Explain the reference to the context the following :
(i) With candles and lanterns.
Throwing giant scorpion shadows
On the sun-baked walls
They searched for him.
Ans – The provided lines are an excerpt from the poem "Night of the Scorpion" by Nissim Ezekiel. The lines describe a scene where villagers are trying to find a person who has been bitten by a scorpion. Let's break down the reference to the context:
Context: In the poem "Night of the Scorpion," the poet recounts an incident from his childhood when his mother was bitten by a scorpion. The entire village comes together to help and support the mother during this crisis. The lines provided occur during the night when the incident takes place. The mother has been bitten by a scorpion, and the villagers are frantically searching for the scorpion in order to prevent it from biting anyone else.
Explanation of the Lines:
- "With candles and lanterns": The villagers are using candles and lanterns to illuminate the surroundings. This suggests that the incident occurs in a rural setting where artificial lighting is limited or nonexistent, and people rely on candles and lanterns to see in the dark.
- "Throwing giant scorpion shadows": The light from the candles and lanterns is creating shadows on the walls. Specifically, the shadows resemble the shapes of giant scorpions. This could be due to the way the light interacts with objects, creating distorted and exaggerated shapes on the walls.
- "On the sun-baked walls": The walls mentioned here are sun-baked, indicating that they are exposed to the heat of the sun during the day. This emphasizes the rural setting and suggests that the village buildings are made of materials that absorb and retain heat.
- "They searched for him": The villagers are actively searching for the scorpion. The use of the pronoun "him" to refer to the scorpion adds a touch of personification, attributing a gender and identity to the creature as if it were a male figure.
In this context, the lines highlight the urgency and tension of the situation. The villagers, armed with only candles and lanterns, are casting shadows on the walls that resemble giant scorpions as they search for the actual scorpion that bit the mother. The use of light and shadows creates a sense of drama and anticipation, reflecting the fear and chaos of the moment as the community comes together to address the crisis. The vivid imagery of the scene adds to the atmosphere of the poem and helps to convey the emotions and experiences of the people involved.
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