Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa T.S.

Nissim Ezekiel


About Nissim Ezekiel

Nissim Ezekiel, one of India's foremost indo-Anglian poets. He was born in 1924 and was educated in Mumbai and London. He produced several volumes of verse and plays, and was also an art critic. Ezekiel died in 2004 at the age of 79.

Friends,
our dear sister
is departing for foreign
in two three days, and 
we 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.

Miss Pushpa is coming 
from very high family..
Her father was renowned advocate
In Bulsar or Surat,
i am 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. I 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.

− Nissim Ezekiel

Available Answers

  1. 1.
    Who do you think is making the speech?
  2. 2.
    Is Miss Pushpa a popular person? How do we know?
  3. 3.
    What does the speaker remember about Surat?
  4. 4.
    What aspects of Miss Pushpa's personality and behaviour does the speaker like?
  5. 5.
    Which expression in the poem is neither English nor Indian English?
  6. 6.
    Why do you think the poem consists of short, broken lines? What effect does this have on reading it aloud?
7 more answer(s) available.

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