After reading the poem, complete the following. What happens? There are three main parts of the poem. Do you know what they are about? The first one is done for you. Lines What is happening? 1-7 The scorpion comes into the home to escape the rain and stings the poet’s mother. 8-33 34-48

Lines What is happening? 1-7 1) The scorpion comes into the home to escape the rain and stings the poet's mother. 8-33 2) The villagers sympathize with the mother and offer consolation in various ways. They sit around the floor with the mother in the centre. More neighbours came in to help, with more candles and more lanterns. 34-48 3) What is happening The father is desperate and though he is a rationalist, he tries all sorts of things to cure the mother. He calls a holy man to perform rites and even sets fire to the bitten toe. After twenty hours the scorpion loses Its sting. All that the mother says is that she is thankful to God that the scorpion picked her and spared her children.

After reading the poem, complete the following. What happens? There are three main parts of the poem. Do you know what they are about? The first one is done for you. - English

Question

After reading the poem, complete the following. What happens? There are three main parts of the poem. Do you know what they are about? The first one is done for you.

Lines	What is happening?
1-7	The scorpion comes into the home to escape the rain and stings the poet’s mother.
8-33
34-48

Chart

Solution

Lines	What is happening?
1-7	1) The scorpion comes into the home to escape the rain and stings the poet's mother.
8-33	2) The villagers sympathize with the mother and offer consolation in various ways. They sit around the floor with the mother in the centre. More neighbours came in to help, with more candles and more lanterns.
34-48	3) What is happening The father is desperate and though he is a rationalist, he tries all sorts of things to cure the mother. He calls a holy man to perform rites and even sets fire to the bitten toe. After twenty hours the scorpion loses Its sting. All that the mother says is that she is thankful to God that the scorpion picked her and spared her children.

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Night of the Scorpion

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Q 1 Q 2 Q 2. (a)

Chapter 3.1: Night of the Scorpion - English Workshop [Page 102]

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Balbharati English Kumarbharati [English] Standard 10 Maharashtra State Board

Chapter 3.1 Night of the Scorpion
English Workshop | Q 1 | Page 102

RELATED QUESTIONS

Brainstorm what you know about Scorpions. Use the points given below.

Choose the correct alternative.

This is a _____________ poem as it tells a story.

Choose the correct alternative.

‘The scorpion picked on me. And spared my children’ depicts ____________.

Choose the correct alternative.

The poem is titled ‘Night of the Scorpion’, for, the major part of the poem _______________.

From the poem provide evidence for the following:

Stages	Evidence (lines from the poem)
(a) the attempts by the peasants to help alleviate the mother’s pain.
(b) the action of these same peasants to kill the scorpion
(c) the reaction of the rational father.
(d) the various superstitions versus the ‘scientific’
(e) evil versus good.

Read the poem and complete the table showing the qualities of the father and mother giving sufficient evidence from the poem.

Qualities
Father	Mother

The poet has used various kinds of imagery to create an image that appeals to our senses. Pick out various kinds of imagery and complete the table.

Visual imagery appealing to the eye	Tactile imagery (sense of touch)	Sound imagery	Internal sensations, feelings, and emotions
(1) Scorpion crawling beneath a sack of rice	(1) _________ ____________ ___________	(1) buzzed the name of God	(1) fear
(2) ___________ ___________ ___________	(2) Father pouring paraffin on the toe	2) ___________ ___________ ___________	2) ___________

Prepare a Presentation (on paper or on a PC) as a piece of reference to other students. Make use of the following points.

Read the following poem and write an appreciation of it with the help of the given points in a paragraph format:

Night of the Scorpion

I remember the night my mother
was stung by a scorpion. Ten hours
of steady rain had driven him
to crawl beneath a sack of rice.
Parting with his poison - flash
of diabolic tail in the dark room -
he risked the rain again.
The peasants came like swarms of flies
And buzzed the name of God a hundred times
to paralyse the Evil One.
With candles and with lanterns
throwing giant scorpion shadows
on the mud-baked walls
they searched for him: he was not found.
They clicked their tongues.
With every movement that the scorpion made his poison
moved in Mother's blood, they said.
May he sit still, they said
May the sins of your previous birth
be burned away tonight, they said.
May your suffering decrease
the misfortunes of your next birth, they said.
May the sum of all evil
balanced in this unreal world
against the sum of good
become diminished by your pain.
May the poison purify your flesh
of desire, and your spirit of ambition,
they said, and they sat around
on the floor with my mother in the centre,
the peace of understanding on each face.
More candles, more lanterns, more neighbours,
more insects, and endless rain.
My mother twisted through and through,
groaning on a mat.
My father, sceptic, rationalist,
trying every curse and blessing,
powder, mixture, herb and hybrid.
He even poured a little paraffin
upon the bitten toe and put a match to it.
I watched the flame feeding on my mother.
I watched the holy man perform his rites to tame the
poison with an incantation.
After twenty hours
it lost its sting.
My mother only said
Thank God the scorpion picked on me
And spared my children.

Points:

The title and the poet of the poem
Rhyme scheme
Figures of speech
Central Idea/Theme

Read the following extract and do the given activities.

A1. Match the following:

(1) Misfortunes	mud-baked
(2) Ambition	bad luck
(3) World	goal
(4) Wall	unreal

With candles and with lanterns
throwing giant scorpion shadows
on the mud-baked walls
they searched for him : he was not found.
They clicked their tongues.
With every movement that the scorpion made his poison
moved in Mother's blood, they said.
May he sit still, they said
May the sins of your previous birth
be burned away tonight, they said.
May your suffering decrease
the misfortunes of your next birth, they said.
May the sum of all evil
balanced in this unreal world
against the sum of good
become diminished by your pain.
May the poison purify your flesh
of desire, and your spirit of ambition
they said, and they sat around
on the floor with my mother in the centre,
the peace of understanding on each face.

-Nissim Ezekiel

A2. Write two words ending in "on".

A3. Give an example of "metaphor" from the extract.

After reading the poem, complete the following. What happens? There are three main parts of the poem. Do you know what they are about? The first one is done for you. - English

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After reading the poem, complete the following. What happens? There are three main parts of the poem. Do you know what they are about? The first one is done for you. - English

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