Chapter for-elkana: For Elkana | Summary

Nissim Ezekiel’s poem For Elkana is a beautiful and realistic depiction of a quiet evening in the life of a modern urban family. The poem begins with a peaceful setting where the speaker and his wife are sitting on the lawn on a warm April evening, waiting for words to come. This initial silence highlights the comfort and familiarity between the couple, though it is soon interrupted by the mundane realities of domestic life. The wife, observant as ever, points out a broken window-pane and suggests repairs—tasks she implies every husband knows how to do except her own. This gentle teasing establishes a relatable dynamic of a long-standing marriage where small disagreements are common but not malicious. The speaker, rather than arguing, retreats into his own thoughts, showing a typical human response to avoid conflict over trivial matters. The atmosphere shifts when their seven-year-old son enters the scene, demanding his dinner with 'masterly determination.' This moment creates a rare point of 'unusual rapport' between the parents, as they both silently agree that children must be disciplined. However, the child’s persistence and simple hunger eventually break down the parents' resolve. The mother attempts to be firm by telling him to wait five minutes, but the boy’s logical and urgent insistence that he is hungry 'now' eventually wins. The poem concludes with the family heading inside for dinner, with the speaker reflecting on the 'balanced' nature of their lives. The poem is significant because it finds poetry in the ordinary and the everyday. It moves away from grand, romantic themes to focus on the small, sometimes irritating, but ultimately grounding moments of family life. Ezekiel uses a conversational tone to show that love and harmony are not always about grand gestures; often, they are found in the ability to navigate small domestic frictions and share a simple meal together. The supplementary section on 'The Limerick' introduces students to a specific poetic form. A limerick is a five-line humorous poem with a strict rhyme scheme of 'aabba'. It is described as the poetic equivalent of slapstick comedy, meant to be funny and often ending with a sharp joke or punchline. By including both a narrative poem and the limerick, the chapter teaches students that poetry can be both a serious reflection on human relationships and a medium for lighthearted, structured fun.