Question

My mother only said,Thank god the scorpion picked on me and spared my children.1) what light do these lines throw on the character of poet mother?2)explain the phrase picked on me?

Answer 1

1. this phrase tells the poet's mother is considerate and equally concerned about her children. her life does not hold so much importance in front of her children.

2. picked on me means bitten or targeted

Answer 2

Answer :

1. The lines 'My mother only said,Thank god the scorpion picked on me and spared my children.' throw light on the caring and protective attitude of the mother towards her children. She doesn't blame God for the scorpion bite but only thanks him for sparing her children.

2. Collins English Dictionary defines the phrasal verb 'pick on' as 'to select (someone) for something unpleasant, esp in order to bully, blame, or cause to perform a distasteful task.'

Nissim Ezekiel uses the phrase 'picked on me' in the poem to convey that the scorpion stung the mother.