Soap

Nissim Ezekiel

Some people are not having manners,

this I am always observing,
For example other day I find
I am needing soap
For ordinary washing myself purposes.
So I'm going to one small shop
nearby in my lane and I'm asking
for well-known brand soap.

That shopman he's giving me soap

but I'm finding it defective version.
So I'm saying very politely — -
though in Hindi I'm saying it,
and my Hindi is not so good as my English,
Please to excuse me
but this is defective version of well-known brand soap.

That shopman is saying

and very rudely he is saying it,
What is wrong with soap?
Still I am keeping my temper
and repeating very smilingly
Please to note this defect in soap,
and still he is denying the truth.

So I'm getting very angry that time

and with loud voice I am saying
YOU ARE BLIND OR WHAT?
Now he is shouting
YOU ARE CALLING ME BLIND OR WHAT?
Come outside and I will show you
Then I am shouting
What you will show me
Which I haven't got already?
It is vulgar thing to say
but I am saying it.

Now small crowd is collecting

and shopman is much bigger than me,
and I am not caring so much
for small defect in well-known brand soap.
So I'm saying
Alright OK Alright OK
this time I will take
but not next time.

‘Soap’ is the important poem of Nissim Ezekiel. Nissim Ezeliel is important figure of Indian
literature in English. He has formulated basic principles of life through this poem. Marriage,
love, breakup, sex, etc are the themes of his poems.

‘Soap’, is a simple poem to understand. It’s external meaning of poem, but when we go
through details of it, then we identify it is not a poem which has written on trivial or ordinary
topic. It formulates principles of life. Adaptability with the time and adjustment with the
situation is the central theme of the poem. Survival of the fittest is the basic feature for animated
things. ‘Soap’, is closely explains all these principles clearly. The poem opens with ordinary
conversation between shopkeeper and poet. Poet wants to purchase of Branded soap,
Shopkeeper gives ordinary soap saying it is branded one. When poet asks about, differences
between ordinary soap and branded soap. Shopkeeper started to argue with poet by saying that
you must purchase whatever I have given. Poet is intellectual figure tries to plead argument
intelligently but in vain, shopkeeper is not ready to accept poet’s argument. Meantime
shopkeeper uses slang, language, which is many aesthetic part of poem. Poe was intended to
reply shopkeeper in tit for tat form but shopkeeper is very rude in his behavior. During the
argument public gathered over and started to take enjoy over the controversy. The personality
of shopkeeper was very strong contrary poet’s personality was thin. It was contrast couple in
reference to power. By taking this principle, shopkeeper starts to impose the decision on
poet and forcefully compelled to persuade to take ordinary type of soap. In the eventually poet
accepts the decision unwillingly. Might is right applies here poet withdraws has plead very
consciously and agrees to accept that soap.

Man differs from other animals because; he could easily adapt the situation. In real life person
should adapt the situation. In real life person should adopt things as per demand of time then
human being could survive. Shopkeeper was powerful personality and poet was trivial
personality. Poet unable to stand before the shopkeeper, this thing he understood cleverly and
withdrawal his plead against shopkeeper.