Reading The Patriot through I. A. Richards: Language, Meaning, and Society

Reading The Patriot through I. A. Richards: Language, Meaning, and Society

This blog is written as part of an academic assignment assigned by Dr. Dilip P. Barad. The objective of the task was to study poetry through the critical framework of I. A. Richards, with particular emphasis on the analysis of figurative language and its role in meaning-making. As part of this exercise, Dr. Barad shared a reference blog titled Just Poems, from which each student was required to select a poem according to their allotted roll number.

Here is the link to the professor's research article for background reading: Click here.

The present blog undertakes a critical analysis of the poem 'The Patriot' by Nissim Ezekiel, employing Richards’ method of close reading. The aim of this study is to explore how figurative language functions within the poem to generate multiple layers of meaning, while also cultivating analytical skills such as interpretation, sensitivity to language, and informed classroom discussion.

The Patriot - Nissim Ezekiel

I am standing for peace and non-violence.

Why world is fighting fighting

Why all people of world

Are not following Mahatma Gandhi,

I am simply not understanding.

Ancient Indian Wisdom is 100% correct,

I should say even 200% correct,

But modern generation is neglecting -

Too much going for fashion and foreign thing.

Other day I'm reading newspaper

(Every day I'm reading Times of India

To improve my English Language)

How one goonda fellow

Threw stone at Indirabehn.

Must be student unrest fellow, I am thinking.

Friends, Romans, Countrymen, I am saying (to myself)

Lend me the ears.

Everything is coming -

Regeneration, Remuneration, Contraception.

Be patiently, brothers and sisters.

You want one glass lassi?

Very good for digestion.

With little salt, lovely drink,

Better than wine;

Not that I am ever tasting the wine.

I'm the total teetotaller, completely total,

But I say

Wine is for the drunkards only.

What you think of prospects of world peace?

Pakistan behaving like this,

China behaving like that,

It is making me really sad, I am telling you.

Really, most harassing me.

All men are brothers, no?

In India also

Gujaratis, Maharashtrians, Hindiwallahs

All brothers -

Though some are having funny habits.

Still, you tolerate me,

I tolerate you,

One day Ram Rajya is surely coming.

You are going?

But you will visit again

Any time, any day,

I am not believing in ceremony

Always I am enjoying your company

My Doubts While Reading the Poem

While reading this poem, I face several difficulties because the meaning is not clear at once and depends on my response as a reader, which is what I. A. Richards emphasizes.

I find it hard to understand the tone. When I read lines like “I am standing for peace and non-violence”, I feel the speaker is serious. But when I come across “Why world is fighting fighting”, the repeated and broken language makes it sound humorous. Because of this, I am confused whether I should take the speaker seriously or see him as a comic figure.

 I struggle with the language. Lines such as “Be patiently, brothers and sisters” and the sudden list “Regeneration, Remuneration, Contraception” do not explain their meaning clearly. As a reader, I feel the words are loosely used, which makes it difficult for me to understand the exact message.

my emotional response becomes confused because serious ideas are mixed with casual talk. When the speaker talks about world politics in “Pakistan behaving like this, / China behaving like that”, I expect seriousness. But suddenly he says “You want one glass lassi? Very good for digestion.” This sudden shift makes it hard for me to stay emotionally connected to the poem.

 I am unsure whether to trust the speaker. He says “All men are brothers, no?”, which sounds noble, but then he talks about people having “funny habits.” This contradiction makes me question whether the speaker truly understands what he is saying.

I feel overloaded by references. The poem suddenly mentions Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Shakespeare’s “Friends, Romans, Countrymen”, and Ram Rajya. These references come without explanation, so I find it difficult to connect them and understand the poem as a unified whole.

Overall, as a reader, I struggle to fix a clear meaning because the tone, language, emotions, and ideas keep shifting, which makes reading the poem challenging.

While reading The Patriot by Nissim Ezekiel, I feel like I am listening to a simple and friendly person talking to me. The speaker’s language is not perfect, but it feels natural and honest. When he says “I am standing for peace and non-violence” and talks about Gandhi, I feel that he truly wants a peaceful world. Lines about reading the newspaper or offering “one glass lassi” make me smile, because they sound very ordinary and familiar. I enjoy the poem because it feels like a normal conversation, not a serious lecture.

As I continue reading, I feel calm and hopeful. The speaker believes that all people are brothers and that one day peace will come. Even when he talks about problems between countries, he does not sound angry; he sounds sad but hopeful. Overall, the poem shows simple goodness, kindness, and hope for a better world.

Sense, Feeling, and Tone: An I. A. Richards–Style Reading of Nissim Ezekiel’s The Patriot

The poem “The Patriot” by Nissim Ezekiel presents the voice of an ordinary Indian speaker reflecting on peace, politics, society, and everyday life. Though the language appears simple and conversational, the poem gains depth when read through I. A. Richards’ critical framework, which emphasises Sense, Tone, Feeling, and Intention as essential elements of poetic meaning.

Sense: What the Poem Says

The sense of the poem lies in the speaker’s strong belief in peace, non-violence, and universal brotherhood. He questions why the world continues to fight despite the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, and he expresses disappointment with modern society for ignoring ancient Indian wisdom.

Lines such as:

“I am standing for peace and non-violence.

Why world is fighting fighting”

clearly establish the speaker’s moral position, while the repetition of “fighting” reflects confusion and frustration.

The poem moves freely across topics newspapers, political incidents, food habits, regional identities, and international conflicts. This lack of linear structure mirrors the wandering thoughts of a common man, making the poem feel more like a spoken monologue than a carefully ordered argument.

Tone: How It Is Said

The tone of the poem is highly conversational and shifting. At different moments, it becomes serious, humorous, emotional, and moralistic.

For example, the tone turns light and comic when the speaker suddenly says:

“You want one glass lassi?

Very good for digestion.”

This abrupt movement from global peace to a casual offer of lassi creates gentle humour and irony. At other moments, the tone becomes preachy:

“Wine is for the drunkards only.”

Such tonal shifts suggest that the poet is not presenting a heroic moral voice, but rather a sincere yet naïve speaker, whose earnestness is undercut by everyday contradictions.

Feeling: Emotional Undercurrent

The dominant feeling of the poem is concern mixed with sadness about violence and political conflict, along with hope and warmth.

The speaker openly admits emotional disturbance:

“It is making me really sad, I am telling you.”

Yet this sadness is balanced by optimism and human warmth, as seen in lines promoting tolerance and unity:

“Still, you tolerate me, I tolerate you.”

The emotional movement of the poem is uneven but deeply human, reflecting anxiety, confusion, friendliness, and hope in equal measure.

Intention: Why the Poem Is Written

The poet’s intention is not merely to advocate peace, but to portray the psychology of a well-meaning middle-class Indian speaker in a post-colonial context. Through broken English, cultural mixing, and casual moral advice, the poem gently exposes the gap between idealism and lived reality.

The use of borrowed literary phrases

“Friends, Romans, Countrymen…”

alongside everyday expressions reveals a society shaped by both colonial education and indigenous values.

Rather than mocking the speaker harshly, the poet uses light satire to encourage reflection on nationalism, moral preaching, political anxiety, and human inconsistency.

Conclusion

Viewed through I. A. Richards’ four elements, the poem becomes a rich study of how meaning emerges from the interaction of what is said (sense), how it is said (tone), what is felt (feeling), and why it is said (intention). The poem’s apparent simplicity hides a complex portrayal of modern human consciousness idealistic, confused, hopeful, and deeply human.

References:

1. Barad, Dilip. “I.A. Richards: The Figurative Language | Practical Criticism.” ResearchGate, Jan. 2024, https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.23687.98724.

2. ---. “Just Poems.” Dilip Barad | Teacher Blog, 23 Sept. 2015, blog.dilipbarad.com/2015/09/just-poems.html. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.

3. Richards, Ivor Armstrong. Practical Criticism: A Study of Literary Judgment. Harper Perennial, 1956.

Thank you!