The Poetry of Nissim Ezekiel: A Study in the Direction of Self

Abstract

Nissim Ezekiel (1924-2004) stands as the pole star in the firmament of the history of Indian English Poetry. His contributions to Post- Independence Indian English Poetry is noteworthy. Being a Jew, the problem of identity crisis was always with him but he assimilated well with Indian tradition and experimented greatly with poetry; better to say the poetry of India and its people. He belongs to the group of poets who attempted to create a modern English poetry in India and with his extraordinary poetic works became the leader amongst them. He did not only set standards and create places of publication, meanwhile, also gave a new direction; a smooth and clear path to modern Indian English Poetry with his incomparable craftsmanship and sensible concerns. The present paper focuses on Ezekiel’s concerns towards his search for self. Ezekiel made poetry central to his life, a life where there was quest for ‘selfhood’; quest for a peaceful way of living in the modern world with satisfaction since he wanted to identify himself with modern India knowing the fact that westernized past was behind him. This paper depicts Ezekiel’s concept of ‘self’ as discovered in his poetry.