Night of the Scorpion Chapter Notes, Summary, Questions Class 10 SSC

Night of the Scorpion is a narrative free-verse poem written by the notable Indian Jewish poet Nissim Ezekiel. The poem reflects a childhood memory of a night when a scorpion stung the poet's mother, bringing out various reactions from superstitious peasants, a rationalist father, and showcasing the selfless love of the mother.

About the author

Nissim Ezekiel (1924-2004) was an Indian Jewish poet, actor, playwright, editor, and art-critic. He is recognized as a foundational figure in post-colonial India's literary history, particularly for his diverse contributions to Indian English writing.

Summary

The poem begins on a rainy night when heavy downpours drive a scorpion to seek shelter inside the poet's house beneath a sack of rice. When the scorpion stings the poet's mother, it quickly escapes back into the dark and rainy night after flashing its wicked tail.

Soon, the local peasants arrive in large numbers like swarms of flies. Chanting the name of God repeatedly, they search everywhere for the scorpion with candles and lanterns, casting giant shadows on the mud-baked walls, though they fail to find it.

The villagers gather around the suffering mother on the floor and offer various superstitious explanations. They believe her pain will cleanse her previous birth's sins, reduce future misfortunes, and balance the evil of the world with good, showing a sense of calm understanding.

Meanwhile, the poet's father, who is a sceptic and a rationalist, frantically tries every possible cure including powders, herbs, hybrids, and even pouring paraffin on the bitten toe to set it on fire. The child poet watches the terrifying flame feed on his mother and observes a holy man perform magical rites.

After twenty long hours of intense agony and twisting through and through on a mat, the poison finally loses its sting. Showing no bitterness about her ordeal, the mother's first words are to thank God that the scorpion picked on her and spared her children.

Mind map

How the poem develops

Themes and message

Motherly Love and Selflessness

The mother's primary concern after enduring twenty hours of excruciating pain is not her own suffering, but gratitude that her children were spared by the scorpion.

Superstition versus Rationalism

The poem highlights a clash of viewpoints: the village peasants rely on fatalistic and superstitious beliefs regarding past sins and karma, whereas the father adopts a scientific, rational, and experimental approach.

Key points to remember

• The poem is written in free verse with no fixed rhyme scheme or metre.
• It is a narrative poem told from the first-person perspective of the poet as a child.
• Rich imagery appeals to visual, tactile, and auditory senses throughout the text.
• The ending emphasizes the unconditional love of a mother.

Word meanings

Figures of speech and poetic devices

Important questions and answers

Q1. What forced the scorpion to take shelter in the poet's house?

Ten hours of steady rain forced the scorpion to crawl out and take shelter beneath a sack of rice inside the poet's house.

Q2. How did the peasants react when they heard about the scorpion sting?

The peasants came in large numbers like swarms of flies, buzzed the name of God a hundred times, searched with candles and lanterns, and sat around the mother offering superstitious interpretations about her suffering and past sins.

Q3. Describe the father's reaction to the mother's misfortune.

The father, being a sceptic and rationalist, tried every possible curse and blessing, powder, mixture, herb, hybrid, and even poured paraffin on the bitten toe and set it on fire to cure his wife.

Q4. When did the mother find relief from the poison?

The mother found relief after twenty hours when the poison finally lost its sting.

Q5. What does the mother's final statement reveal about her character?

The mother's statement thanking God that the scorpion picked on her and spared her children reveals her immense bravery, endurance, and selfless, unconditional love for her family.

Q6. Explain why the poem is considered a narrative poem in free verse.

The poem tells a clear story about an event from the poet's childhood, making it a narrative poem. It does not have a regular rhyme scheme, metrical pattern, or stanza length, which makes it a classic example of free verse.

Q7. What kind of imagery is created by the description of the villagers searching with candles and lanterns?

It creates striking visual imagery of giant scorpion shadows moving across the mud-baked walls of the room.

Q8. Complete the statement with the correct alternative: The poem is titled 'Night of the Scorpion' because for the major part of the poem, the scorpion is the victor.

The correct alternative is that for the major part of the poem, the scorpion is the victor.

Exam tips

• Memorize key vocabulary words and their exact meanings for vocabulary-based questions.
• Practice identifying figures of speech like simile, metaphor, and onomatopoeia with direct lines from the poem.
• Understand the contrast between the superstitious peasants and the rationalist father, as questions frequently focus on this comparison.
• Pay attention to the mother's concluding words to answer questions on themes of maternal love and selflessness.

FAQs

What is the central theme of 'Night of the Scorpion'?

The central themes are the selfless and unconditional love of a mother and the conflict between superstition and rationalism.

Does the poem have a rhyme scheme?

No, the poem is written in free verse and does not have a rhyme scheme or regular metre.

Who wrote the poem 'Night of the Scorpion'?

The poem was written by Nissim Ezekiel, an eminent Indian Jewish poet.

These notes were prepared with AI help from the Balbharati English Kumarbharati textbook (2026-27) and fact-checked against it.