‘The Patriot’ by Nissim Ezekiel
This blog task is assigned by Prakruti Bhatt Ma'am (Department of English, MKBU).
Question : Comment on the ironic mode of ‘The Patriot’ by Nissim Ezekiel
Nissim Ezekiel’s The Patriot is a brilliant example of Indian English poetry that employs irony not merely as a rhetorical device but as the very soul of the poem’s voice and structure. Through the figure of the speaker — a well-meaning, simplistic, and idealistic Indian citizen — Ezekiel crafts an ironic commentary on language, politics, identity, cultural dislocation, and misplaced nationalism. The irony in this poem operates on multiple layers — linguistic, cultural, ideological, and personal — and forms a complex, nuanced engagement with modern Indian consciousness.
1. Verbal Irony: A Comic Tone with Serious Undertones
At the most apparent level, the irony in The Patriot arises from the speaker’s malapropisms, awkward constructions, and hybridized use of Indian-English, which at first glance might seem merely comic.
For example:
"Wine is for the drunkards only. / What do you think of the prospects of world peace?"
Here, the speaker’s sudden leap from a moral observation about alcohol to a question about world peace is comically abrupt. But Ezekiel’s humor is not to ridicule — it is affectionate. The verbal irony lies in how the speaker earnestly attempts to engage in global discourse with limited linguistic tools, unintentionally creating humor — yet never mockery. His statements, like “Ancient Indian Wisdom is 100% correct, I should say even 200% correct,” are naïve in expression but sincere in sentiment.
2. Dramatic Irony: The Gap Between Intention and Perception
Dramatic irony emerges from the gap between what the speaker intends to say and what the reader perceives. The speaker aspires to be taken seriously — he reads The Times of India to improve his English, quotes Shakespeare (“Friends, Romans, Countrymen...”), and discusses global politics and Indian philosophy. However, his speech is riddled with errors and clichés:
“Be patiently, brothers and sisters.”
The reader sees the struggle of a common man trying to articulate noble thoughts in a foreign tongue, and the tragicomic result is deeply ironic. But again, Ezekiel doesn’t ask us to laugh at this man, but to see the irony in the postcolonial condition — where English is both a means of empowerment and a symbol of alienation. The speaker is ironically caught between love for his country and a desire for global belonging, making his patriotism a paradox of sincerity and confusion.
3. Situational Irony: The Paradox of Patriotism
The title “The Patriot” itself is ironic. The speaker denounces violence (“I am standing for peace and non-violence”) and praises Gandhi, but in the same breath, he stereotypes other nations:
“Pakistan behaving like this, / China behaving like that…”
He also mentions Indian unity — “All men are brothers, no?” — but immediately points out internal divisions:
“In India also / Gujaratis, Maharashtrians, Hindi Wallahs / All brothers – / Though some are having funny habits.”
This situational irony highlights the contradictions within nationalist ideologies — the ideal of unity versus the reality of division. The speaker dreams of Ram Rajya (a utopian India), but his views are laced with unconscious prejudices and simplifications. In this, Ezekiel critiques not just the speaker, but the larger societal discourse of patriotism that oscillates between genuine pride and naïve insularity.
4. Irony of Language and Colonial Legacy
Ezekiel’s deliberate use of Indian English or “Babu English” is a key source of irony. Lines like:
“Not that I am ever tasting the wine. / I’m the total teetotaller, completely total,”
are endearingly clumsy but reflect a deep postcolonial truth — how colonized societies internalize the colonizer’s language but adapt it to their own idiom. The irony is that while the speaker attempts to assert his identity and patriotism through English, he does so in a way that reveals the lasting imprint of colonialism. His English is not “perfect,” yet it is authentic — a hybrid tongue, both comic and valid.
This linguistic irony also carries political weight: it points to the tensions in post-independence India between the indigenous and the imported, the spiritual and the material, the Gandhian ideal and the consumerist reality.
5. Irony as Cultural Critique
Ezekiel does not use irony to undermine the speaker’s sincerity but to reveal the ironies of modern Indian life. The speaker laments that young people are “Too much going for fashion and foreign thing,” even as he himself quotes Shakespeare and reads an English-language newspaper. The ironic juxtaposition of his words and actions reflect the cultural disorientation of the Indian middle class, caught between traditional values and modern influences.
Even the offer of lassi as a superior drink to wine is symbolic irony — it’s a nationalist gesture (asserting Indian traditions), but offered in the language of colonial legacy, highlighting the clash and coexistence of cultures.
6. Irony and Affection: The Tone of the Poet
Perhaps the most important dimension of irony in this poem is Ezekiel’s tone. Unlike harsh satire, Ezekiel’s ironic mode is affectionate, humorous, and understanding. He does not ridicule the speaker for his limitations. Instead, he honors the sincerity, simplicity, and moral clarity of a man who, despite his lack of polish, dreams of peace and unity.
By the end, the speaker becomes a lovable, well-intentioned figure who believes in peace, drinks lassi, quotes Shakespeare, and believes Ram Rajya is coming. These lines are not sarcastic, but hopeful — the irony becomes a tool for empathy rather than mockery.
Conclusion: The Patriot’s Irony is Human, Not Cruel
In The Patriot, Nissim Ezekiel employs irony not as a weapon to demean but as a lens to reveal the complex contradictions of postcolonial Indian identity. The ironic mode here is tender, nuanced, and multi-faceted — a mix of humor, sadness, confusion, and clarity. Through this figure of the “common man,” Ezekiel captures the tragicomic essence of Indian patriotism, which is caught between Gandhian idealism, colonial inheritance, linguistic insecurity, and cultural hybridity.
Thus, The Patriot is ironic — but it is also deeply human. Its laughter is never at the cost of the speaker’s dignity. Instead, Ezekiel invites us to see ourselves — our confusions, aspirations, and hypocrisies — mirrored in this voice. The poem, through irony, becomes both a critique and a celebration.
