Indian Weavers — Important Questions

Peacock

The second stanza mentions 'Like the plumes of a peacock, purple and green' when describing the marriage veil. Peacock feathers (plumes) are colorful and bright, symbolizing the joy and beauty of marriage. Halcyon is mentioned in the first stanza, while eagle and dove are not mentioned in the poem at all.

Bright and cheerful

In the context of this poem, 'gay' means bright and cheerful. This is an older usage of the word. The bright, cheerful garment reflects the joy and happiness associated with the birth of a child. The word indicates the weavers' mood of cheerfulness, not sadness, expense, or size of the garment.

Simile

The line 'Blue as the wing of halcyon wild' is a simile because it compares the blue cloth to the halcyon's wing using the word 'as'. A simile always uses 'like' or 'as' for comparison. It's not a metaphor (which doesn't use 'like' or 'as'), not alliteration (repetition of sounds), and not personification (giving human qualities to non-human things).

Repetition of words and phrases

The rhythm in this poem is created by the repetition of words and phrases like 'Weavers, weaving', 'Why do you weave', and 'We weave'. This repetition creates a musical beat similar to the rhythm of weaving. Long sentences, difficult vocabulary, and short stanzas don't create rhythm - it's specifically the repeated pattern of words that gives the poem its musical quality.