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Nissim Ezekiel was a 20th century Indian English poet born in Mumbai to a Marathi-speaking Jewish family. While Marathi was his mother tongue, he was also fluent in English. He wrote his poetry in English. Ezekiel's family was part of Mumbai's Bene Israel Jewish community, who have lived in India for over 2,000 years and speak Marathi. Recordings show Ezekiel had a soft, measured voice with a slight Indian accent when reading his poems in standard English, though he pronounced some words differently. His language background and hybrid identity as an Indian Jew shaped his poetry which often explored themes of identity, belonging, and alienation.

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66 views6 pages

English Presentation

Nissim Ezekiel was a 20th century Indian English poet born in Mumbai to a Marathi-speaking Jewish family. While Marathi was his mother tongue, he was also fluent in English. He wrote his poetry in English. Ezekiel's family was part of Mumbai's Bene Israel Jewish community, who have lived in India for over 2,000 years and speak Marathi. Recordings show Ezekiel had a soft, measured voice with a slight Indian accent when reading his poems in standard English, though he pronounced some words differently. His language background and hybrid identity as an Indian Jew shaped his poetry which often explored themes of identity, belonging, and alienation.

Uploaded by

beratmete26
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Nissim Ezekiel

D
C
B
A

Language
Background and
Heritage
Introduction
- Nissim Ezekiel was a significant Indian English poet in
the 20th century.

D - He was born in Bombay (now Mumbai), India, to a


Marathi-speaking Jewish family.

C - Ezekiel's mother tongue was Marathi, but he also


B spoke English fluently.

- He wrote in English throughout his career. A


Figure 1:
First cover of
one of his
poems
Language Background
and Heritage
- His family was a part of a Mumbai's Marathi-
D speaking Jewish community named Bene Israel.
C - The Bene Israel are a group of Jews who have
lived in India for over 2,000 years. B
- They speak Marathi, the language of Maharashtra A
state.

- His Mothertongue was Marathi but he spoke English


as well.

- He learned English at school and at home.


Speaking Voice and
Accent
D - There are a few recordings of Nissim Ezekiel
reading his poems aloud.
C
- His voice is soft and measured, with a slight
Indian accent. B
- He uses standard English, but he pronounces
A
some words differently.

- For example, he pronounces the word "poem" as


"po-em" rather than "poe-um".

-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4FPW7P5SMA
One of the few recordings of Nissim Ezekiel
Conclusion
- Nissim Ezekiel's language background and
heritage shaped his poetry in a number of ways.
D
C
- His use of standard English, with a slight Indian
accent, reflects his hybrid identity as an Indian Jew. B
- His poems often explore the themes of identity,
A
belonging, and alienation.
References Inside the Fight to Force Makers of Plastic Trash to Clean up Their Mess. 18 July 2022,
capitalandmain.com/inside-the-fight-to-force-makers-of-plastic-trash-to-clean-up-their-
mess. Accessed 24 Sept. 2023.
Figures:
Figure 1: Unknown. A Time to Change, and other poems. The Fortune Press, 1952. AbeBooks. Accessed 9 October 2023.

Info:
Wikipedia:

Wikipedia Foundation. "Nissim Ezekiel." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 10 Sept. 2023, 02:39 UTC. Web. 9 Oct. 2023.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissim_Ezekiel>.

Poetry Foundation:

"Nissim Ezekiel." Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 9 Oct. 2023. <https://allpoetry.com/Nissim-Ezekiel>.

The Hindu:

Gopalan, Suresh. "70 Years of Nissim Ezekiel's Poetry." The Hindu, 22 Dec. 2021. Web. 9 Oct. 2023.
<https://www.thehindu.com/society/70-years-of-nissim-ezekiels-poetry/article65248197.ece>.

The Guardian:

"Nissim Ezekiel." The Guardian, 9 Mar. 2004. Web. 9 Oct. 2023.


<https://www.theguardian.com/news/2004/mar/09/guardianobituaries.india>.

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