Nissim Ezekiel: Night of the Scorpion

Poet: Nissim Ezekiel | Born: 1924 | Died: 2004 | Nationality: Indian

📖 Introduction

"Night of the Scorpion" is a narrative poem by Nissim Ezekiel, widely regarded as the father of modern Indian English poetry. The poem narrates a real-life incident from Ezekiel’s childhood, when a scorpion stung his mother on a rainy night. While the poem appears simple at first glance, it explores multiple layers: superstition, parental love, human suffering, communal response, and the clash between rationality and blind belief. Through vivid imagery, a conversational tone, and social insight, Ezekiel portrays rural Indian life with authenticity and subtle irony.

🏡 Background

Nissim Ezekiel was born in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1924 to a Jewish family. He grew up in a culturally plural environment, witnessing both modern influences and traditional beliefs. The poem reflects his childhood experience in a village, capturing the everyday rituals, fears, and attitudes of rural India. The scorpion sting serves as a catalyst for exploring human behavior in crisis—highlighting maternal love, communal fear, and rational versus superstitious responses.

📜 Text of the Poem

Night of the Scorpion

I remember the night my mother
was stung by a scorpion. Ten hours
of steady rain had driven him
to crawl beneath a sack of rice.

Parting with his poison - flash
of diabolic tail in the dark room -
he risked the rain again.

The peasants came like swarms of flies
and buzzed the name of God a hundred times
to paralyse the Evil One.

With candles and with lanterns
throwing giant scorpion shadows
on the mud-baked walls
they searched for him: he was not found.
They clicked their tongues.
With every movement that the scorpion made his poison moved in Mother's blood, they said.

May he sit still, they said
May the sins of your previous birth
be burned away tonight, they said.
May your suffering decrease
the misfortunes of your next birth, they said.
May the sum of all evil
balanced in this unreal world
against the sum of good
become diminished by your pain.
May the poison purify your flesh
of desire, and your spirit of ambition,
they said, and they sat around
on the floor with my mother in the centre,
the peace of understanding on each face.
More candles, more lanterns, more neighbours,
more insects, and the endless rain.

My mother twisted through and through,
groaning on a mat.
My father, sceptic, rationalist,
trying every curse and blessing,
powder, mixture, herb and hybrid.
He even poured a little paraffin
upon the bitten toe and put a match to it.
I watched the flame feeding on my mother.
I watched the holy man perform his rites to tame the poison with an incantation.
After twenty hours
it lost its sting.

My mother only said
Thank God the scorpion picked on me
And spared my children.
    

📝 Summary of the Poem

The poem recounts a childhood memory where a scorpion stings the poet's mother during a rainy night. The villagers, driven by superstition, gather and perform rituals to neutralize the poison. Ezekiel highlights the stark contrast between the villagers’ blind faith and the father’s rational, scientific approach. Amidst communal concern and fear, the mother silently endures the pain, exemplifying selflessness and maternal sacrifice. After twenty hours, the poison loses its effect, and the mother expresses relief that her children were spared. The poem concludes with admiration for her resilience and the communal solidarity that surrounds her.

📐 Structure and Form

"Night of the Scorpion" is a narrative poem written in free verse, with irregular stanzas and line lengths. The free verse allows Ezekiel to adopt a conversational tone, mimicking everyday speech while giving room for rich imagery. The poem follows a chronological order: the scorpion sting, villagers’ response, father’s intervention, and mother’s endurance. The narrative form allows both storytelling and subtle social critique.

🌟 Themes

• Superstition vs Rationality: Villagers rely on rituals, prayers, and mystical beliefs, while the father adopts a rational approach, highlighting the tension between faith and reason.
• Maternal Sacrifice: The mother silently endures excruciating pain, demonstrating love, patience, and selflessness.
• Human Suffering: The poem explores both physical pain and communal emotional responses.
• Community and Solidarity: The villagers' collective response reflects both fear and cultural tradition.
• Nature and Rural Life: The scorpion, rain, and rural setting evoke unpredictability of life and environmental challenges in rural India.

✒️ Literary Devices

• Imagery: Vivid descriptions like “ten hours of steady rain” and “giant scorpion shadows” create a strong visual and tactile experience.
• Symbolism: The scorpion represents danger, evil, and unpredictability.
• Contrast: The poem contrasts superstition and rationality, communal panic and maternal endurance.
• Repetition: Ritualistic phrases and repeated invocations of God emphasize cultural beliefs and anxiety.
• Tone: Shifts from humor, tension, fear, and reverence to admiration, capturing human emotion authentically.
• Simile: “The peasants came like swarms of flies” intensifies the chaos of the scene.

🔍 Stanza-wise Analysis

Stanza 1:

Ezekiel opens with the scorpion sting and sets the scene: heavy rain and a dark, rural house. The scorpion emerges beneath a sack of rice, emphasizing both the unpredictability of nature and the vulnerability of human life. The mother’s initial suffering is introduced, immediately engaging the reader’s sympathy.

Stanza 2:

Villagers arrive, chanting God’s name, performing rituals, and illuminating the house with candles and lanterns. Their fear and superstitions are vividly depicted, reflecting rural cultural beliefs and communal solidarity.

Stanza 3:

The villagers offer prayers for the mother’s suffering to atone for past sins or prevent future misfortune. Ezekiel satirically highlights the irrationality of superstition, while simultaneously portraying human concern and empathy.

Stanza 4:

The father, a rationalist, applies a scientific and practical approach: powders, herbs, and even paraffin flame treatment. The contrast between the father’s methods and the villagers’ rituals underlines rationality versus superstition. The stanza also introduces tension and suspense.

Stanza 5:

The poison finally loses its sting after twenty hours, and the mother’s words reflect gratitude, maternal love, and relief that her children were spared. This concluding stanza celebrates resilience, love, and communal care, leaving readers with moral and emotional insight.

🖋️ Style and Language

Ezekiel’s style is simple, direct, and narrative-driven. He uses free verse, colloquial diction, and vivid imagery to capture Indian rural life authentically. The conversational tone allows readers to follow the story naturally while observing subtle irony and social commentary. The poem combines suspense, humor, and pathos seamlessly.

📚 Critical Reception

"Night of the Scorpion" is studied extensively in Indian English literature for its cultural, thematic, and literary depth. Critics praise its ability to depict rural Indian life authentically, explore human emotions, and balance storytelling with subtle satire. The poem is considered one of Ezekiel’s finest works, demonstrating narrative skill, thematic complexity, and cross-cultural relevance.

🌿 Significance and Legacy

The poem preserves Indian rural culture, highlighting superstition, communal values, and maternal devotion. Ezekiel’s exploration of rationality versus faith resonates universally, making it relevant beyond its cultural context. "Night of the Scorpion" continues to be included in academic curricula, anthologies, and literary discussions, securing Ezekiel’s place as a pioneering Indian English poet.

✅ Conclusion

"Night of the Scorpion" is a rich narrative poem that explores the human experience of suffering, maternal love, superstition, and rationality. Ezekiel blends imagery, narrative clarity, and social insight to create a work that is both culturally specific and universally accessible. The poem’s enduring appeal lies in its ability to evoke empathy, provoke reflection, and celebrate resilience, making it a landmark in Indian English poetry.

📖 References

• Nissim Ezekiel, Night of the Scorpion, Collected Poems 1952–1988
• R. Parthasarathy, Ten Twentieth-Century Indian Poets, Oxford University Press, 1976
• Robinson, Katherine. "Nissim Ezekiel: An Indian Poet in English", Poetry Foundation, 2020
• Krishnan, Aruna. "The Poetics of Indian English Poetry", Journal of South Asian Literature, 2010
• K. R. Srinivasa Iyengar, Indian Writing in English, Sterling Publishers, 1985