Night of the Scorpion

Poetry | Nissim Ezekiel

What does the scorpion symbolize in the poem?

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What does the scorpion symbolize in the poem Or Write a short note on The Scorpion The scorpion in Night of the Scorpion is more than a small creature It becomes a strong symbol in the poem Through this scorpion the poet shows fear pain superstition and also family love The scorpion enters the dark room because of heavy rain With its sting it brings a long night of suffering The poet remembers this moment with clear detail and honest feeling Fear And Darkness The scorpion first stands for fear in the minds of the villagers The poet calls its tail a flash of diabolic tail which shows evil and danger The dark room the sudden sting and the people running inside make the scorpion a symbol of sudden terror This fear spreads through the house as the mother cries in deep pain Superstition And Belief The scorpion also shows

the strong village belief in superstition The villagers chant God s name and say nbsp With every movement that the scorpion made his poison moved in Mother s blood They pray that the scorpion will sit still Their words show how people link the scorpion with sin fate and punishment Through this the scorpion becomes a symbol of old beliefs that control their thoughts Science And Helplessness The scorpion also stands for the limits of science during danger The poet s father a sceptic rationalist tries powder herbs and even fire Still he cannot stop the pain Here the scorpion becomes a symbol of human helplessness It shows that human knowledge can fail when nature strikes without warning Mother s Love In the end the scorpion helps show the mother s deep love After the pain ends she says nbsp Thank God the scorpion picked on me and spared my children nbsp Her words turn the scorpion into a symbol that reveals her selfless heart The scorpion in the poem is not only an insect It stands for fear superstition helplessness and also strong motherly love Through this symbol the poet shows how one simple sting can uncover the hidden feelings and beliefs of a whole family and village nbsp

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