Author: Manas Kumar Bhuniya
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.70798/PP/030200022
Abstract: This article explores the intricate representation of rural India in the poetry of Nissim Ezekiel, positioned at the intersection of his identity as a “persistent foreigner” and an “indigenous insider.” Central to this study is the concept of “Socio-Cultural Geography”—a framework that views the rural landscape not merely as a physical setting of mud-baked walls and monsoon rains, but as a psychological space defined by the tension between tradition and modernity.The study focuses on the metaphorical “Patchwork of Faith,” where Ezekiel weaves together the disparate threads of primitive superstition, communal resilience, and the skeptical rationalism of the urban observer. Through a close semiotic reading of seminal poems such as Night of the Scorpion, The Professor, and In India, the paper argues that Ezekiel rejects the romanticized, “pastoral” trope common in colonial literature. Instead, he adopts a post-colonial realism that highlights the socio-economic stagnation and the linguistic nuances of the Indian subaltern.Special attention is paid to Ezekiel’s use of “Indian English” as a tool for mapping social hierarchy and cultural identity. The article concludes that Ezekiel’s rural poetry serves as a vital bridge in Indian English Verse, transitioning the genre from Victorian imitation to a gritty, ironic, and deeply empathetic engagement with the “real” India. Ultimately, the “patchwork” he creates is one of profound reconciliation—where the poet’s own alienated identity finds a home within the very contradictions of the village collective.
Keywords: Nissim Ezekiel, Night of the Scorpion, Socio-Cultural Geography, Rationalism vs. Superstition, Rural India, Post-colonial Identity
Page No: 185-190