The Night of the Scorpion - poem - Nissim Ezekiel

Night of the Scorpion

----Nissim Ezekiel

summary:

            “The Night of the Scorpion” is a poem. It is written by Nissim Ezekiel.  This poem shows the close relationship shared between a family and the village community.

            On a rainy day, a scorpion entered the speaker’s house at night. It stung his mother.  The innocent villagers surrounded her. They offered prayers.  Some say that her previous sins are removed by the bite of the scorpion.  Some others say that her spirit is purified by the poison. 

The speaker’s father is a rationalist. He does not believe in the superstitions of the village peasants.  So, he makes all his efforts to rescue her. He applies some powders, medicinal herbs and other mixtures.

After twenty hours, the mother is cured. She thanks the God for the reason that the scorpion picked on her but spared her children. 

This shows the mother’s love towards her children.  Thus, the poem is a celebration of a mother’s love for her children.

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NOOJILLA SRINIVAS

Lecturer in English

Govt. Degree College, 

Alamuru, E.G.Dist., 

Andhra Pradesh, India.

noojillasrinivas@gmail.com 

M: 7981862200