Introduction
Nissim Ezekiel is considered by some scholars as father of the modern Indian poetry in English. He has always tried to touch native culture and societal issues in his poetry. But this poem ‘Poet Lover Birdwatcher’ which was first published in the year 1965 in his fourth collection ‘The Exact Name’ has a universal appeal.
Central Idea
The main thing on which this poem focuses is to have patience and rationality to be a lover, poet or Birdwatcher. A person can’t force himself on her/his beloved or lover, neither he/she can be a poet by writing random lines nor a Birdwatcher by forcefully try to watch birds.
Themes
- Patience – The main theme of the poem is patience. It is necessary in achieving a target. Poem shows us how a lover, poet and Birdwatcher require patience in their respective fields. As those who ‘force the pace and never to be still’ don’t succeed in either love or bird watching. A person should first understand the heart of a woman then he may succeed in winning her trust. Similarly by silently waiting for birds will make someone successful in watching birds rather than forcefully entering into their territory. A poet also demands patience as any random lines written without any motivation or emotional evocation can’t be a good poetry. That’s why poet says ‘the best poets wait for words’.
- Process of creativity – Poem also focuses on how a creative work comes into existence. Poet is taking poetry as an instance and explaining that a great poet patiently waits for correct words and feelings to write a poem. Just writing anything and making them rhyme is not good poetry.
Figure of Speech
- Alliteration – ‘seems somehow to say’ has repetition of consonant sound /s/. Similarly line ‘silence near the source, or by a shore’ has repetition of /s/ sound in silence, source and shore. Hence these are examples of alliteration.
- Synecdoche – In phrase ‘timid wings’, wings is representing whole birds hence it’s a case of synecdoche. Similarly ‘flesh and bone’ is used for woman itself.
- Paradox – In the last line of the poem ‘The deaf can hear, the blind recover sight’ has paradox as contrasting things which are proved true by writer are used.
- Simile – There is a simile in the poem when poet compares far away places where arriving is not easy such as ‘deserted lanes’, path of the river, and thorny shores with dark floor of heart. Winning someone’s heart by reaching its dark inner core is not easy too.
Universal Appeal of the poem
This poem of Nissim Ezekiel has universal appeal as it is different from his usual topics on Indian culture and society. It’s subject matter applies on every society and culture of this world. Patience and rationality is required in every task we do in life not only in poetry, courting or bird watching. Hence the poem’s message goes beyond it’s subject matter.
Structure and rhyme scheme
The poem has two stanzas of ten lines each. It has rhyme scheme as abbaacdcdd.
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