3. Nissim Ezekiel (16 December 1924 – 9 January 2004) was an Indian
Jewish poet, actor, playwright, editor and art-critic. He was a
foundational figure in postcolonial India's literary history, specifically
for Indian writing in English.He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi
Award in 1983 for his Poetry collection, "Latter-Day Psalms", by the
Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters.[2] Ezekiel is
universally recognized and appreciated as being one of the most
notable and accomplished Indian English language poets of the 20th
century, applauded for his subtle, restrained and well crafted
diction, dealing with common and mundane themes in a manner that
manifests both cognitive profundity, as well as an unsentimental,
realistic sensibility, that has been influential on the course of
succeeding Indian English poetry. Ezekiel enriched and established
Indian English language poetry through his modernist innovations and
techniques, which enlarged Indian English literature, moving it
beyond purely spiritual and orientalist themes, to include a wider
range of concerns and interests, including mundane familial events,
individual angst and skeptical societal introspection.
4. Friends,
•our dear sister
• is departing for foreign
• in two three days
•,and
• we are meeting today
•to wish her bon voyage.
• You are all knowing, friends,
• What sweetness is in Miss Pushpa
•.I don't mean only external sweetness
• but internal sweetness.
• Miss Pushpa is smiling and smiling
• even for no reason but simply because
• she is feeling.
• Miss Pushpa is coming
•from very high family.
•Her father was renowned advocate
• in Bulsar or Surat,
• I am not remembering now which place.
5. •Surat? Ah, yes,
•once only I stayed in Surat
•with family members
•of my uncle's very old friend-
•his wife was cooking nicely…
•that was long time ago.
• Coming back to Miss Pushpa
•she is most popular lady
• with men also and ladies also.
• Whenever I asked her to do anything,
•she was saying, 'Just now only
•I will do it.' That is showing
•good spirit. I am always
• appreciating the good spirit.
• Pushpa Miss is never saying no.
•Whatever I or anybody is asking
•she is always saying yes
•,and today she is going
•to improve her prospect
• and we are wishing her bon voyage.
•Now I ask other speakers to speak
•and afterwards Miss Pushpa
•will do summing up.
Nissim Ezekiel
6. Notes:1.2: dear sister: addressing a chief guest
or speaker as “dear” or ‘beloved’ sister, brother,
professor etc., is very common in India.
1.3: departing for foreign Note the Indian use
of ‘foreign’ as noun and departing in the sense of
going or leaving.
1.4: two thru days: translation of a parallel
vernacular expression.
1.6: we are meeting today: This is one of the
many instances of the use of the progressive for
the simple present in the poem. The Indian
predilection for the use of the progressive tense
is well-known. Pick out all the other expressions
of this kind in the advocate”.
7. poem.1.10-11: Note the way in which the speaker
chooses to convey that Pushpa is not only a woman
of pleasant exterior but also of many sweet
qualities of head and heart
1.12- 13: All that is meant is that Pushpa always
puts on a smiling face which shows that she is
emotional by nature.
1.15- 19: Though these words are meant to be
complimentary, they can be hurting too to Miss
Pushpa, for the speaker’s words sound empty as he
is not quite sure of her actual parental background
and makes vague references. Note the absence of
the indefinite article in “very high family” and in
“renowned
8. 1.20: Surat? Ah yes: obviously someone has
reminded the speaker that it is Surat.
22: family members: ‘family members’,
‘family friend’ ‘family matter’ etc., are
common Indianisms
.11. 22-25: In India one does not hesitate to
thrust oneself as a guest on anyone,
however distant a relative of oneself or
one’s friend’s friend!
1.24-25: Look at the ambiguity and the irony
resulting from the expression ‘that was
long time ago’.
1.27- 28: Popular lady with men also, and
ladies also: an unusual collocation, for
‘men and ladies’ do not collocate well.
9. 1. 30: Just now only I will do it: a typical
Indian-English expression. Note the
numerous uses of the progressive tense in
the lines that follow.
1. 34: Pushpa Miss: This reversal of the
word order is typical of the Indian speech
habit. This is how most students in India
refer to their lady teachers
1. 40-42: The lines mean that Miss Pushpa
will reply to the felicitations offered to
her
