International Journal of Management (IJM) Volume 12, Issue 1, January 2021, pp. 940-944. Article ID: IJM_12_01_081 Available online at http://www.iaeme.com/ijm/issues.asp?JType=IJM&VType=12&IType=1 Journal Impact Factor (2020): 10.1471 (Calculated by GISI) www.jifactor.com ISSN Print: 0976-6502 and ISSN Online: 0976-6510 DOI: 10.34218/IJM.12.1.2021.081
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INDIANNESS AND ALIENATION IN THE POETRY OF NISSIM EZEKIEL
Nitul Sut
ABSTRACT The paper has been drafted to search out the theme of Indianness and alienation in a number of Nissim Ezekiel's selected poems. He is one in every of the best Indian poets writing in English. His poetry created a form of awareness about Indian social problems. His poetry associated with "Alienation is Indianness" which might be seen in his most of the poems. He plays alienation together with Indianness as theme, technique and diction in his poetry. His Jewish background is that the reason for his alienation from the Hindu dominated society. The loss of identity within the lifespan is dispensed within the poetry of countless Indian poets writing in English before Ezekiel. But within the case of Ezekiel it's quite different. Alienation is that the prime feature of recent Indian poetry. Though he felt alienation his observation doesn't involve the rejection of the aspects of Indian society and life. Ezekiel always carries his alienation with an Indian Sentiment.
Key words: Alienation, Indianness, Culture, Idealism, Society Cite this Article: Nitul Sut, Indianness and Alienation in the Poetry of Nissim Ezekiel, International Journal of Management, 12(1), 2021, pp. 929-939. http://www.iaeme.com/IJM/issues.asp?JType=IJM&VType=12&IType=1
1. INTRODUCTION Nissim Ezekiel is one among the best modern Indian poets writing in English language. While he was born in a Jewish Parsi religion and ethos, he cultivated to be an Indian both in his principles and therefore the views of the Globe. Ezekiel's poetry often created an awareness about the Indian social problems. Indian consciousness is one in every of the prime concerns of Indo Anglican literature. The term 'Indian Consciousness' implies the attention that India historically has own individual identity. By Indianness, we mean an issue that matches the Indian taste. Ezekiel's works bring a typical blending of Indian tradition, culture and day to day lifetime of general public. Indianness may be a very controversial term. It comprises of the cultural pattern of India, together with deep rooted Indian ideas. These ideals and ideologies play their respective role altogether styles of social scenarios. The works of Nessim Ezekiel don't seem to be exceptional. a way of strong alienation found many of his poems. Alienation could be a state of mind where one feels his loss of identity. it's a painful sense of isolation, frustration and self doubt. When
http://iaeme.com/Home/journal/IJM 940 [email protected] Indianness and Alienation in the Poetry of Nissim Ezekiel human existence is explained very simply in terms of an external idea, he becomes simply a tool of those external forces and feels alienated in his primary essence. Ezekiel's poetry is that the poetry of alienation as he's absolute to use West Germanic language as his tongue. For Ezekiel English could be a colonial heritage which he use to speak the new experience. MK Naik in his book " A History of Indian English literature" in this context says that "All issues or controversies have their roots here." As far as Ezekiel is anxious, the concpt of Indianness is kind of controversial due to his foreign origin. He himself felt alienation from the Hindu culture but his strong desire made him Committed and dedicated to Indian society and culture. I have made my commitments now This is one! to stay where I am, As others choose to give themselves In some remote and backward place. My backward place is where I am. (Background Casually) Alienation became an exclusive word in European literature ever since World War II and Ezekiel had germs of alienation entrenched in him. He stood alone, because of his Jewish origin in the deeply Hindu rooted society. The continuing emotional disassociation from his environment of the city where he was born and spent his childhood. He never learnt to fly a Kite His borrowed top refused to spin (Background Casually) He says that he is living a throbbing life where people detached from love and affection. Confiscate my passport, Lord I don't want to go aboard Let me find my say Where I belong. (Background Casually) In his autobiological porn Background Casually Ezekiel calls himself" a muggling Jew among the wolves". He felt alienated in a big city while he went to Roman Catholic school. He gives the description : They told me that I had killed the Christ That year I won the scripture prize. A Muslim sportsman boxed my years (Background Casually) In the same poem the Hindu elements were threatening being a Jew. He becomes a alien in the classroom: But undernourished Hindu lads Their preposition always wrong Repelled me by passivity One noisy day I used my knife. (Background Casually) Ezekiel believed that a poet should closely observe his surroundings. The poem 'Entertainment ' describes the monkey dance shows that is closely related to the Indian culture
http://iaeme.com/Home/journal/IJM 941 [email protected] Nitul Sut since dawn. In this poem he also describes the plight of the monkeys along with the poor people. Two tiny monkeys In red pantaloons Prepare to dance. Crowd collects Form a circle. (Entertainment) 'Entertainment ' is one of the best example of close observation of Indian society. He presents the typical Indian selfish aspect of the gathered crowd which gets dispersed by time of its "anticipated payment " to the monkey dance street show. Anticipating time for payment, The crowd dissoves Some, in shame, part With the smallest coin they have. The show move on. (Entertainment) In the poem "The Railway Clerk " he represents the miserable plight of lower middle class as- My wife is asking for money Money, money where to get money? My job is such no one is giving bribe I wish I was a bird (The Railway Clerk) Another poem of Ezekiel "How the English Lesson Ended" where he raised some serious social issue. Ezekiel shows the condition of female child in Muslim families, where at a very young age, they are subject to get married and become housewives. "Child marriage " which is one of the oldest Indian social traditions and issues. In his poem 'The Patriot' Ezekiel expresses the contemporary problems that India focus- Pakistan behaving like this China behaving like that, It is making me very sad, I am telling you. (The Patriot) Ezekiel is a philosophical poet. He hates the artificial modern mechanical life of modern man. In the poem 'Guru' he is talking about the present days religious contractors. If saints are like this What hope is there for us? (Guru)
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The sceptical attitude of modern man is also found in 'The Egoists Prayer '. Ezekiel conveys ironically - The period of wisdom is too high But folly is expensive too Strike a bargain with me, lord I'm not a man of ample means (The Egoist's Prayer) Ezekiel's deep concern for Hindu spiritual values are also highlighted in his poems. He accepts the Hindu theology which says " Sansar sab mithya" means materialism is nothing. One cannot get both "peace"and "comfort" of mind without religion - Come, religion comfort me, You lifeless moralists prescribe your laws, And make see me My secret flaws. (Songs of Desolation) In 'Egoist Prayer' he presents prayer as a profitable deal. The need for God is expressed ironically in the poem. Don't choose me, lord To carry out thy purpose. I am quite worthy, of course, But I have my own purposes, You have plenty of volunteers To choose from lord. Why pick me the selfish one? (Egoist Prayer) His poems like "Tribute to Upanishad', 'Counsel ','Process', 'Theological' etc are his wide knowledge regarding Hindu scriptures like 'Gita','Upanishads' and 'Vedas'. Poems like 'Morning Prayer's reflects his identification with India and his religious thinking - God grant me certainly In kinship with sky, Air, Earth, fire, sea And a fresh inward eye. (Morning Prayer) Ezekiel enjoys the theme of religion even though pushed towards Religious alienation. In 'Latter-Day Psalms' Ezekiel seeking self oblivion finds himself out of his depth. It's the will to pass Through the eyes of a needle To self forgetfulness. (Latter-Day Psalms) The typical use of Hindi words like Ram Rajya, Lassi, Ashram, Guru, Chapati, Paan added the new Indian flavour to the English Language.
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2. CONCLUSION Indian environment and Jewish background blended with European taste to witness the actual Indian scene. Ezekiel's poems contains a huge amount of "Indian " English. The use of present tense is an another feature of his poetry. His poems like "very Indian poems in Indian English." Chetan Kalyani says "No other poet has successfully exploited the nuances of Indian English as Ezekiel has done."
REFERENCES
[1] Ezekiel, Nissim. Collected Poems. Delhi:OUP,1989
[2] Hymns in Darkness. Delhi:OUP,1976
[3] Latter day Psalms. Delhi:OUP,1982
[4] Naik, M. K. A history of Indian English Literature. Delhi Sahitya Academy, 1982
[5] Parthasarathy, R. " The Indian English Verse: The Making of a tradition." Alien Voice: Perspectives on Commonwealth Literature. Ed. Avdhesh Srivastava. Lucknow: Print House,1981.
[6] William, H.M. Indo Anglican Literature 1800-1970.Madras:Orient Longman Ltd. 1977
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