NIGHT OF THE SCORPION ……..

By Nissim Ezekiel

A. Answer these questions in one or two words:

1. Who was stung by the scorpion?
The poem “The Night of the Scorpion” by Nissim Ezekiel is a first-person narrative. In the poem, the speaker’s
mother was stung by the scorpion on a rainy night.
2. What kind of a night was it?
The night on which the speaker’s mother was stung by the scorpion was a rainy night. It rained continuously
for ten long hours.
3. Who came like swarms of flies?
The peasants came like swarms of flies to their home as soon as they came to know about the speaker’s
mother’s plight and chanted the name of God a hundred times to paralyse the scorpion.
4. Who is the ‘Evil One’ in the poem?
The scorpion is referred to as the ‘Evil One’ in the poem, as it had stung the speaker’s mother.
5. What will purify the flesh and soul of the mother?
According to the belief of
the peasants, the pain caused by the poison of the scorpion will purify the flesh and soul of the speaker’s
mother.
B. Answer these questions in a few words each :
1 What led the scorpion to crawl beneath the sack of rice?
According to the speaker of the poem, “Night of the Scorpion”, incessant rain for long ten hours caused
a scorpion to enter the speaker’s residence and take refuse under a sack of rice. Then it accidentally stung
the mother of the speaker leading to a chaotic situation.

2. Which lines in the poem suggests the mothers suffering?

Nissim Ezekiel’s poem “Night of the Scorpion” is a first-person narrative that describes the traumatic
experience of the speaker’s mother after she was stung by a scorpion. The mother undergoes gruelling pain
as the poison spreads in her blood. The following lines in the poem suggests her suffering and pain:

“My mother twisted through and through,

Groaning on a mat”.

3. Which word or phrase in the poem suggests that the scorpion represents something evil?
In the poem “Night of the Scorpion”, the speaker gives us a pen picture of a rainy night when a scorpion
stings his mother. She groans in pain for the whole night. Since the scorpion is the cause of suffering for
his mother, it is referred to as the ‘Evil One’ with ‘a diabolic tail’ suggesting a symbol of evil in the
poem. The reaction of the villagers is deeply rooted in superstition where they relate the spreading of poison
in the human body to the movement of the scorpion. So, they consider the scorpion as ‘Evil One’ because of
which the mother of the speaker is groaning in pain.

4. What does ‘mud-baked walls’ suggest in the poem?

The poet Nissim Ezekiel presents a rural Indian village and its people in the poem “Night of the
Scorpion”. In the poem, ‘mud-baked walls’ suggest the mud huts in the villages where the walls get baked
under the scorching heat of the sun. The phrase conveys the intense heat and dryness of the surrounding
where the incident of the scorpion takes place, emphasising also the unforgiving nature of the climate which
helps create a clear setting for the poem enhancing the atmosphere and contributing to the overall tone.

5. What led to the formation of giant scorpion shadows on the walls of the speaker’s hut?
Nissim Ezekiel’s poem “Night of the Scorpion” describes the traumatic experience of the speaker’s
mother after she was stung by a scorpion. The setting of the poem is a remote Indian village where nature
and humans cohabit intimately. A scorpion accidentally stings the mother of the speaker on a rainy night,
leading to a chaotic situation. The poem portrays the mixed reaction of the villagers who gather and extend
their help in every way possible. The solidarity of the villagers along with their superstitious beliefs gets
reflected in the poem when upon hearing about the scorpion bite, the villagers gather around the speaker’s
mother with lanterns and candles in their hands. The Speaker explains that the lighted lanterns created
 shadows on the mud-baked walls of the huts creating the illusion of giant scorpions looming in the darkness.
The giant scorpion shadows symbolise the overwhelming presence and impact of the scorpion’s poisonous
sting intensifying the sense of fear in the minds of the simple villagers and emphasising the dramatic nature
of the event. It also shows the deep-rooted superstition in the minds of the villagers where they relate the
spreading of poison in the human body to the movement of the scorpion, because of which they tried to find
the scorpion and stop its movement so that the speaker’s mother gets relief from the pain of the scorpion
bite.

C. Answer these questions briefly in your own words:

1. What is the role of superstition in the poem? How do the villagers’ beliefs impact their actions and attitude
towards the mother?
Nissim Ezekiel’s poem “Night of the Scorpion” presents a rural Indian village and its people. The poem
highlights a superstition laden Indian society which is very appealing. The theme of the poem is
commonplace, that is, the speaker’s mother being stung by a scorpion, but it has been treated in a manner
to give the poem a much deeper meaning. It has a religious background and the poet wrote this poem trying
to give the impression of anger, but also an underlying message of motherly love along with a hint of culture
and superstition.
Superstition plays a significant role in the poem as it influences the villagers’ beliefs, actions and
attitude towards the mother. The villagers believe that the scorpion’s poison moves in the mother’s blood
with its every movement. They gather around her chanting prayers and performing rituals to counteract the
venom’s effect. Their belief in the power of prayer and their superstitions shape their actions as they try to
paralyse the “Evil One” and alleviate the mother’s suffering. The villagers’ reliance on superstition reflects
their ingrained religious and cultural beliefs, which dictate their response to misfortune. Thus, the poem can
be read as a revealing study in Indian culture which often thrives on superstitions. Scientific medical
treatment was still unknown to the village folk. Ezekiel draws upon irony and contrast to explore the conflict
between superstition and reason.
The rituals performed by the villagers reflects their reliance on superstition or mythical means to
combat the perceived threat of the scorpion’s venom. The attitude of the villagers towards the speaker's
mother is one of respect and empathy as their beliefs are based on superstition. They view her as a symbol of
strength and their actions are driven by their shared belief in the power of collective prayers and rituals to
alleviate her pain. Furthermore, the poem depicts the collective solidarity of the villagers in the face of
adversity which is further intensified by their superstitious beliefs. Overall, superstition in the poem serves as
a unifying force within the community, influencing the villagers’ actions and shaping their attitudes towards
the mother as they rely on an age-old belief to confront with the situation of the speaker’s mother’s scorpion
bite.

2. What does the mother’s reaction to the scorpion’s sting suggest about her character?
The poem “Night of the Scorpion” by Nissim Ezekiel explores themes such as superstition, faith,
human compassion, solidarity, birth and afterlife, sin and redemption and the conflict between belief,
superstition and rationality. It delves into the power of prayer and traditional rituals versus irrationality and
modern medicine. The poem also highlights the role of motherhood, her selfless sacrifice and love for her
children.
The setting of the poem is a remote Indian village where nature and humans cohabit intimately.
Incessant rain causes a scorpion to enter the speaker’s residence and take refuse under a sack of a rice.
Accidentally, due to its predatory instincts, it stings the speaker’s mother’s toe leading to a chaotic situation.
His mother groans in pain, tossing and turning on the mat for twenty hours, but she only expresses her
gratitude to God after the pain subsides for sparing her children from the scorpion’s bite. The mother’s
reaction to the scorpion’s sting suggests her resilience and selflessness despite enduring immense pain and
agony, her immediate concern for her children’s safety only, though she suffers for the whole night because
of the pain.
Her response to the situation involving herself reveals her sacrificial nature and unconditional love
for her family and especially her children. Her character is definitely portrayed as a strong, enduring lady who
is willing to bear the suffering herself rather than her loved ones. Motherhood is also a central theme of the
poem, with the speaker’s mother representing selfless sacrifice, where she voices her belief that the scorpion
spared her children despite undergoing the gruelling pain. This shows her not only as a mother with great
love for her children, but also shows her great tolerance, ability to bear immense pain and her deep her faith
in God that He chose her to suffer the pain and thus protected her loved ones.
3. What are the themes and ideas explored in the poem?
Nissim Ezekiel’s poem “The Night of the Scorpion” describes the traumatic experience of the speaker’s
mother after she is bitten by a scorpion. The setting of the poem is a remote Indian village where nature and
humans cohabit intimately.
The poem is an exploration of themes such as human faith, birth and afterlife, sins and redemption,
motherly instinct, compassion, solidarity and superstition. Also, the villagers’ belief in prayer reflects their
ingrained religious values where God is the ultimate saviour. Motherhood is also a central theme of the poem
with the speaker’s mother representing selfless sacrifice where she voices her belief that the scorpion spared
her children despite undergoing their gruelling pain.
The poem delves into the power of superstition and the influence it has on rural peoples’ actions and
attitudes. It portrays how individuals rely on traditional beliefs, rituals and practises to cope with fear and
uncertainty. The unity highlighted in the poem is another important theme within a community in times of
crisis. The villagers come together offering support and participate in collective rituals demonstrating the
strength of communal bonds. The poem explores the theme of endurance and resilience in the face of
adversity which is portrayed through the mother who endures the pain caused by the scorpions’ sting
without complain. While the villagers remain confident in their support and prayers emphasising the power
of inner strength and determination believing in birth and redemption, the poem also touches upon the
theme of love and sacrifice, particularly the love of a mother and her concern for her children’s well-being.
The selflessness of the mother in the face of pain highlights the depth of love and willingness to make
sacrifices for her loved ones. Further, the significance of cultural traditions and customs in shaping
individual’s beliefs and actions is emphasised in the poem when the villagers try traditional practises and
reliance on ancient wisdom to confront the challenges.
Thus, we can conclude that the poem “Night of the Scorpion” explores themes such as superstition,
unity, endurance, love, fear, cultural traditions, perceptions and reality. The poem is also a powerful
rendering of the themes of human compassion and a brotherhood in the face of adversity.

4. Describe the use of language and vivid imagery by the poet.

The poem “Night of the Scorpion” is one of the most remarkable poems in the entire gamut of Indian
English poems. The poem highlights a superstition laden Indian society in a manner that is at once detached
and appealing. The theme of the poem is commonplace but it has been treated in an extraordinary manner.
It is the manner of treatment of the theme that gives the poem a much deeper meaning. The speaker
narrates what happened to his mother when she was stung by a scorpion on a rainy night. The way the
villagers thronged the house in solidarity which also delves into the theme of human faith, birth and afterlife,
sin and redemption, motherly instinct, compassion, solidarity and superstition.
The poet employs language and vivid imagery in the poem to create a sensory experience for the
readers. The use of similes and metaphors such as comparing the scorpion’s tail to a “flash of diabolic tail”
and describing the “giant scorpion shadow on the mud-baked walls” adds depth and visual impact to the
poem. The poem is written in two stanzas and he uses enjambments and repetition to create a mood of
chanting. The poem is a free verse and without a specific rhyme scheme, but it does have rhyme because of
the constant use of alliteration. The poem has its fair share of poetic devices: antonyms, assonance,
metaphor, symbol, enjambment and repetition. The poem is written in a simple language the poem is a free
verse without a specific rhyme scheme.
The poet uses imagery and evocative language to paint a detailed and immersive picture for the
readers. He uses similes and metaphors to create striking comparisons and enhance the imagery. The
shadows on the wall of the mud huts, giving us a beautiful visual description of giant scorpions is worth
mentioning here. Ezekiel employs symbolic language to create certain elements with deeper meaning. The
scorpion represents an ominous force, the shadows on the wall symbolise fear and uncertainty and the
villagers’ rituals signify their belief in ancient customs. These symbols contribute to the thematic exploration
of the poem and enrich the overall imagery. Descriptive language to capture the atmosphere and mood is
aptly used by the poet when he refers to the villagers as “swarms of flies”.
Overall, Nissim Ezekiel’s use of language and vivid imagery in the poem brings the poem to life,
enabling readers to visualise the events and feel the emotions engaged with the themes explored within the
poem.
5. How do the religious and cultural references in the poem contribute to its theme?
Nissim Ezekiel’s poem “Night of the Scorpion” presents a rural Indian village and its people. It came
from a religious background. Ezekiel wrote this poem trying to give the impression of anger but also an
underlying message of a motherly love, all along with a hint of culture and superstition.
Religious and cultural references in the poem contribute to its themes by highlighting the villagers’
belief systems and their response to misfortune. The mention of God and the repeated chanting of prayers
reflect their religious faith prevalent in the village during that time. The cultural references like the rituals
performed by the holy man and the reliance on traditional remedies depict the villagers’ adherence to
customs and superstitions. These references add the depth to the exploration of faith, superstition and the
coexistence of traditional and modern beliefs and practises. This faith is also seen in the victim, that is, the
mother who is grateful to God that her children are spared from the suffering by Him.
The speaker, we find on the other hand is more rational and questions the plausibility of such rituals.
He prefers to rely on modern medicine. However, the fact that the villagers’ prayer and the doctor’s medicine
work simultaneously to alleviate the pain suggests that the conflict between traditional belief and rationality
is not choosing one over the other, but finding a balance between the two where traditional and modern
ways of life coexist and even complement each other. The poem brings forth the traditional way of dealing
with misfortune on the part of the simple village population of India. The poem is also a powerful rendering
of the themes of human compassion and the brotherhood with the exploration of human faith, birth and
afterlife, sin and redemption, motherly instinct, compassion, solidarity and superstitions dealt with
beautifully in the poem. All these reflect also the cultural context and societal values that shape the
characters, actions and attitudes of the people.

D. Answer these questions in detail:

1. What according to you is the central theme of the poem? How does it develop in the poem?
The poem “Night of the Scorpion” by Nissim Ezekiel focuses on the episode from the life of an Indian
rural family. The speaker in the poem recounts a night when a scorpion, driven by continuous rain,
hidden beneath a sack of rice, stings the speaker’s mother and risks the rain again. The mother withered
in pain for twenty hours, but once she got relief from her pain, she only thanked God for the pain that
was given to her instead of her children being victimised.
The theme of the poem according to me is well reflected in the poem, though we cannot just
perceive one theme. It is the exploration of human faith and superstition in the face of adversity and it
also highlights the clash between traditional belief and rationality. I feel the concern of the villagers and
speaker’s father rather superficial when seen against the heartfelt feelings of his mother. It is a universal
fact that a mother cannot tolerate the pain and suffering of her children. The speaker’s mother expresses
her concern for her children just after the relief from the intense pain which conveys an underlying
gesture of unconditional motherly love. Thus, according to me the poem explores the benign love of a
mother.
The theme develops through the depiction of the villagers’ reactions. They gather around the mother
and resort to various superstitious practises, chanting prayers and performing rituals in an attempt to
counteract the poison imparted by the scorpion. The poem portrays the villagers’ strong faith in divine
intervention and their belief in the power of collective prayer. On the other hand, the speaker’s father
described as a sceptic rationalist tries to find their rational solution to the problem using different
remedies and even resorting to fire. Throughout the poem, the speaker questions the effectiveness of
these rituals. The poem suggests that both traditional beliefs and modern medicine can work together to
alleviate suffering emphasising the importance of finding a balance between faith and reason.

2. Comments on the poems use of various literary devices.

The poem “Night of the Scorpion” by Nissim Ezekiel is a first-person narrative that describes the
traumatic experience of the speaker’s mother after she is bitten by a scorpion. The setting of the poem is
a remote Indian village where nature and humans cohabit intimately. Continuous rain causes a scorpion
to enter the speaker’s residence and take refuse under a sack of rice. It accidentally stings the toe of the
mother leading to a chaotic situation. The poem portrays the mixed reaction of the villagers who gather
and extend their help in every way possible. They even chant prayers to mitigate the effect of the
scorpion’s venom. On the other hand, the sceptic and rationalist father of the speaker deals with the
misfortune in his own way. The poem explores themes of human compassion, birth and afterlife, sin in
redemption, motherly instinct, compassion, solidarity and superstition. Motherhood is the most
important theme in the poem with the speaker’s mother representing selfless sacrifice.
 Nissim Ezekiel, in the poem uses various literary devices and techniques. The poem has a fair share
of antonyms, assonance, metaphors, similes, symbols, enjambments and repetitions. The use of simple
and complex sentences together with direct and indirect narrative, enjambment and reputation and
anaphor create a topsy-turvy atmosphere of disturbing distortion. This reflects the ongoing surge of the
peasants for the scorpion, their incantatory voices, the monotonous rain and the long hours spent in pain
for the mother.
The alliterations in the poem like ‘stung by a scorpion’, ‘parting with his poison’, ‘diabetic tail in the
dark’, ‘risked the rain’, ‘poison purify’, ‘through and through’, ‘pour a little paraffin’, ‘flame feeding’ are
very well used by the poet. The poem has a fair share of antonyms which intensifies the effects and
mood of the poem like ‘previous, next’; ‘evil, good’; ‘sceptic, rationalist’; ‘curse, blessing’. The simile is
very aptly used when the peasants are referred to as ‘like swarms of flies’ since they came in large
numbers to be with the mother in her time of suffering. The metaphor used in the poem is very effective.
The scorpion is the ‘Evil One’ in the poem which is an example of a metaphor. ‘Candle, lantern’; ‘buzzed,
hundred’; ‘mother’s blood’ are very good examples of assonance used in the poem.
The “Night of the Scorpion” is a free verse poem with no set rhymes scheme and the metre is mixed
which reflects the unusual subject matter and unfamiliar nature of the incident. This is a narrative poem
which follows the story of an anonymous mother and her unfortunate encounter with a scorpion driven
indoor by relentless hours of rain. So, there is a dynamic setup of human interaction with the wild side of
nature in the poem which has been beautifully brought out by the poet with various literary devices.

3. How does the poem bring forth the strong sense of solidarity among the village folk of India?
The poem “Night of the Scorpion” by Nissim Ezekiel explores themes such as superstition, faith,
human compassion, solidarity, birth and afterlife, sin and redemption and the conflict between belief,
superstition and rationality. It delves into the power of prayer and traditional rituals versus irrationality
and modern medicine. The poem also highlights the role of motherhood, her selfless sacrifice and love
for her children.
The setting of the poem is a remote Indian village where nature and humans cohabit intimately.
When a scorpion accidentally stinks the mother of the speaker, it leads to a chaotic situation. The poem
portrays the mixed reaction of the villagers who gather and extend their help in every way possible. They
even chant the name of God a hundred times to mitigate the effect of the scorpion’s venom. The reaction
of the villagers is deeply rooted in superstition where they relate the spreading of poison in the human
body to the movement of the scorpion. Also, their recourse to prayer reflects their ingrained religious
values where God is the ultimate saviour. The poem brings forth the traditional way of dealing with
misfortune on the part of the simple village population of India. It can be read as a celebration of
solidarity where misfortune brings people together. The poem is also a powerful rendering of the themes
of human compassion and brotherhood. The following lines shows their solidarity:

“The peasants came like swarms of flies

and buzzed the name of God a hundred times
to paralyse the Evil One”
The poem emphasises the collective nature of the villager’s response to the scorpion’s bite. They come
together forming a circle around the mother and engage in communal rituals, prayers and incantations.
These communal participation in rituals showcases the shared belief system and the sense of solidarity
within the community. The villagers’ actions and words reflect their shared empathy and a collective
desire to help and protect one another in times of sorrow. Mutual care and support are very well
reflected in the action of the villagers. The communal effort to find the remedy and the willingness to
participate in finding the scorpion according to their superstitious belief reveals a strong sense of mutual
care. Finally, the villagers’ adherence to ancient customs and rituals reflects their collective culture and
heritage and provides them with a common ground for understanding and supporting one another in
times of need. In conclusion, we may say that the poem portrays a bond of human relationship that
transcends individual concerns and showcases the strength and resilience of the community in coming
together in times of need.

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