Night of the Scorpion Quiz Part -1

It is time for you to take the Night of the Scorpion Quiz specially structured to enhance your knowledge of Nissim Ezekiel‘s poem. The poem shows the selfless love of a mother for her children after getting stung by a scorpion. The poet recalls a rainy night when his mother was stung by a scorpion that took refuge in their house. The poem highlights the superstitious atmosphere of rural India.

Text of NIGHT OF THE SCORPION

I remember the night my mother 

Was stung by a scorpion. Ten hours 

Of steady rain had driven him 

To crawl beneath a sack of rice. 

Parting with his poison-flash 

of diabolic tail in the dark room-

he risked the rain again. 

The peasants came like swarms of flies 

And buzzed the name of God a hundred times 

To paralyze the Evil One. 

With candles and with lanterns 

Throwing giant scorpion shadows 

On the sun-baked walls 

They searched for him: he was not found 

They clicked their tongues. 

With every movement that the scorpion made 

His poison moved in mother’s blood, they said. 

May he sit still, they said. 

May the sins of your previous birth 

Be burned away tonight, they said. 

May your suffering decrease 

The misfortunes of your next birth, they said. 

May the sum of evil 

Balanced in this unreal world 

Against the sum of good 

Become diminished by your pain, they said. 

May the poison purify your flesh 

Of desire, and your spirit of ambition,

They said, and they sat around

On the floor with my mother in the centre,

The peace of understanding on each face.

More candles, more lanterns, more neighbours,

More insects, and the endless rain.

My mother twisted through and through,

groaning on a mat.

My father, sceptic, rationalist,

trying every curse and blessing,

powder, mixture, herb and hybrid.

He even poured a little paraffin

upon the bitten toe and put a match to it.

I watched the flame feeding on my mother.

I watched the holy man perform his rites to tame the poison with an incantation.

After twenty hours

it lost its sting.

My mother only said

Thank God the scorpion picked on me

And spared my children.

Night of the Scorpion Quiz

Here is Night of the Scorpion Quiz.

Time's up

Source of the quiz : IGNOU

Attempt previous quiz : On His Blindness by John Milton Quiz Part -1