Nissim Ezekiel - A Lifestory
India'S Voice: Poet, Playwright, Critic, Capturing Modern Life
A big name in Indian writing is seen by many as the start of modern Indian poetry in English. He did many things well, like acting, writing plays, editing, and talking about art. He was born in Mumbai on 24 December 1924. His work helped connect old Indian ideas with new ways of writing poetry from the West. You could say he changed Indian poetry as much as Marlon Brando changed acting after the movie "A Streetcar Named Desire" in 1951. He helped shape the world of books. He started out teaching English, which touched many students' lives. He also edited important magazines, like "The Illustrated Weekly of India." People who worked with him liked his smart humor and good thinking. One person said he was "a poet who wasn't afraid to write about normal, everyday things." Like Bruce King said in "Modern Indian Poetry in English," he brought "a new way of seeing things" to Indian poems. He started writing poems in the 1950s. His poems talk about city life, feeling lost, and trying to find who you are in a fastchanging India. Just like India became free in 1947, he wanted to be free from old ways of writing poems and find his own voice. He won an award in 1983 for his book "Latter Day Psalms." He died on 09 January 2004, leaving behind work that still gets Indian poets excited and gives them ideas.
