Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S. By Nissim Ezekiel Nissim Ezekiel (1924-2004) is a prominent post-independence Indian poet, with a vision of Indian life received through new themes and newer poetic techniques. His poetical works include A ‘Time for Change (1952), Sixty Poems (1953), The Third (1959), ‘The Unfinished Man (1960), The Exact Name (1965), Snakeskin and other Poems (1974), Hymns in Darkness (1976) and Latter- Day Psalms (1982). For his contribution to Indian English Literature, he was honoured with the Sahitya Academy Award in 1983. \ Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa TS. is a humorous poem of 42 lines. Included in Very Indian Poems in Indian English its an attempt to indianise the English language at the creative level. ‘What is looked for in the poem is the deviation from the rules of grammar and syntax in’babu’ English. Such deviations from the British educated English are common among the intermediate-level non-native speakers of English. It brings life and language together to comment on the inconsistencies of both. Friends, Our dear sister is departing for foreign in two-three days, and wwe are meeting today to wish her bon voyage, You are all knowing, friends, what sweetness is in Miss Pushpa, I don't mean only external sweetness but internal sweetness. Miss Pushpa is smiling and smiling even for no reason ‘but simply because she is feeling. foreign /‘foron/ voyage /'vanids / even Fizvn / AMiss Pushpa is coming from very high family. Her father was renowned advocate in Bulsar or Surat, Lam not remembering now which place. Surat? Ah, yes, Once only I stayed in Surat with family members of my uncle’s very old friend, his wife was cooking nicely... that was long time ago. Coming back to Miss Pushpa she is most popular lady with men also and ladies also. ‘Whenever I asked her to do anything, she was saying, ‘just now only I will do it’, That is showing good spirit. am always appreciating the good spirit. Pushpa Miss is never saying no. Whatever I or anybody is asking She is always saying yes, ‘And today she is going to improve her prospect and we are wishing her bon voyage. Now I ask other speakers to speak and afterwards Miss Pushpa will do summing up. Glossary goodbye = _(anexclamation used when somebody is parting); to bid farewell party 2 asocial occasion at which people gather to enjoy departing = leaving aplace to start atrip bon voyage = French equivalent of Happy Journey’ renowned : famous, renowned /rt'naond / aremembering : (progressive verb-form) keep an image in mind popular. liked by alargenumberofpeople appreciating: (progressive verb-form) recognize the good qualities of somebody improve: becomebetter prospect: _ possibility afterwards: atalatertime summing up: main points of an argument usually made by the judge towards the end of a trial; (here) inthe sense of final thanks-giving O91: Ce) RN Word Power (A) ®) © Choose the words from the text, which are opposite in meaning to the words given here and use them in the sentences of your own: foe, native, arrive, bitterness, forget, infamous, unpopular Mark the use of the French phrase ‘bon voyage’ for wishing happy journey. There are several such French and Latin words and phrases, which are commonly used in English. For example, deja vu, tete-a-tete, avant garde, numero uno, ab initio, status quo, lingua franca Look up a dictionary and find out their meanings. In the poem, there are some distinctive features of Indian English that the poet parodies © The use of the progressive (-ing) form for verbs of perception which are not used in the progressive in finite verb phrases in British standard English, e.g.*You are all knowing’, ‘she is feeling’, “Iam always appreciating’ (For detailed study of such verbs, you may refer to the grammar segment of the lesson, ‘Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’.) © Omission of articles, e.g.(a)very high family,(a) renowned advocate,(the)summing up © Use and positioning of adverbs at inappropriate places, e.g. ‘only extemal sweetness’, snow which place’, ‘with men also and ladies also” Look for other features of Indian English in the poem, which mark a departure from the standard English. Comprehension (A) ®) Answer in one sentence each: (i) What has the party been arranged for? (ii) Whois going toa foreign country? (iii) Whose wife cooked nicely? (iv) Why has Surat been mentioned in the poem? Answer in about 60 words each: (i) What qualities of Miss Pushpa T'S. are evident from the speaker's address?© (ii) What was Miss Pushpa T.S. popular with? (iii) What does the speaker mention about Miss Pushpa doing in the end? (iv) Inwhat ways does Miss Pushpa show her good spirit? (v) What inspires laughter in the poem? Answer in about 75 words each, (i) What features of ‘Babu English’ are suggested in the poem? Give illustrations. (ii) Give the central idea ofthe poem. A) 8) Poetic Devices Notice the use of humour in highlighting the problems that come in the way of assimilating a foreign language. The impact and speech mannerisms of the native (Indian) language are obvious. Comic verse thrives on the melodious yoking of incongruities, such as the “cabbages and ings” in Lewis Carroll's “The Walrus and the Carpenter,” and particularly on the contrast between lofty form and flat-footed content. The departure of Miss Pushpa T'S. provides an interesting occasion to organise a farewell party in her honour as well as to indulge in liberties with the language. Certain metric forms associated with heroic poetry, such as the hexameter or Alexandrine, arouse expectations of pathos, of the exalted and then to pour into these epic moulds some homely, trivial content “beautiful soup, so rich and green/ waiting in a hot tureen’is an almost infallible comic device. The rollingrhythms of the first lines ofa limerick that carry a young lady from Ohio,USA for a ride instead of a mythical hero such as Hector or Achilles, make her ridiculous even before the expected calamities befall her. Instead of a heroic mould, asoft lyric alone may also pay off. The poem, Goodbye party for Miss Pushpa TSS.,is in free verse, typical of modern poetry. Poetry which is written without rhyme and without any traditional metrical pattern uses free verse, It has no regular recurring rhythm. Here the placing of stress is rhetorical, depending on the meaning of the lines. Therefore, the number of syllables is not relevant here. Speaking Activity “ (B) Read aloud parts of the poem in groups, observing the stress-pattern. (Consult an English Pronunciation Dictionary) Delivera short speech on the topic: “A sense of humour enlivens life.” Writing Activity (A) (B) There is a great deal of humour associated with human habit of forgetting, Did it happen with you or any of your friends? Narrate the event in one paragraph. ‘Write a letter to your friend, highlighting the importance of humour in the hurly-burly of modern-day life. aThink it over (A) (B) Have you heard, or read the exploits of such immortal characters as Tenali Ram, Mulla ‘Nasiruddin, or Birbal? What do they have in common? Think of their contribution to their times. ‘There are many humourous characters in the plays of William Shakespeare such as Falstaf and Touchstone, They reveal a unique insight into human psychology and philosophy of life as well. Think of how humour makes us philosophical. Things to do ic) (B) © Go through the following lines taken from ‘Mac Flecknoe’ by John Dryden, an 18" century neo-classical satirist who used humour to great effect in his satire: Allmortal things are subject to decay, ‘And, when fate summons, monarchs must obey This Flecknoe, who, like Augustus, young ‘Was called to empire, and had governed long: In prose and verse was owned without dispute, ‘Through all the realms ofnonsense, absolute. Humour, wit and irony are the three essential ingredients of a satire. Consider them with respect to the above lines. ‘Humour’ was a medical term in the 16" and 17" centuries. Ben Jonson, the great 17" century Elizabethan dramatist used this concept to telling effect in his comedy of-humour plays like Volpone, Every Man in his Humour, and so on. Prepare a list of his plays and examine the concept of humour as used in them. There is an interesting character named Mrs. Malaprop in the anti-sentimental comedy, ‘The Rivals, of the 18" century playwright, R.B. Sheridan, ‘Malapropism’is a term derived from her because of her amusing and humourous candour, in using the similar- sounding ‘words with aconfusion of meaning. Go through the play and prepare a list of such words.