Poet, Lover, Birdwatcher by Nissim Ezekiel(SUMMARY)

The poem 'Poet, Lover, Birdwatcher' is a famous poem by the Indian Jewish
poet, Nissim Ezekiel. It is a 20-line poem divided into two ten-line stanzas. The
rhyme scheme for each stanza is ABBAACDCDD. The poem deals with the creative
process of writing a poem. The speaker describes the process of writing poetry and
compares it to the task of being a lover or a birdwatcher. A poet, a lover, and a
birdwatcher - all have one common quality which is the patience required in their
tasks. According to the speaker, patience is the best action to achieve the goal. He
compares the patience of all the above three revealing how their quest ends. Ezekiel
has written many ars poetica throughout his career, but "Poet, Lover, Birdwatcher"
is by far his most famous. Nissim Ezekiel was an Indian Jewish poet, actor,
playwright, editor, and art critic. He was awarded the Sahitya Academy award in
1983. He was a foundational figure in postcolonial India's literary history, specifically
for Indian Poetry in English, and is often called the “father of post-independence
Indian verse in English”. His works also earned him the Padma Shree award. His
other famous works include Enterprise, Night of the Scorpion, The Night of the
Psalms, etc.

In the first stanza, the speaker starts by saying that to keep on moving and not
waiting by standing still is not the way for a man who studies birds (birdwatcher)
and that who studies women (lover). Similar is the case of the poet. He, too, has to
wait for the correct words required for his poetry just like the other two. The
speaker next says that this waiting would not be troublesome for them but instead,
it will give them a sense of peace and relaxation. It will as calming as resting on a
hill. This wait will be desirable and not a burden. When a man stops and relaxes, he
pays attention to the different kinds of things in life like the movement of a bird's
wing or the moment a woman gives in to love. This is possible only if a man drops
all his haste and calmly waits for the right moment. Similarly, a man who waits for
the correct words and does not hurry to finish his work brings out the best of
himself. The patience he shows in completing his work makes them more special
and close to the soul. So, it doesn't matter whether you are a poet or a lover or a
birdwatcher, you have to be patient in your job.

In the next stanza, the speaker defines these slow and relaxing movements. He
says that these actions define him much more because they are more difficult than
fast and hasty actions. To find the rarer birds, the speaker advises that one must go
off the deserted path near the rivers toward areas that are "remote and thorny".
The areas are as secluded as the innermost chambers of the heart. Once one
arrives at such a location, the bird or woman one was chasing will be found by him.
The women at this very place switch their attention to these lovers. These women
hide their darkest and deepest fears with a fake vision of light, not allowing others
to look beyond it. However, when one reaches this estranged segment of heart, he
can overcome the fears and win their love. Lastly, the speaker remembers the poet
and tells us about his conflict. He has to show a great deal of patience to allow his
works to contain the best choice of words. He pours his soul out in those poems in
such a way that his works make the deaf hear and the blind see. His works show
them a light that is not visible to them. The search of all three (poet, lover, and
birdwatcher) is in the darkness without any concrete path of their aspirations. At the
center of their quest, there is darkness but it is full of meaning for them.

"Poet, Lover, Birdwatcher" is known as one of Ezekiel's more 'serious' poems. Here
he focuses on the beauty of waiting for something that one desires and being
patient for it. The poem has no irony and satire and simply motivates us to achieve
our goals. All three: poet, lover, and birdwatcher move at a slow pace though they
say much more than one can understand. Their creativity demands untiring efforts