What is the significance of function in the poem GOODBYE PARTY FOR MISS PUSHPA
Answers
Which book is it from
Nissim Ezekiel’s poem "Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S." is a satirical and humorous work about how some semi-educated people in India speak English. The poem gives the reader a look at Indian culture and the common people within it. To understand the theme of “Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S.,” a reader must first be familiar with Ezekiel and the dialect in which he wrote the poem.
The poem "Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S.” is a monologue. At the beginning of the work, the speaker explains that Miss Pushpa is going to a different country and states that she’s a sweet person. He explains that the woman comes from a prominent family and gets sidetracked with his own memories. After digressing, the speaker states the Miss Pushpa is a popular person who is kind and always willing to help others. At the end of the poem, the speaker asks the others at the party to give their own speeches about the party’s honoree.
Babu English
Ezekiel wrote many of his works, including "Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S.,” in the dialect of urban Indians, particularly those in Bombay, according to Dominic. This dialect is called “Babu English.” Originally, the colonial British used the word “babu” as a derogatory term when referring to subordinate Indians who spoke English as a second language, according to The Hindu website. A “Babu” was a person who tried to impress a British master using stylish ornamentation, as the way that he expressed a message was more important than information relayed.
Human Foibles
The main theme in the "Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S.” isn’t the loss of a friend -- it’s human foibles, or character faults. According to Dominic, this is a popular theme among Ezekiel’s works. The poem offers a satirical look at how some people in India speak English, a device that the poet presumably used to get an Indian reader to laugh at himself. The poem misuses the present continuous tense and uses turns of phrases and syntax found in the Indian language, like when Ezekiel writes, “Whatever I or anybody is asking/ She is always saying yes.” The poem also hints at dramatic irony if the reader infers that the speaker’s audience at the farewell party doesn’t know that his English is grammatically incorrect.