Nissim Ezekiel was an Indian English poet. He was from a Jewish family.
He is popularly known as a ‘father of
post-independence Indian verse in English’. He was a poet, playwright, actor, art critic and editor. His
collections of poems are:
1) “A Time to Change”
(1952)
2) “Sixty Poems” (1953)
3) “The Third” (1959)
4) “The Unfinished Man”
(1960)
5) “The Exact Name” (1965)
6) “Hymns in Darkness”
(1976)
7) “Latter-Day Psalms”
(1982)
Major Themes in Ezekiel’s Poems:
a) Sense of Alienation
b) Sense of Failure
c) Criticism of Modern Life and
Civilisation
d) Superstitions
Ezekiel’s Popular Poems are:
i) Night of the Scorpion
ii) Enterprise
iii) The Visitor
iv) Philosophy
v) Background, Casually
Critical Analysis of the poem
“Enterprise”
The poem “Enterprise” is
written by Nissim Ezekiel. It first appeared in the his fourth volume of poems
– “The Unfinished Man”. It is an allegorical poem. It means
that it has two meanings – meaning at surface level and hidden meaning. It is a
philosophical poem too. It has a didactic note at the end. In it, a situation
is examined with ironic detachment.
Once a group of men including the poet undertake a journey. They set on
a pilgrimage. They have a noble purpose in undertaking this sacred journey. In
the beginning, their minds are exalted. They are so happy. Hence, their burdens
appear to be light in weight. In the second phase of the journey, they have
some hurdles. But they do not pay heed to the hurdles. They do not even pay
attention to the scorching sun. The poem is full of sarcasm and irony. Here,
the poet sarcastically says that he took copious notes even on trivial things
like what the peasants sold and bought and the ways of serpents and goats. They
visit the three cities where a wise man had delivered religious discourses to
the inhabitants.
But differences arise among them on how to cross a piece of desert.
Differences take such an extreme level that they lose one of their friends who
is excellent in prose writing. This friend leaves the group. It makes a very
bad effect on the group. The poet ironically says that “A shadow falls on
us and grows”.
In the next phase of their journey, their condition worsens.
They are attacked twice and lose their way. Then, a group of them claims
its freedom. They leave the group. In this way, the large group of travellers
in the beginning of the journey gets divided into many groups. The poet tries
to pray for the success in their mission. The leader of the group tells the
members of group about a nearing sea. But the members do not notice it. They
just go onwards. They are now just a small crowd of people without hope. They
ignore the thunder which had certain significance and meaning. They are now
deprived of the basic needs like soap. They feel exhausted and find
everything meaningless.
They finally reach their destination. They find that their journey was
futile and meaningless. They don’t understand the very purpose of their
journey. Every face is darkened by the journey. The poet finds that their deeds
were neither heroic nor unusual in any way. They come to the conclusion that
home is the only place where they could enjoy any grace. The poem ends with the
famous quotation – “Home is where we have to gather grace”.
Thus, the poem, “Enterprise” is allegorical.
The journey undertaken by the group stands for life-journey. It is ironical
also. It attacks on the intellectuals in the society. If many intellectuals
come together and undertake some mission, differences arise among them due to
their egoistic nature. It is ironical that the differences take place on very
minor and trivial things. The poem is philosophical too. It teaches us general
philosophy of life. It teaches us how life is. It is about hardship of life
also. It has didactic ending. We leave the home and undertake some hard
enterprise/journey in search of happiness which is at our home only.
Multiple
Choice Questions:
1) The
poem, “Enterprise” is………….
poem.
a)
love
b) war
c)
allegorical
d) nature
2) In the
poem, “Enterprise” a group of men set on
a………….
a) mission
b) war
c) voyage
d)
pilgrimage
3) In the
beginning of the journey in the poem, “Enterprise”, the
mind of the travellers is………..
a) exalted
b) sad
c) nervous
d) fresh
4)
Differences arise among the pilgrims in “Enterprise” on…………
a) how to
cross a river
b) how to
cross a lake
c) how to
climb a hill
d) how to
cross a piece of desert
5) The
travellers in the poem “Enterprise” lose a friend
who is very skilful in…………
a) writing
poetry
b) writing
prose
c) oratory
d) cooking
6) The
travellers in the poem “Enterprise” are
attacked…………
a) once
b) twice
c) thrice
d) many
times
7) When the
travellers in the poem “Enterprise” reach their
destination, they find their
journey…………
a) fruitful
b) futile
and meaningless
c)
successful
d)
purposeful
8) The
poem, “Enterprise” ends with………….
a)
happy note
b)
optimistic note
c)
didactic note
d)
uncertainty
9) At the
end of the poem, “Enterprise” the poet says
“………..is where we have to gather
grace”.
a) school
b) college
c) temple
d) home
10) In the
end of the journey in the poem, “Enterprise”, the faces
of the travellers are…………
a)
brightened
b)
darkened
c) lightened
d)
saddened
