For Elkana by Nissim Ezekiel

 For Elkana by Nissim Ezekiel

In "For Elkana," Nissim Ezekiel captures a moment in the life of a family sitting outside on a warm evening. The husband and wife share an easy yet humorous rapport, with the wife subtly critiquing her husband in a way that’s familiar and affectionate. Their son, with determination, demands dinner, breaking the tranquility with his insistence. The parents respond calmly but are quietly amused by his firm logic. Eventually, their son’s persistence brings laughter, uniting the family in warmth as they go inside together. Through this simple scene, Ezekiel reflects on family dynamics, affection, and the humor in everyday interactions.

Understanding the Poem

1. Comment on the subtlety with which the poet captures the general pattern of communication within a family.

  • Ezekiel subtly reveals the pattern of family communication through light-hearted exchanges and silent understandings. The wife’s gentle teasing of her husband about his supposed incompetence and the husband’s quiet acceptance of it capture familiar family dynamics. The poem shows a typical family where love, humor, and mutual understanding coexist naturally in daily interactions.

2. Poetic effect is achieved in the poem through understatement and asides. Discuss this with examples.

  • The poet uses understatement in lines like “Unwilling to dispute the obvious fact that she is always right,” where the husband humorously resigns to his wife’s superiority without argument. Asides like “who happened to be me” add humor and reveal the husband’s slightly self-deprecating tone. These techniques give a realistic and understated view of family interactions, enhancing the humor and intimacy of the poem.

3. How is the idyllic juxtaposed with the pedestrian in the poem?

  • The serene setting of a “warm April evening” and the breeze evoke an idyllic atmosphere, contrasting with everyday, practical issues like a broken windowpane and the child’s demand for dinner. This blend of the ideal and the mundane brings warmth to the family’s evening and reflects how simple moments can be meaningful.

4. Explain the undertones in the statement: “Wife and husband in unusual rapport / State one unspoken thought.”

  • This line highlights a rare moment of agreement between the parents as they both silently decide that “Children Must be Disciplined.” The “unusual rapport” suggests that while the parents often disagree, they share a common understanding when it comes to disciplining their son. This moment reflects their shared responsibility as parents and their affection for each other, despite occasional humorous conflict.

5. Comment on the capitalisation of all the words in the line: “Children Must be Disciplined.”

  • The capitalization gives the phrase a formal, almost rule-like quality, as if it’s an official family commandment. This choice of capitalization adds humor, as it shows how the parents unite to discipline their son, making their decision seem grander than it is. It also conveys the importance they place on parenting and teaching discipline.

6. What makes the urgency of the child’s demand seem logical?

  • The child’s urgency is logical because hunger is immediate and real to him, making it difficult to wait. His argument, “in five minutes I won’t be hungry any more,” is simple yet clever, showcasing the practical logic of children, which appeals to the father’s sense of reason. The child’s persistence makes his demand relatable and justifiable to the parents.


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