Nissim Ezekiel. Chapter : 2

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Chapter : 2 Nissim Ezekiel Nissim Ezekiel (1924-2004) was educated in Mumbai and London. Returning home he took up teaching and retired as Professor of English at the University of Bombay.

1 Chapter : 2 Nissim Ezekiel Nissim Ezekiel ( ) was educated in Mumbai and London. Returning home he took up teaching and retired as Professor of English at the University of Bombay. A winner of Sahitya Akademi Award, Ezekiel has edited several journals including 'Quest' and 'Imprint'. His verse collections are A Time to Change (1952), Sixty Poems (1953), The Third (1959), The Unfinished Man (1960), The Exact Name (1965), Hymns and Darkness (1976) and Latter day Psalms (1982). He also has the title Collected plays to his credit. He emerged as a leader, encouraging new talent in modern Indian English Poetry. A poet with a professional attitude, his poetry is chiefly introspective and self - analytical and expresses modern concerns in contemporary voice and manner. Love, sex, death, loneliness and prayer are the themes in his poetry. The distancing of emotions and ironic perception are the major features of his poetry. Nissim Ezekiel / 25

2 2.0 Objectives 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Night of the Scorpion Theme of the Poem Reflection of superstition in the Poem Traditional Approach versus Modern Approach Indian Philosophy Followed by the Villagers Paraphrase of the Poem 2.3 The Poet, Lover and Birdwatcher Theme of the Poem Paraphrase of the Poem 2.4 Conclusion 2.5 Summary 2.6 Glossary - Answers - Check Your Progress - Field Work 2.0 Objectives Friends, this chapter deals with the Indian English poet, Nissim Ezekiel. This chapter deals with his two poems and Ezekiel as a poet. After study of this chapter you will able to - Explain the themes of given poems. Explain the poem 'Night of the Scorpion' Explain the poem, 'The Poet, Lover and Birdwatcher' Explain Ezekiel's contribution to Indian English poetry. 2.1 Introduction Friends, in the last chapter we have studied about the history of the Indian English Verses. This chapter will introduce you to one of the pioneer figures of modern Indian English poetry, Nissim Ezekiel. It will inform about Ezekiel's poetry and its various facets. What are the Indian Literature in English / 26

3 various themes of Ezekiel's poetry? What were the contemporary times when he wrote poetry? How does his poetry reflect Indianness? This chapter is an answer to these questions and it will help you to get a better understanding of Ezekiel's poetry. 2.2 Night of the Scorpion 'Night of the Scorpion', written with a touch of gentle irony, is a poignant and touching poetic portrayal of a rustic situation evocative of the Indian ethos. Written in free verse, the poem has a terse ending characteristic of the style of many modern Indian poets writing in English. It is believed that this poem is an expression of his childhood experience when his own mother was stung by a scorpion. He witnessed the drama of the aftermath of the scorpion bite. The poem is just a reaction of his experience Theme of the poem Ezekiel narrates how the speaker's mother is stung by a poisonous scorpion. He juxtaposes the pain and horror of the event alongside a humorous depiction of the attitudes of simple and ignorant but concerned villagers. The poem depicts the supernatural elements that are strongly believed by the villagers. We come across some irrational beliefs prevalent in the rural society like the movement of the scorpion would speed up the movement of the poison in his mother's body. It also highlights the concern of the villagers for even a small incident like a scorpion bite in the neighborhood. It also shows the affection a mother has for her children and the pain she undergoes silently as it assures the safety of her children Reflection of superstition in the poem Through the poem, he emphasizes the hold of superstition on the Indian social psyche with rare insight and sensitivity. The poem conveys the typical superstitious attitude of the Indian peasants to life through an ordinary happening in which a scorpion stings the speaker's mother and the neighbors respond impulsively. The neighbors even in the dark are equipped with candles and lanterns to locate the culprit scorpion as they want to kill it. They believe that the Nissim Ezekiel / 27

4 death of the scorpion would nullify the effect of the poison in the victim's body. At the same time, the villagers were continuously chanting the name of God to paralyze the scorpion. They feel that the mother is suffering because of the sins of her previous birth or is reducing the sufferings of her next birth. They also believe that her suffering will reduce the sum of evil and add to the sum of the good in this world. It is believed that the poison will purify her soul from the material desires and her spirit of its ambitions. A holy man is also summoned to perform various rites to tame the poison with his incantations. Thus the poem is a lovely picture of a typical Indian scenario of a trivial incident like a scorpion bite and its post effects Traditional Approach versus modern approach The poem shows the traditions and beliefs that the villagers possess at a scorpion bite. As mentioned earlier, the poem moves around the traditional approaches of the villagers to cure the mother of the poison of a scorpion bite. They try every possible traditional remedy like holy incantations, hunting the scorpion for killing it, prayers and so on. On the other hand, we find only one rational figure amidst the chaos around, that is, the poet's father. He is skeptic and a rational person. Rather than believing in the curses and the blessings, he feels practical efforts are more fruitful. He tried every available powder, mixture, herbs and hybrid. He performed an experiment to cure his wife of the bitter poison. He poured a little paraffin upon her bitten toe and lighted it with a match. The toe was in flames and he expected the poisoned blood to burn up thereby curing her. Somehow after several efforts, she finally was cured after twenty long painful hours. The poem keeps moving between the traditional and modern approach for curing a victim of a poisonous scorpion bite Indian philosophy followed by the villagers The poem depicts many beliefs prevalent in the Indian philosophy. One of the dominant ideologies of Indian philosophy is the 'karma' theory which believes in rewards or punishments inflicted upon an individual are the result of his own 'karma' or deeds. The villagers in the poem believe that the mother was suffering due to the scorpion bite because of the sins of her past birth or maybe she was reducing Indian Literature in English / 28

5 her sufferings of the next birth. They also feel that her suffering will balance the sum of good against that of the sum of the evil. The Indian philosophy of purification in suffering is highlighted in the poem. The villagers say that the suffering of the victim will purify her of her material bodily desires and ambitions. It will thereby bring her soul close to that of the Almighty God Paraphrase of the poem The poem is written in a typical Indian convention using Indian English and Indian culture. It shows the reactions of a typical lower middle class peasant family upon a scorpion bite. The poem highlights the superstitions and beliefs that an average Indian possesses. The poet uses flashback technique to recall the incident. He remembers the night when as a child he witnesses the entire drama of scorpion bite. We find a variety of responses by the family and the neighbors. Most of the responses are irrational but at the same time they depict the concern and fellow - feeling amongst each other. The poem highlights the helping nature of Indians. The poem begins with the recalling of the poet of the incident of his mother being stung by a scorpion. The night was dark and dreary accompanied by the rains. It had been raining steadily for ten long hours. It was at this time that the scorpion had crawled near the sack of rice. The poet compares the scorpion to the Devil who has a devilish or diabolic tail. The scorpion comes out of his hiding and his devilish tale flashes in the dark. He risks the rain by coming out and bites his mother. Swiftly the scorpion moves out in the rain. At the very next moment, the neighborhood peasants gather like swarms of flies into the poet's hut. The peasants are chanting the prayers to God to relieve his mother from the torturous pain. They had a belief that by doing so they could paralyze the scorpion poison. They also attempt together to find out the evil scorpion in the dark. The peasants are holding lanterns and candles and casting their giant scorpion shadows on the sun - baked walls. Unfortunately, their efforts are in vain. They were clicking their tongues in disappointment. Actually, they believed in the superstition that if the scorpion is found and killed, it will kill the poison in the body of his mother. But since it's not found, they believe that as Nissim Ezekiel / 29

6 the scorpion is moving around alive, its poison is moving in his mother's blood. They start praying to God that the scorpion should remain still. For his mother, the peasants say that his mother is suffering due to the sins of her previous birth and they wish that these sins get burnt with her suffering that night. Also they believe that since she is suffering in this birth that will decrease the misfortunes of her next birth. They pray that her pain should balance the sum of evil balance in this world with the sum of the good. They firmly believe that the poison will purify her body and mind from the various desires and ambitions. The peasants had seated around the mother in pain and she was lying at the centre. Their faces were serene with peace and understanding. As the number of people visiting increased, the number of candles, lanterns, insects and rain increased in torrents. The mother was twisting on the mat with endless pain. The poet's father was skeptic and rationalist but he tried every available herb, hybrid, powders, mixtures and also curses and blessings. He experimented scientifically on the bitten toe by pouring a little paraffin and lighting it. A holy man was ushered in to perform rites and rituals to nullify the effect of the poison with his holy incantations. Trying every possible remedy, everyone was incessantly engaged in saving the life of the mother. Finally their efforts did bear fruits after twenty hours and the effect of the poison disappeared. When the mother was back to life, she didn't curse or regret the disastrous scorpion - bite. Instead she thanked God for spacing her children from the deadly pain for she felt she could tolerate any pain to rescue her children from it. This shows the universal loving and caring nature of a mother towards her children. In short, the poem depicts the Indian temperament in its lively tone. The use of present tense highlights the typical Indian manner of narration. The poem is a truthful representation of India in its true colors. 2.2 Check Your Progress. Answer the following questions in brief. 1. What are the villagers searching for in the dark of the night? Indian Literature in English / 30

7 2. Who is the only rational person among the villagers? 3. How is the mother going to be benefited from her suffering? 4. Where was the scorpion hiding before he stung the mother? 5. Why is the scorpion's tail called 'diabolic'? 6. Why are the peasants buzzing the name of the God? 7. What is the poison going to purify? 8. Which experiment was performed by the father in the poem? 2.3 The Poet, Lover and Birdwatcher Nissim Ezekiel tries to highlight the common qualities in a poet, lover and the bird watcher. The poem is a testimonial of the good observation of the poet. He compares and contrasts the qualities of all the three revealing how their quest ends Theme of the poem Ezekiel tries to locate the common qualities of a poet, a lover and a bird watcher. He focuses on their quest for appropriateness and the unending efforts all the three put in. all the three take pains for perfection but their paths are different. Their destinations are different but the quest for perfection is the same. The poet through the medium of the poet, lover and the bird watcher wants to highlight the quest of every individual for the perfect in their lives. Nissim Ezekiel / 31

8 2.3.2 Paraphrase of the poem Nissim Ezekiel examines common qualities between a poet, lover and a bird watcher. A bird watcher is never still in his curiosity for birds. His mind is always in search of something novel about birds. He observes the birds in a still motion. He never speeds up as far as his observation is concerned. Same rule applies to both lovers and poets. The lover studies women and the poet studies words or language. They wait for the right woman and the right words respectively. The hunt of all three is an exercise in itself. At the same time, the hunt is not based upon their own will. The situation and needs shape up their untiring hunt. Their hunt needs persistent tolerance and patience. A bird watcher needs to relax on a hill for long hours even to note a single movement of the wings of a bird. He has to be motionless since the birds are timid by nature. Whereas a lover waits till he is sure that a woman loves him. The immediate action by his is he stops waiting and surrenders himself. He even at times risks by surrendering. A poet never speaks or expresses himself until his spirit is moved by something. When he proves that his morals are turning right, then he moves to write poetry. All the three: poet, lover and birdwatcher move in a slow pace though they say much more than one can understand. Their creativity demands untiring efforts. If a bird watcher wants to study rare species of birds, he has to ungrudgingly move in deserted lanes and rivers, shores where there is a company of silence only. The path of all three is very remote and thorny i.e. full of hurdles. The poet compares this path to one's heart which has a dark floor because it is difficult to comprehend the depth of one's heart. The poet feels women are not just a bunch of flesh and bones but are like incomprehendable myths of light whose depth has no concrete limits. The search of all three is in the darkness without any concrete path of their aspirations. At the centre of their quest there is darkness but it is full of meaning for them. They all are moving in an impractical world according to the sensible beings. Their credit lies in giving meaning even to the senseless quest. The outcome of their quest is almost out of the world and something miraculous. Indian Literature in English / 32

9 All the three move in a crooked path and are restless in their flights of search. For a poet even a deaf can hear and a blind can recover sight since he believes in incredible things. Thus all the three love to move in a fantasy world of their own. Their quest gives them surprising results which astonish the world with their creation. 2.3 Check Your Progress. 1. What do the best poets wait for? 2. Are the three in a hurry? 3. How and why does the birdwatcher wait patiently? 4. What does a lover do when he gets the right opportunity? 5. When does a poet express himself? 6. What efforts does a birdwatcher make to watch rarer birds? 7. Where are the poets lost? 2.4 Conclusion This chapter deals with Nissim Ezekiel, who as a poet deals successfully with a variety of themes. The 'Night of the Scorpion' deals with a simple rustic incident of a scorpion bite and the response to it at various levels. It introduces us to the rural Indian culture and their dominant beliefs. The poem brings out the various Indian philosophies. On the other hand, 'The poet, the lover and the bird watcher' takes us to the flights of the fancy of the poet. He compares and highlights the common features of all the three. We come across the excellence Nissim Ezekiel / 33

10 of Ezekiel's fertile imagination. The next chapter deals with another Indian English poet, Arun Kolatkar with reference to the selected poems from his poetry collection Jejuri. 2.5 Summary This chapter has introduced the poetic skills of Nissim Ezekiel. The study of the two poems has highlighted him as a modern poet capable of dealing with the Indian scenario neutrally. We also come across his experimentation with English language. His use of free verse gives him more space for expression. His uniqueness lies in his good observation. His poems are a pleasure to read and analyze. 2.6 Glossary Night of the Scorpion 1.Diabolic - devilish 2.Buzzed- uttered or chattered 3.The Evil One - the scorpion, a creature associated by villagers with evil and darkness 4.Skeptic - one who doubts the truth of accepted beliefs 5.Rationalist - one who bases opinions on reason 6.Hybrid - combining several remedies 7.Paraffin - oil from petroleum used as fuel 8.Rites - religious rituals or ceremonies 9. Incantation - musical chanting of words or 'mantras' believed to have magical powers The Poet, the Lover and the Birdwatcher 1. pace - speed 2. hunt - search 3. timid - shy, somewhat scarred 4. lanes - paths Indian Literature in English / 34

11 5. core - centre Answers to check your progress The scorpion 2. The poet's father 3. She will either reduce her sins of past birth or her next birth 4. beneath a sack of rice 5. The scorpion is compared to the devil and the devil is supposed to be diabolic. 6. To paralyze the scorpion 7. The poison will purify the flesh of desire and the spirit of ambition 8. The father poured paraffin on the bitten toe and put a match to it Words 2. No, but at the same time they are never still 3. He waits with relaxation on a hill even to watch a wing movement of a timid bird. 4. A poet risks surrendering 5. When he finds something which moves his spirit 6. He moves along the deserted lanes with rivers flowing in silence near the source in a thorny and remote path 7. The poets are lost in crooked and restless flights. Field work Read other poems of Nissim Ezekiel to find out some common features of his poetry highlighted in the study of his prescribed poems. Nissim Ezekiel / 35

12 Notes Nissim Ezekiel / 36

LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

LITERATURE IN ENGLISH ENGLISH Paper 2 (Two hours) Answers to this Paper must be written on the paper provided separately. You will not be allowed to write during the first 15 minutes. This time is to be