…when he (Ezekiel) sits in his dusty office at the Indian P.E.N. as its most active office bearer reading quantities of other people’s poems and giving his comments on them – thereby earning friends and enemies – he is teaching, again…
Gieve Patel, Introduction to Collected Poems of Nissim Ezekiel.
In this context – as my mentor, Nissim Ezekiel opened newer doors for my passion for poetry-writing. He was keenly attentive to see my strengths, and point out ways for improvement. Behind all his guidance, I found him subtle and kind. He taught me how to look at the general picture-frame of verse. I found his frankness giving me an immense sense of direction.
Once I asked Nissim Ezekiel an explanation on my work, as I was understandably requiring confidence, and was speculative what the grand old Professor really thought of my poems. With a reasonable pause, he gave me his answer: ‘What’s worth seeking, if you find it – go for it, express it, compose it. Fortunately, I find in many of your poems this element existing’.
What followed the sequence of things was a result of continuity. Subsequently, I spent hours in the two coming years at P.E.N. – Mumbai, going almost daily to Nissim Ezekiel. Later, he was struck down by Alzheimer – I was sad and mad.
Geeta Chhabra
