Poet, Lover, Birdwatcher by Nissim Ezekiel - Explanation
The poem is written by Nissim Ezekiel, one of the foremost Indian modern writers. The poem talks about the traits of a genuine poet, lover and a birdwatcher. It is inspired from Shakespeare's "The Lunatic, the Lover, and the Poet". Ezekiel points out that similar principles are required by all three of them to succeed in their works. The poem follows a rhyme scheme of abbccdedee.
A true birdwatcher is one who is patient enough to stay still for a long time to get the perfect view of a bird. Same is the case with a lover who is trying to woo his beloved. Being hasty will increase the chances of failure. According to Ezekiel, the best poet doesn't write until the creative inspiration doesn't flow into his mind. He waits for long in search of creative ideas. This wait doesn't require only will but a lot of effort and travelling in order to "note the movement of a timid wing"
A true lover doesn't fear loving his beloved or confessing his love to her. He just surrenders himself to her. A poet too follows this suit and cater to his creative spirit and utter his magical words only when "his spirit moved."
This slowness and patience in action seem discomforting but it's much more than that. As if a birdwatcher wants to gain recognition among its peers, he must find rare birds which are not easily found by people. Only then he will stand apart. In order to do that, he must visit secluded and distant places where the rivers flow quietly or the remote thorny shore which is compared by Ezekiel to the"heart's dark floor"
A lover, like a birdwatcher, must find his beloved's heart and slowly she will understand his love and turn to him. A poet also finds inspiration in that "myths of light" and begin to make sense out of it. The idea comes to him in vague pieces and he has to join these pieces to form a complete picture.
His creation is a wonder which allows a deaf to hear and a blind person gets his vision back. In other words, a poetry is a window for disabled people who imagine what it would be like to feel what the poet wants his readers to see with his verses.
A true birdwatcher is one who is patient enough to stay still for a long time to get the perfect view of a bird. Same is the case with a lover who is trying to woo his beloved. Being hasty will increase the chances of failure. According to Ezekiel, the best poet doesn't write until the creative inspiration doesn't flow into his mind. He waits for long in search of creative ideas. This wait doesn't require only will but a lot of effort and travelling in order to "note the movement of a timid wing"
A true lover doesn't fear loving his beloved or confessing his love to her. He just surrenders himself to her. A poet too follows this suit and cater to his creative spirit and utter his magical words only when "his spirit moved."
This slowness and patience in action seem discomforting but it's much more than that. As if a birdwatcher wants to gain recognition among its peers, he must find rare birds which are not easily found by people. Only then he will stand apart. In order to do that, he must visit secluded and distant places where the rivers flow quietly or the remote thorny shore which is compared by Ezekiel to the"heart's dark floor"
A lover, like a birdwatcher, must find his beloved's heart and slowly she will understand his love and turn to him. A poet also finds inspiration in that "myths of light" and begin to make sense out of it. The idea comes to him in vague pieces and he has to join these pieces to form a complete picture.
His creation is a wonder which allows a deaf to hear and a blind person gets his vision back. In other words, a poetry is a window for disabled people who imagine what it would be like to feel what the poet wants his readers to see with his verses.