URBANITY AND MODERNITY IN THE POETRY OF NISSIM EZEKIEL

Abstract

Nissim Ezekiel is considered as one of the foundational figure in post colonial India’s  Literary history for Indian writing in English. He was a modern poet by virtue of the time he was born in and in which he wrote his poetry. Many of his poems from different collection deals with the modern urban life. The present paper attempt to highlight the theme of urbanity and modernity in different poems of Nissem Ezekiel. Ezekiel as a true modernist poet ,view poetry in close connection with society and  emphasized man as the focal point in the universe . While developing the themes of urban wickedness and ugliness , love and marriage , family and human relationship , alienation and searches for  the identity of the modern man , he advocate a cultural synthesis of the ancient and modern .Ezekiel thus tries to depict the harsh reality of modern and urban life , while presenting reality he, appears to be a stern realist . He  has graphically painted in vivid picturesque words and phrases a vast gallery of portrait representing Indian urban life. Thus , he is a preacher of modernism and almost all the modern features of poetry find expression in his poetic creation.