Night of the Scorpion::Nissim Ezekiel

Nissim Ezekiel is one of the most significant poets of post independence Indian English verse. He was born of a Jewish parents. Poverty and poetry were his companions. He was a prolific writer and journalist and contributed articles to a number of reputed journals and periodicals. He was the editor of 'Quest'. His remarkable works are 'sixty poems', 'The Third', 'The Unfinished Man', 'The Exact Name', 'Hymns in Darkness', 'Latter Day Psalms'. He disapproved snobbery, vagueness and mediocrity.He believes that poetry must be the assimilation of emotion and thought. He also strongly believed that poet should work hard for technical perfection. Ezekiel was influenced by Rimbaud, Yeats and T.S. Eliot. His poetry is a personal quest for identity, commitment and harmony in life. In his poetry we see a note of cultural alienation but he is Indian at heart, of course he observes Indian life in a detached way. He identifies himself with Bombay where he spent major of his life. For him Bombay is a barbaric city with hunger and starvation in slums. His poetry presents vivid pictures of Indian life often quite sordid and dull.

There is a originality and freshness in his poetry.  'Night of Scorpion' is one of the finest poem of Ezekiel. It is a tribute to the poet's departed mother. The poem touches a simple rural scene and a common experience of superstition which are still in our blood. The poet's mother was stung by a scorpion. She was in terrible pain. Friends and neighbors crowd round her and prescribe all sorts of cures and medicines. The movements of the scorpion, says the belief moves the poison in his mother's blood. So the scorpion must be put out .But it was not to be found. Another belief says the poison burns away the sins and purifies one's flesh. So goes sympathy when she was groaned in pain. After twenty hours the poison effect wore off and she said "Thanks God the scorpion picked on me and spared my children". The last two lines are the themes and climax of the poem.

In Ezekiel's poetry we find objective treatment of love and sex. For him male female relationship is a human tradition, eternal and universal. He admits that sex is an impulse which can not be controlled or suppressed. But it must be inspired by life not merely by carnal desire. His poetry is lucid and flawless.