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Class 12 Alternative English Chapter 11 Night of the Scorpion
–Nissim Ezekiel
About the Poet
Nissim Ezekiel was born on 16 December 1924 in Mumbai, India, into a Bene Israel Jewish family. He is widely regarded as one of the founding figures of modern Indian English poetry.
Ezekiel studied at Wilson College, Mumbai, and later went to England, where he also explored philosophy and literature. After returning to India, he worked in various roles, including teaching, writing, journalism, and art criticism.
He is known for introducing a new style of Indian English poetry that is simple, realistic, and rooted in everyday Indian life. His poetry often reflects urban experiences, human relationships, social reality, and cultural traditions. Some of his well-known works include “Night of the Scorpion,” “Background, Casually,” and “The Exact Name.”
Ezekiel also contributed significantly as a critic, editor, and playwright, helping to shape modern Indian literary thought. He received several awards, including the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1983.
He died on 9 January 2004 in Mumbai. He is remembered as a pioneering voice in Indian English literature who brought clarity, realism, and modern sensibility to poetry.
Word Notes
Scorpion: A poisonous insect whose sting causes severe pain; central symbol of fear in the poem.
Rainy night: A night of continuous rain that forces the scorpion to enter the house.
Sack of rice: A storage bag where the scorpion hides before stinging the mother.
Peasants: Rural villagers who gather to help, driven largely by superstition and belief.
Swarms of flies: A simile describing the large number and quick arrival of villagers.
Evil One: The scorpion is called this, showing the villagers’ belief in its evil nature.
Diabolic: Something evil or devil-like; used to describe the scorpion’s tail.
Superstition: Belief in supernatural causes and effects without logical explanation.
Rationalism: The father’s scientific approach to curing the mother using medical treatment.
Chanting: Repeated prayer or religious speech used by villagers to drive away evil.
Karma: The belief that present suffering is the result of past actions.
Reincarnation: The belief in rebirth after death, mentioned in villagers’ explanations.
Lanterns: Light sources used by villagers while searching for the scorpion at night.
Mud-baked walls: Symbol of a simple rural house made of clay and earth.
Solidarity: Unity and collective support shown by villagers during the mother’s suffering.
Summary
“Night of the Scorpion” by Nissim Ezekiel is a narrative poem that presents a vivid account of a rural Indian incident in which the poet’s mother is stung by a scorpion on a rainy night. The poem unfolds through the poet’s childhood memory, capturing the atmosphere, reactions, and emotional intensity of the event.
The scorpion, driven by continuous rain, takes shelter beneath a sack of rice and stings the poet’s mother. What follows is a chaotic yet revealing scene of human behaviour. Villagers arrive in large numbers, described as coming “like swarms of flies,” and immediately begin searching for the scorpion with candles and lanterns. Their actions are driven by superstition and fear, as they believe the scorpion’s movement spreads poison and evil influence.
Alongside the villagers’ rituals, the poet’s father represents rational thinking as he attempts medical treatment to relieve the mother’s suffering. However, both superstition and science appear helpless in fully controlling the situation, and the mother continues to suffer in pain for hours.
The poem strongly highlights the contrast between superstition and rationality, showing how traditional beliefs influence rural life. The villagers chant prayers and offer philosophical explanations for suffering, linking it to karma and rebirth. These reactions reflect collective faith, ignorance, and cultural tradition.
At the emotional centre of the poem is the mother, who endures extreme physical pain silently. In a powerful and unexpected ending, she expresses gratitude that the scorpion stung her and not her children. This reveals her deep maternal love and selflessness, which stands above fear, pain, and belief systems.
Through simple language and powerful imagery, Ezekiel creates a realistic and moving portrayal of a village crisis. The poem ultimately suggests that human compassion, especially a mother’s love, is stronger than superstition and rational explanations, making it the most enduring force in human life.
Comprehension: Textual Question-Answers
A. Answer the Questions in One or Two Words.
Q1. Who was stung by the scorpion?
Ans: The poet’s mother.
Q2. What kind of a night was it?
Ans: A rainy night.
Q3. Who came like swarms of flies?
Ans: The villagers.
Q4. Who is the ‘Evil One’ in the poem?
Ans: The scorpion.
Q5. What will purify the flesh and soul of the mother?
Ans: The poison.
B. Answer these questions in a few words each.
Q1. What led the scorpion to crawl beneath the sack of rice?
Ans: Continuous heavy rain forced it to take shelter under the rice sack.
Q2. Which lines in the poem suggest the mother’s suffering?
Ans: “My mother twisted through and through, / groaning on a mat.”
Q3. Which word or phrase in the poem suggests that the scorpion represents something evil?
Ans: “Evil One” and “diabolic tail.”
Q4. What does ‘mud-baked walls’ suggest in the poem?
Ans: It suggests a poor, simple rural house in a village setting.
Q5. What led to the formation of giant scorpion shadows on the walls of the speaker’s hut? (H S ‘22)
Ans: The villagers’ lanterns and candles, while searching for the scorpion, created distorted shadows on the walls.
C. Answer these questions briefly in your own words.
Q1. What is the role of superstition in the poem? How do the villagers’ beliefs impact their actions and attitude towards the mother?
Ans: Superstition strongly shapes the villagers’ response. They believe the scorpion is evil and that its movement spreads poison in the mother’s body. They chant prayers and perform rituals, thinking it will stop the harm. They also believe her suffering may cleanse her past sins, showing how deeply traditional beliefs influence their actions.
Q2. What does the mother’s reaction to the scorpion’s sting suggest about her character?
Ans: It shows her selfless and loving nature. Even after extreme pain, she feels relief that her children were not harmed.
Q3. What are the themes and ideas explored in the poem?
Ans: The poem explores superstition versus rational thinking, communal solidarity, fate and belief systems, and above all, selfless maternal love.
Q4. Describe the use of language and vivid imagery by the poet.
Ans: The poet uses simple language with strong images like swarming villagers, flickering lanterns, and shadowy scorpions. These create a tense and realistic village scene.
Q5. How do the religious and cultural references in the poem contribute to its themes?
Ans: They show traditional Indian beliefs such as karma, rebirth, and prayer rituals, highlighting how culture shapes responses to suffering.
D. Answer these questions in detail.
Q1. What, according to you, is the central theme of the poem? How does it develop in the poem?
Ans: The central theme is selfless maternal love, though superstition and rationality are also present. The poem develops through the description of a scorpion sting, villagers’ reactions, and the father’s scientific treatment. Finally, the mother’s words reveal her true concern: she is glad the scorpion spared her children. This shifts focus from fear and belief systems to the power of a mother’s love, which stands above all suffering and reasoning.
Q2. Comment on the poem’s use of various literary devices.
Ans: The poem uses simile, metaphor, imagery, irony, and onomatopoeia. Villagers are compared to “swarms of flies” to show their crowd. Lantern shadows become “giant scorpions,” adding fear. Strong visual and sound images create tension. The final situation is ironic because while others focus on curing the mother, she thinks only of her children.
Q3. How does the poem bring forth the strong sense of solidarity among the village folk of India?
Ans: The poem shows village unity through the quick gathering of people after the incident. They come together with lanterns, sit around the mother, and try to help her. Though their methods are superstitious, their intention is collective care and compassion. This reflects strong community bonding and shared responsibility in rural life.
Additional Questions and Answers
A. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Q1. Who is the poet of “Night of the Scorpion”?
(a) W. B. Yeats
(b) Nissim Ezekiel
(c) Robert Frost
(d) T. S. Eliot
Ans: (b) Nissim Ezekiel
Q2. Who was stung by the scorpion?
(a) The father
(b) The poet
(c) The mother
(d) The villagers
Ans: (c) The mother
Q3. What was the condition of the night?
(a) Clear night
(b) Hot night
(c) Rainy night
(d) Windy night
Ans: (c) Rainy night
Q4. Where did the scorpion take shelter?
(a) Tree
(b) Sack of rice
(c) Roof
(d) Bed
Ans: (b) Sack of rice
Q5. Who came to the house like swarms of flies?
(a) Doctors
(b) Neighbours
(c) Peasants
(d) Police
Ans: (c) Peasants
Q6. What did the villagers try to do?
(a) Kill the poet
(b) Search for the scorpion
(c) Run away
(d) Sleep
Ans: (b) Search for the scorpion
Q7. What did the villagers believe about the scorpion’s movement?
(a) It brings rain
(b) It spreads poison
(c) It cures disease
(d) It brings luck
Ans: (b) It spreads poison
Q8. Who tried rational treatment for the mother?
(a) Villagers
(b) Priest
(c) Father
(d) Neighbours
Ans: (c) Father
Q9. What do the villagers use during the search?
(a) Fireworks
(b) Candles and lanterns
(c) Torches only
(d) Flashlights
Ans: (b) Candles and lanterns
Q10. What did the peasants chant?
(a) Songs
(b) Prayers
(c) Poems
(d) Stories
Ans: (b) Prayers
Q11. How is the scorpion described in the poem?
(a) A hero
(b) Evil One
(c) Friend
(d) Animal
Ans: (b) Evil One
Q12. What did the mother suffer from?
(a) Fever
(b) Cold
(c) Pain from sting
(d) Headache
Ans: (c) Pain from sting
Q13. What is the central theme of the poem?
(a) War
(b) Love and superstition
(c) Adventure
(d) Travel
Ans: (b) Love and superstition
Q14. What does the mother feel at the end?
(a) Anger
(b) Relief for her children
(c) Fear
(d) Joy for herself
Ans: (b) Relief for her children
Q15. What literary device is used in “peasants came like swarms of flies”?
(a) Metaphor
(b) Simile
(c) Irony
(d) Personification
Ans: (b) Simile. 0 0 0
