In the poem ‘The Mistress’, by keki n Daruwalla, the poet personifies the language ‘Indian English ‘ and calls her as his mistress. The poet is well versed in British English and hence finds Indian English as his mistress.
The poem’ the patriot, written by Nissin Ezekiel, is a good example of a poem written in colloquial language and depicts the characteristics of Indian language which are attributed by keki in his poem. . While Ezekiel has Indianized the English language, Daruwalla expertly anglicises Indianness and brings it out in the form of his mistress.
Keki calls Indian language ‘half caste’. This is because she doesn’t have a specific origin. “She” is rather a culmination of Indianness and English. Few lines depicting the Indianness from the poem ‘the patriot’ are as follows
“how one goonda fellow
threw stone at Indirabehn”
“you want one glass lassi?”
“ one day Ram Rajya is surely coming”
In the above lines, the words ‘goonda’, ‘lassi’ and ‘Ram Rajya’ gives a flavor of Indianness. Keki refers the usage of such words as the ‘one night contributions’ of babus and professors of English.
Nissim Ezekiel in his poem “The Patriot” talks about patriotism, but he portrays the poem in a way such that it reaches the common Indian. So he uses “Indian English”. This can be understood from the few lines below :-
“Why world is fighting fighting”
“I am simply not understanding.”
“Other day I'm reading newspaper”
While speaking Indian English, there is a tendency to use bombastic words unnecessarily. Ezekiel has shown the same when he says,
Everything is coming -
Regeneration, Remuneration, Contraception.
Daruwalla’s poem stresses more on the Indianness that comes out profoundly rather than the word usage. There is a tendency of mixing English and relating it to the most common things in India and her culture. Daruwalla says
Despite this she is vain,
Flashes her bangles and her tinsel;
Wears heels even though he feet
Are smeared up to the ankle with henna
Henna is something very close to India and her culture. When people speak “Indian English”, they cannot refrain from using Indian words and phrases for the most trivial things, however unnecessary it may be.
The Mistress presents the poet`s sense of wit at the distorted and improper use of English words by the Indians. Where as The Patriot shows how language can be mended and modified to suit different purposes.
The poem’ the patriot, written by Nissin Ezekiel, is a good example of a poem written in colloquial language and depicts the characteristics of Indian language which are attributed by keki in his poem. . While Ezekiel has Indianized the English language, Daruwalla expertly anglicises Indianness and brings it out in the form of his mistress.
Keki calls Indian language ‘half caste’. This is because she doesn’t have a specific origin. “She” is rather a culmination of Indianness and English. Few lines depicting the Indianness from the poem ‘the patriot’ are as follows
“how one goonda fellow
threw stone at Indirabehn”
“you want one glass lassi?”
“ one day Ram Rajya is surely coming”
In the above lines, the words ‘goonda’, ‘lassi’ and ‘Ram Rajya’ gives a flavor of Indianness. Keki refers the usage of such words as the ‘one night contributions’ of babus and professors of English.
Nissim Ezekiel in his poem “The Patriot” talks about patriotism, but he portrays the poem in a way such that it reaches the common Indian. So he uses “Indian English”. This can be understood from the few lines below :-
“Why world is fighting fighting”
“I am simply not understanding.”
“Other day I'm reading newspaper”
While speaking Indian English, there is a tendency to use bombastic words unnecessarily. Ezekiel has shown the same when he says,
Everything is coming -
Regeneration, Remuneration, Contraception.
Daruwalla’s poem stresses more on the Indianness that comes out profoundly rather than the word usage. There is a tendency of mixing English and relating it to the most common things in India and her culture. Daruwalla says
Despite this she is vain,
Flashes her bangles and her tinsel;
Wears heels even though he feet
Are smeared up to the ankle with henna
Henna is something very close to India and her culture. When people speak “Indian English”, they cannot refrain from using Indian words and phrases for the most trivial things, however unnecessary it may be.
The Mistress presents the poet`s sense of wit at the distorted and improper use of English words by the Indians. Where as The Patriot shows how language can be mended and modified to suit different purposes.
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