Quest of Self and Identity with Reference to Nissim Ezekiel’s selected Poems

Author : Mehak kapil

Abstract : Eminent Indo- Anglian poet, Keki. N. Daruwalla declares Nissim Ezekiel as an “Intellectual Powerhouse” and a man of amazing versatility. Ezekiel belongs to the first five decades of Post- Independent Indian poets. His poems connects both pre-independence and post- independence Indian society and culture. Detachment, skeptical self, life in the city, sexuality, problem in marriage, need of overcoming from alienation are some important aspects and themes of Ezekiel’s poems. Quest for self is a conscious attempt to know one’s own self, passions, turbulence, agony, doubt and many others. But in understanding such facts one needs to cover the surrounding circumstances and maintain the quest to find the identity amidst all. The present paper aims to understand Ezekiel’s view on modern livelihood and the crisis of existence and self- identity. It also attempts to understand Ezekiel’s poetic journey towards knowing his own self in order to lead a well- contended and fulfilled life. The paper also attempts to present an overview of Ezekiel’s philosophical attitude towards life, religion, love and sexuality. Based on the analytical method and secondary sources the paper is trying to analyse the issues of Ezekiel’s poems. Keywords: Quest for Self, Nissim Ezekiel, Modern, City, Love, Alienation, Existence

Keywords : Nissim Ezekiel, quest for self, modern city life, alienation, existential crisis

Conference Name : International Conference on Contemporary Poetics and Creative Writing (ICCPCW-26)

Conference Place : Chennai, India

Conference Date : 7th Feb 2026