Question

Appreciation on the poem "night of the scorpion"

Answer 1

Night of the Scorpion" is a poemby Nissim Ezekiel included the AQA Anthology.It starts in a house at night where it is raining and a scorpion, in order to take some shelter, comes to the house. This poem is about how the scorpion stung the poetsmother and how she escaped and the mother's love for her children

Answer 2

Night of the Scorpion is a poem that focuses on a single episode in the life of an Indian family. A scorpion has been forced by persistent rain to seek refuge inside, under a sack of rice. It ends up stinging the mother of the family, which brings people flocking to her side wanting to help out with the subsequent pain.

All this is observed by the speaker, in first person. Perhaps this is a child, a daughter or son. Names and ages are not divulged, suffice to say that the observations are keen and precise, so the reader can only conclude that this speaker has an exceptional eye for detail.

The poem also generates layers of tension as the drama progresses. Look out for:

the attempts by the peasants to help alleviate the mother's pain.the actions of these same peasants to kill the scorpion.the reaction of the rational father.the various superstitions versus the 'scientific'.the religious undertones with regards to karma.evil versus good.

Nissim Ezekiel is seen as one of the front runners in early modern Indian poetry. He was the first Indian poet 'to express modern Indian sensibility in modern idiom.' Born in 1924, he published Night of the Scorpion in his book The Exact Name, 1965.

Night of the Scorpion does have a twist at the end, welcomed by many readers, disliked by a few. Whatever the opinion there is no doubting the poem's vivid imagery and powerful language.

The narrative shifts and stops and rattles on as the unusual syntax helps build up a tense atmosphere, the scenes coming and going on what is an extraordinary night in the life of a village scorpion, villain of the peace, or innocent protector of his own space?Simple and complex sentences together with direct and indirect narrative, enjambment and repetition (anaphora), create a topsy-turvy atmosphere of disturbing distortion. This reflects the ongoing search of the peasants for the scorpion, their incantatory voices, the monotonous rain and the lond hours spent in pain for the mother.

And what about the unlucky woman, full of poison, having to deal with excruciating pain and what amounts to a circus of people around her, all wanting to help but left feeling helpless. Her dignified response right at the end of the poem is both humbling and inspirational.