Nissim Ezekiel's poem the Patriot acts as a perfect example of a post colonial and post modern setting that metaphorically speaks otherwise. The poem may be read as a satire or rather a well hidden cry for the nation to realize its position as a teetering neo-colonial country in an apparent post-colonial world.
The poem, written in what is widely known as Indian English, quite blatantly portrays how a country like ours has imbibed the language of our colonizers, the British, but have managed to successfully make it our own. This concept of mimicry, first explained by Homi Bhabha, can be defined as the method by which colonized countries used the knowledge gained by being educated by the British as well being taught their lifestyle, to give it their own name and to revolt against their colonizers. Here, we see how the narrator speaks of the youth moving toward foreign trends and also his own attempt to learn new English words by reading the newspaper. The poet is trying to bring out these notions as examples of how mimicry is a vital step toward post-colonialism as even though we learn English and experience it on a daily basis; we still find places to add our own lingo and also 'Indianize' western clothing.
The poem, written in what is widely known as Indian English, quite blatantly portrays how a country like ours has imbibed the language of our colonizers, the British, but have managed to successfully make it our own. This concept of mimicry, first explained by Homi Bhabha, can be defined as the method by which colonized countries used the knowledge gained by being educated by the British as well being taught their lifestyle, to give it their own name and to revolt against their colonizers. Here, we see how the narrator speaks of the youth moving toward foreign trends and also his own attempt to learn new English words by reading the newspaper. The poet is trying to bring out these notions as examples of how mimicry is a vital step toward post-colonialism as even though we learn English and experience it on a daily basis; we still find places to add our own lingo and also 'Indianize' western clothing.
Another concept that is brought out in the poem is that of the need for initiative to be taken by the native intellectuals, in this case, Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi can be considered a native intellectual as he gained a higher education in London and later used this knowledge to peacefully wrestle against the British rule, successfully. The poet encourages everyone to follow the example of Gandhi, even to this date. By concluding this, he talks of how the nation will always consider its culture to be of utmost importance and that it has been upheld through several trials and tribulations.
The line ‘All men are brothers, no?’ depicts the conflict that exists due to being previously oppressed, the narrator manages to rise above the stereotype that Indians are vengeful and uncouth, rather they are willing to break through boundaries, to establish unity among nations as at the end, everyone is familiar with the concepts domination and subjugation.
The final lines illustrate how the nation stands as a united front, in welcoming others to experience the country as they, the locals, see it. It is seen as entirely new place when spoken about by Indians, as opposed to reading translations and books written about the ‘Orient’ by the past colonizers. In the end, the narrator speaks of not engaging in ceremony as he will always enjoy the company of others, a cultural practice within the country, contradicting several popular notions that existing in a neo – colonial era, is our vital sin.
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