Night of the Scorpion by Nissim Ezekiel

Night of the Scorpion by Nissim Ezekiel is a narrative poem reflecting on a harrowing incident from the poet’s rural Indian childhood. The poem opens with ten hours of relentless rain that drives a scorpion to seek shelter inside the house, hiding beneath a sack of rice. When the scorpion stings the poet’s mother, the household erupts in panic and community action.

Villagers flood in, each bringing their own beliefs and fervor. They perform rituals, chant prayers, and attempt to track down the scorpion with candles and lanterns, casting shadows that heighten the atmosphere of dread. The villagers believe that each movement of the scorpion intensifies the spread of poison in the mother's body. They interpret the sting as both a punishment for past sins and a means of spiritual cleansing, revealing deep-rooted superstitions and communal faith.

Meanwhile, the poet’s father—depicted as rational and scientific—tries a range of remedies like powders, herbs, and even burning the mother’s bitten toe with paraffin. Despite these efforts, her pain persists. The contrast between the villagers' ancient practices and the father's modern methods highlights India's cultural dualities: superstition versus rationality and community versus individuality.

For twenty hours, the mother suffers in agony, surrounded by neighbors who pray and offer lore and comfort. Ultimately, the poison subsides of its own accord. The poem closes with a striking moment: the mother, thinking only of her children’s safety, thanks God that she was the one stung, not them. This final utterance encapsulates the universal and selfless nature of maternal love—her pain is secondary to her children's well-being.

Ezekiel uses vivid imagery (like “diabolic tail in the dark room” and the villagers’ “shadows on the mud walls”), symbolism (the scorpion as danger, mystery, and nature’s unpredictability), and contrasts in belief to explore themes of human suffering, faith, and enduring love. The poem’s free verse structure, brisk pacing, and chant-like repetitions help build both tension and emotional resonance, making "Night of the Scorpion" a widely celebrated masterpiece of Indian English poetry.