"Nissim Ezekiel was an eminent Indian poet, playwright, actor, editor, and art critic, widely regarded as a foundational figure in postcolonial Indian English literature. Born on 16 December 1924, he played a pioneering role in shaping Indian poetry in English with his modernist sensibility and innovative techniques. His poetry is noted for its subtle, restrained, and finely crafted diction, often engaging with ordinary, everyday themes. His works reveal a balance of cognitive depth and unsentimental realism, qualities that deeply influenced subsequent generations of Indian English poets. Ezekiel authored several significant works that enriched Indian English literature. His poetry collections include Time to Change (1952), Sixty Poems (1953), The Discovery of India (1956), The Third (1959), The Unfinished Man (1960), The Exact Name (1965), Snakeskin and Other Poems (1974), Hymns in Darkness (1976), Latter-Day Psalms (1982), and Collected Poems 1952–88 (1989). As a playwright, he contributed with The Three Plays (1969) and Do Not Call it Suicide (1993). He also wrote prose, with Selected Prose (1992) published by Oxford University Press. Through these works, Ezekiel demonstrated his versatility and established himself as a leading figure in modern Indian English writing. In 1983, Ezekiel was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award for his collection Latter-Day Psalms, a recognition of his literary contributions. Through his work, he expanded Indian English poetry beyond spiritual and orientalist preoccupations to embrace familial, personal, and societal concerns, including individual anxieties and critical social introspection. Nissim Ezekiel passed away on 9 January 2004, leaving behind a lasting literary legacy." — Abnish Singh Chauhan

Contents

1. Night of the Scorpion and Other Poems — Nissim Ezekiel