LikhoPadho

Nissim Ezekiel, one of the famous Indian English writers in the twentieth century was born in Bombay.  He was educated at Antonio D’souza High School and Wilson College, Mumbai and Birbeck College, London. He worked as a Reader in the Department of American Literature at the Bombay University. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1982 and the Padma Shree in 1988. He passed away on January 9, 2004 at the age of seventy-nine.

The Poem 'The Professor' is a satirical poem written in the form of a conversation between a retired Geography Professor and his former student whom he meets after along time. The Professor describes his current position, his family and his health. He talks about the changing times and the need to change with the times. He says that old values are being replaced by the new ones and everything around is changing fast. The Professor describes his own health. He says that he goes out rarely due to his old age. He says that besides usual aches and pains, he is in good health. He says that he is sixty - nine years old and wishes to live for a hundred years. He further asks his student about his health. He then remembers how thin as a stick his listener was when he was a student and now he looks like a 'man of weight and consequence.' In the last two lines, the Professor asks him to visit his house next time if he comes near his dwelling place.