, wedding veils
(Hindi – Chunari), bridal gown, specially to cover face
8) Solemn – serious, sober
9) Still – rest, stable, silent
10) Chill – extreme cool
11) Funeral – burial, cremation, last rites
12) Shroud – white cloth for dead body
13) Fall of night- late evening
14) Bright garments- brightly (shining) colored garments
15) Solemn and still- sacred, serious, quiet
16) Moonlight chill- cold dead night
17) Gay - with happiness or with fun
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Paraphrase:
The weavers start their weaving at the morning (rise of a day). The poetess compares the cloth with the blue coloured wing of a wild halcyon and asks the weavers why they look so happy while weaving the garment/cloth. In response, the weavers answer that they are weaving a dress for the new born baby so they are so happy. Here, break of day is metaphorical used for the birth and the first phase of human life which is a happy moment for everyone including the weavers.
The weavers continue their work during fall of night (evening). The poetess compares the garment/cloth with the purple green coloured feathers of a peacock and asks again the weavers why they are weaving so shiny garment/cloth. In response, the weavers answer that they are weaving a bridal veils of a queen so it’s fresh and bright. Here, fall of night is metaphorical used for the adulthood and the most important second phase of human life. It is a phase of merry days that brightens every aspects of human life.
The weavers carry out their work during the cold moonlight also. But their mood is serous and silent. The garment they are weaving is white. The poetess very ingeniously compares the white garment/cloth metaphorically with a quill and a also with a white cloud. The poetess asks again the weavers why they are weaving the white garment/cloth. In response, the weavers answer solemnly that they are weaving that white cloth for a dead body for its final rites (cremation). Here, the phrase ‘cold moonlight’ is metaphorical used to the final phase of human life i.e. death which is eternal truth.
The poetess has used two metaphors in the last stanza to compare the white cloth. Within that the metaphoric use of the phrase ‘white as a cloud’ needs deeper interpretation as if the white cloud (cloth) finally shrouds every dead and takes away it to its ‘Final Destination’ or ‘Final Rest’. The last two lines create the feelings of pathos in minds of the readers, the poetess and the weavers.
Figures of Speech and Explanation:
1. Weavers, weaving at break of day.
Alliteration – The sound of letter ‘w’ is repeated.
Climax – The words are arranged in the ascending order.
Metaphor - The birth (childhood stage of man) is implicitly compared with a break of day.
2. Why do you weave a garment so gay? . . .
Alliteration – The sound of letters ‘w’ and ‘g’ are repeated.
Interrogation – A question is used for emphasis.
3. Blue as the wing of a halcyon wild.
Inversion – The words are not in correct order. The correct word order is – The wing of a halcyon wild (is) blue.
Alliteration – The sound of letter ‘w’ is repeated.
Simile – The blue coloured cloth is directly compared with a wing of wild halcyon.
4. We weave the robes of a new-born child.
Alliteration – The sound of letter ‘w’ is repeated.
5. Weavers, weaving at fall of night.
Alliteration – The sound of letter ‘w’ is repeated.
Climax – The words are arranged in the ascending order.
Metaphor- Adulthood (young - the second stage of man) is implicitly compared with the fall of night.
6. Why do you weave a garment so bright?
Alliteration – The sound of letter ‘w’ is repeated.
Interrogation – The question mark is used.
7. Like the plumes of a peacock, purple and green.
Simile – The garment is directly compared with purple & green coloured plumes of peacock.
Anti-climax – The words purple and green are arranged in descending order.
Alliteration – The sound of letter ‘p’ is repeated.
8. We weave the marriage-veils of a queen.
Alliteration – The sound of letter ‘w’ is repeated.
9. Weavers, weaving solemn and still.
Alliteration – The sounds of letters ‘w’ and ‘s’ are repeated.
Climax – The words ‘weavers’ and ‘weaving’ are arranged in the ascending order.
Paradox – The line is meaningless / absurd as one cannot carry the work of weaving being still.
Anti-climax – The words ‘solemn’ and ‘still’ are arranged in descending order.
Tautology - The words ‘solemn’ and ‘still’ are similar in meaning.
10. What do you weave in the moonlight chill?
Interrogation – A question is used for emphasis.
Inversion – The words are not in correct order. The correct word order is – What do you weave in the chill moonlight?
Alliteration – The sound of letter ‘w’ is repeated.
Metaphor - death (old age - the third and last stage of man's life) is implicitly compared with moonlight.
11. White as a feather and white as a cloud.
Repetition – The words ‘white’ and ‘as’ are repeated.
Simile – The garment is directly compared with a feather and a cloud.
12. We weave a dead man's funeral shroud.
Alliteration – The sound of letter ‘w’ is repeated.
13) White as a feather and as a cloud,
We weave a dead man's funeral shroud.
Simile- funeral shroud is directly compared with a feather and a cloud.
Theme
The poem ‘Indian Weavers’ highlights the craft and skill of Indian weavers. The poetess has very nicely presented three phases of life. The life cycle is befittingly depicted from the work of weavers.
It reminds a Classic Marathi song-
'एक धागा सुखाचा, शंभर धागे दुःखाचे.
जरतारी हे वस्त्र मानवा, तुझिया आयुष्याचे'
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Activity By OMTEX CLASSES:
Q. Read the extract and write an appreciation of the poem
Weavers, weaving at break of day,
Why do you weave a garment so gay…..?
Blue as the wing of halcyon wild,
We weave the robes of a new-born child.
Weavers, weaving at fall of night,
Why do you weave a garment so bright…..?
Like the plumes of a peacock, purple and green,
We weave the marriage-veils of a queen.
Weavers, weaving solemn and still,
What do you weave in the moonlight chill…..?
White as a feather and white as a cloud,
We weave a dead man’s funeral shroud.
Answer:
About the poem: This short poem – “Indian Weavers” by Sarojini Naidu gives us a glimpse of the life and work of India’s famous handloom craftsmanship.
The Form and Theme: the theme of the poem is development of human life through various stages. The poet uses questions and answers form to throw light on the various stages of life. The three different timings of a day and the types of cloths the weavers weave represent the ways of life.
Poetic Style, Language features, Poetic Devices: The poet uses a very simple style and vivid words to represent the significance of different stages of life – birth-adulthood-death, as the weavers work in the morning, noon, and late evening. The metaphors: dawn
– birth, dusk – adulthood, night – death. Other poetic devices used are: Simile, Alliteration, and Interrogation. The rhyme scheme is ‘a a b b’.
Message, Values reflected: the poem is dedicated to the talented and hardworking weavers and salutes them.
My opinion and evaluation of the poem: I like the poem for its beauty of thought, colourfulness and use of imagery.
.
Artisans are also called craftsmen. They are creators of diverse goods and use their hands to create unique, functional, and also decorative items using traditional techniques. Now complete the web given below:
Solution:
Goldsmith
Tailor
Watchmaker
Sculptor
Potter
Carpenter
Mason
Discuss with your partner the season/occasion when we need:
woollen clothes
Solution:
Woollen clothes are needed in the cold weather and/or during the winter to keep ourselves warm.
casual clothes
Solution:
Casual clothes are worn for informal occasions such as outings and parties.
rich silk clothes
Solution:
Rich silk clothes are worn, especially by Indian women, at religious ceremonies and social gatherings such as wedding functions and poojas.
colourful, comfortable clothes
Solution:
Colourful, comfortable clothes can be worn especially while at home and during travel.
Let’s play a game. The teacher will ask the students some questions. Students will understand that there are some exceptions to the general rules. Let’s start.
One who weaves is a weaver.
One who plays a game is a _______.
One who sings is a _______.
One who dances is a _______.
One who teaches is a _______.
One who cooks is a _______.
Solution:
One who weaves is a weaver.
One who plays a game is a gamer.
One who sings is a singer.
One who dances is a dancer.
One who teaches is a teacher.
One who cooks is a cook.
We have often seen the picture of Gandhiji spinning on his charkha. Discuss the reasons behind this. One has been given for you.
To give rural people an opportunity to earn their livelihood.
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
Solution:
To give rural people an opportunity to earn their livelihood.
To instil the sense of swadeshi among the masses
To make India self-dependent in producing cloth for its people
To promote the cottage industry in the country.
Name some tools used by the weavers.
Loom
________
________
Solution:
Some tools used by the weavers are:
Loom
Weaving Comb
Shed stick
Name some types of yarns used by the weavers.
Linen
________
________
________
Solution:
Linen
Rayon
Polyester
Wool
Discuss with your partner about the following vocation:
Weaving
Solution:
It is the process of forming a fabric by interlacing yarn on a handloom or a power-loom. The interlaces are known as wefts and warps.
Tailoring
Solution:
It is the process of stitching garments from a fabric on a manual or an automatic tailoring machine.
Knitting
Solution:
It is the process by which yarn is handled or looped to create a textile or fabric. It is used to make many types of garments such as hosiery and woollen garments.
Embroidering
Solution:
It is the art of decorating cloth by sewing patterns on it with thread. Many ornamental patterns can be created on simple fabrics with this art to make tablecloths, drapery, ethnic wear, etc.
Discuss the various products made by the weavers in the poem.
Solution:
The weavers make three different products in the three stanzas of the poem:
In the first stanza, they make vibrant blue-coloured robes of a new-born child with the colour resembling the blue wings of the wild halcyon.
In the second stanza, they make the marriage-veils of a queen in purple and green, with the colours resembling the plumes of a peacock.
In the third stanza, they make a funeral shroud for a dead man. The shroud is white, like a feather and like a cloud.
These products symbolise childhood, youth and old age, respectively.
The words in the three stanzas of the poem mention different times of the day. Complete the table.
Solution:
The poem reveals three phases of life. Fill in the blanks with feelings and colours appropriate to the phases of life. One is done for you.
Solution:
Complete: The weavers weave in the chill moonlight _______.
Solution:
The weavers weave in the chill moonlight, solemn and still, a shroud for a dead man.
Pick out two words used to describe the weavers in the last stanza. Also state their importance.
Solution:
The two words that describe the weavers in the last stanza are ‘solemn’ and ‘still’. The words are used to describe the weavers who are weaving a funeral shroud for the dead man, in a sombre, silent, and compassionate state.
Express your views about the present condition of weavers.
Solution:
The weavers in present times are not generally well-off. They face serious competition from the large textile mills that can produce garments at a faster and cheaper rate. Many of the weavers have altogether left the profession or are forced to work for meagre income in large factories that produce cloth on power-looms.
Describe in your own words the steps or measures that can be taken to solve the problems of the weavers.
Solution:
The following steps can be taken to solve the problem of the weavers:
1. At government level, schemes should be introduced to protect the interests of weavers. They should be provided subsidies, just like farmers. For example, the government can provide them yarn at a discounted price or help them with easy loans to set up their own looms.
2. At an individual level, we citizens can support the weavers by buying their products, even if they prove more expensive and less elegant than factory-made garments. We can keep a few weaver-made garments in our wardrobe to wear them at least on traditional occasions.
Express your own views and opinions from the weavers’ point of view and complete the following table.
Solution:
Pick out the rhyming words from the poem.
Solution:
day - gay
wild - child
night - bright
green - queen
still - chill
shroud - cloud
Give antonyms and synonyms of the following and make sentences of your own.
Solution:
Make a word register for clothes/attire/dress.
Solution:
Garment, outfit, grooming, sartorial, casuals, formals, traditional, ethnic, spun, satin, embroidered, denim, corduroy, twill, crepe.
Complete the following table.
Solution:
The rhyme scheme in the first stanza is ‘aabb’. Find rhyme schemes in the second and third stanzas.
Solution:
The poet has asked a question at the beginning of every stanza. Explain the effect it creates on the reader.
Solution:
The questions at the beginning of each stanza are used by the poet to stir a sense of inquiry and wonderment in the reader’s mind. It gets the reader curious to know about the nature of the garment woven by the weaver and the reason behind weaving that garment at that particular time. The lines used to raise those questions also serve the purpose of adding the effect of alliteration as a figure of speech.
Write an appreciation of the poem.
Solution:
Appreciation of the poem ‘Indian Weavers’
‘Indian Weavers’ is a poem by the renowned poet, Sarojini Naidu. The poem has been taken from the poet’s first volume poetry ‘The Golden Threshold’, published in 1905. It consists of three stanzas, or quatrains, with two rhyming couplets each. This poem is a metaphor for the three stages of human life birth, youth and death. The poet depicts Indian weavers, who weave tirelessly at different times, while simultaneously describing the three stages of human life, from birth to death, just as the weavers weave from dawn tonight. The poet chooses three different time settings the weavers weave the new-born baby’s garments in the early morning, the queen’s marriage-veils in the evening and the dead man’s shroud at midnight. The central theme of the poem is the parallelism that the poet beautifully draws between the three parts of the weaver’s workday and the three stages of human life. The poem has been written in iambic tetrameter and its three stanzas follow the rhyme scheme of ‘aabb’, ‘ccdd’ and ‘eeff’ respectively. The style used in the poem is simple and lucid, with each stanza beginning with a question to evoke the reader’s interest. The poetic devices Alliteration, Consonance, Inversion, Metaphor, Repetition and smile have been employed to enhance the text’s poetic appeal. The use of Simile in ‘blue as the wing of a halcyon wild’, Metaphor in ‘break of day’ to compare it to ‘childhood’, Alliteration in repetitive consonant sounds of ‘we’ throughout the stanzas or ‘p’ in ‘purple peacock’, and repetition of the words ‘weavers’, weaving’ and ‘weave’ across the poem are the examples of these poetic devices. The poet has used vivid imagery in correlating the parts of the day to the stages of life. Almost every line of the poem contains imagery, which paints a picture in the readers’ minds about the ‘weavers weaving’, ‘blue-colored robe on a new-born baby’, ‘a queen wearing purple and green coloured marriage-veil’ and a ‘dead body covered with a white shroud’. The major use of symbolism in the poem is that the ‘threads’ of a person’s life are woven by ‘destiny’ or ‘Fates’, which is represented by the ‘weavers’ in this poem. It is the Fates who decide the time of birth, the length of youth and the time of death of a person. Thus, the contextual meaning of the poem may be the weavers weaving garments and a shroud for various occasions, but symbolically the poem represents the cycle of life and death with the threads of each stage being woven by the Fates. The message being conveyed by the poem is that of the perpetual motion of life, where each stage, characterised by its unique emotions, lasts for a while before the next one comes along to take its place. I find this poem a good read as it is short poem which is packed with imagery. I like the poem for the colour-scheme that the poet has chosen for the garments woven by the weaver according to the life-stage of the intended wearer.
Compose four lines on ‘Importance of clothes.’
Solution:
‘Importance of Clothes’
Clothe and cloth, are they the same both?
No! No! Says the wise silk-moth,
The shirt that you wear is the clothe, and the yarn that I make, you
humans use to spin cloth.
And thence stitch up the clothe!
Write an appeal to use handloom products in our daily life.
Solution:
Dear fellow citizens of the country, Let us adopt the clothes made by our country’s weavers. These are environment-friendly as they are usually woven on handlooms, which do not cause pollution. There is a certain rustic charm about a hand-woven fabric that makes the user or wearer feel proud of our country’s self-sufficiency in making clothes for its citizens. You have to wear such clothes only once to experience their beauty and comfort. I assume that all of you must have used handloom-made bed sheets or curtains of cotton in your houses at some time. Please recall how simple and elegant they look and enhance the aesthetic appeal of your home. Friends, please remember that preferring handloom products over western fabric is not just about making an ethnic statement but it also serves the social purpose of supporting the livelihoods of thousands of native weavers in our country, who are not doing financially well anymore. The governments can implement welfare schemes for them, but the ball ultimately falls in the courts of buyers like us. So let’s all unite for a cause and go Swadeshi!
Visit a handloom factory near your locality and write a report of it.
Solution:
Kiran Handlooms – The Pride of Badlapur
Rahul Tripathi, Student Reporter
Mumbai, 20th May, 2020
The college had organized a visit to Kiran Handlooms in Badlapur on Thursday, 14th May. Students from Std. XI and XII were taken on a tour of the factory to witness the creation of hand-woven fabrics and to understand the importance of the weavers in today’s mechanized world.
Kiran Handlooms was established in the year 1977. Owned by the Hirachand, this unit is spread over a sprawling 5 acres. It has two manufacturing units and a well-maintained storehouse. The older unit housed about 50 traditional handloom kaarigars who were busy creating beautiful weaves on the weaving table. The students also got the chance to witness the processes of thread dyeing and warping. The processes of sizing, attaching the warp, weft winding, and weaving were also explained to the students by the manager of the loom. The adjacent unit had a state-of-the-art facility, where all of these activities were automated on systems, so as to reduce the workload on the workers. The students were able to purchase the end products, which were readily available for sale at a small retail counter adjacent to the store house. The visit served its purpose of making the students aware of the essential role played by weavers in the country’s production of high-quality fabrics.
A handicraft exhibition is being organized in your college. You are given the task to compere the inaugural function. Write the script for compering.
Solution:
Introduction
A very good morning to everyone present here at this function today. On behalf M.G.J.I College, I welcome you all to ‘Hastashilp Mela’. This exhibition was envisioned by our founder chairman Mr. Guru Dutta in the late-eighties and has been our much-awaited annual event ever since. Today marks the beginning of this wonder-filled 4-day exhibition of handicrafts from all over the country. Like each year, this event is brimming with the Swadeshi spirit. Let us seek the divine blessings by the symbolic lighting of the lamp.
Lighting of the lamp
I now invite on stage our distinguished guest for today, Mr. Kedar Ghosh (Chairman of the Education Council of Delhi) to light the lamp as we seek the blessings God.
Thank you, Mr. Ghosh.
About the event
India is known for its ethnicity. We pride ourselves in being one of the most culturally rich countries in the world. India is also immensely fortunate to possess some highly skilled artisans across the length and breadth of the nation. They are the ones who have established the legacy of Indian handicrafts and popularised it around the globe. Many rural people still earn their livelihood from their creative pieces of art. It is with this vision to encourage these true sons of the soil that our founder chairman, Mr. Guru Dutta had conceptualized this event all those years ago. Today we, the students of M.G.J.I College, proudly take this opportunity to nurture his evergreen dream!
I would like to request the students of Std. XII to kick off this beautiful shilpmela with a dance native to the state of Maharashtra.
Wow! That was indeed a splendid performance!
Before I take your leave, I would like to thank all of you for your presence today and hope that you all will enjoy the exhibition as much as we enjoyed putting it together!
Go to your college library and collect and read the poems written by Sarojini Naidu.
Solution:
The students can read the following poems by Sarojini Naidu:
A Love Song from the North
A Rajput Love Song
Alabaster
An Indian Love Song
Autumn Song
Find various career opportunities in Small-scale Industries like Handloom, Art and Craft, Block Printing, etc.
The students can gather information on the following career opportunities, among others, in Small Scale Industries:
Repair and maintenance of household goods
Pottery making
Household detergents making plants
Agricultural food processing units
Specialised furniture making
Garment manufacturing
Find out information about the Mahavastra of Maharashtra - Paithani.
Solution:
The students can add following information to their own findings: A Paithani is essentially a gold and silk sari of Maharashtrian origin. It is named after the Paithan town in the city of Aurangabad, Maharashtra, where the saree was first handmade. In the present day, Yeola town in Nashik is the largest manufacturer of Paithani. Made from a very fine silk, this type of saree is considered one of the most expensive sarees in India. Paithani is characterised by borders of a square design, and a pallu with peacock, plain as well as spotted designs. Also, a kaleidoscopic effect is achieved by using one colour for weaving lengthwise and another for weaving width wise.
