ASHIQUE 9153233231 1

ENTERPRISE BY NISSIM EZEKIEL

It started as a pilgrimage
Exalting minds and making all
The burdens light, The second stage
Explored but did not test the call.
The sun beat down to match our rage. 5
We stood it very well, I thought ,
Observed and put down copious notes
On things the peasants sold and bought
The way of surpants and of goats.
Three cities where a sage had taught  10
But when the differences arose
On how to cross a desert patch,
We lost a friend whose stylish prose
Was quite the best of all our batch.
A shadow falls on us and grows . 15
Another phase was reached when we
Were twice attacked , and lost our way.
A section claimed its liberty
To leave the group. I tried to prey .
Our leader said he smelt  the sea 20
We noticed nothing as we went ,
A straggling crowd of little hope,
Ignoring what the thunder ment ,
Deprived of common needs like soap.
Some were broken , some merely bent. 25
When, finally , we reached the place ,
We hardly know why we were there.
The trip had darkened every face,
Our deeds were neither great nor rare.
Home is where we have to gather grace.

Annotation of Enterprise:

Pilgrimage (N): A journey to a sacred place or shrine

Exalting (V): Present participle form of the word “exalt”, that is, to raise to a higher rank or
position
Burdens (N): Plural form of the word “burden”, that is, a load, typically a heavy one
Explored (V): Past tense of the word “explore”, that is, to inquire into or discuss (a subject) in
detail
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Test (V): Reveal the strengths or capabilities of (someone or something) by putting them under
strain
Call (N): A powerful force of attraction
Match (V): Be equal to (something) in quality or strength
Rage (N): A vehement desire or passion
Stood (V): Past tense of the word “stand”, that is, to withstand (an experience or test) without
being damaged
Observed (V): Past tense of the word “observe”, that is, to notice or perceive (something) and
register it as being significant
Copious (Adj): Abundant in supply or quantity
Peasants (N): Plural form of the word “peasant”, that is a poor smallholder or agricultural laborer
of low social status (chiefly in historical use or with reference to subsistence farming in poorer
countries)
Serpents (N): Plural form of the word “serpent”, that is a large snake
Sage (N): (Especially in ancient history or legend) a profoundly wise man
Patch (N): A small area or amount of something
Prose (N): Written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure
Batch (N): A number of things or people regarded as a group or set
Liberty (N): The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by
authority on one’s behavior or political views
Straggling (Adj): Present participle form of the word “straggle”, that is, (of an irregular group of
people) to move along slowly so as to remain some distance behind the person or people in front
Deprived (V): Past participle form of the word “deprive”, that is, to prevent (a person or place)
from having or using something
Bent (Adj): Sharply curved or having an angle
Deeds (N): Plural form of the word “deed”, that is action or performance
Rare (Adj): (Of an event, situation, or condition) not occurring very often
Grace (N): A divinely given talent or blessing
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Poetic Devices in Enterprise:

Rhyme scheme:

This poem consists of a total of 30 lines, as we have previously said. Its rhyme scheme can
be easily detected if we divide the entire poem into 6 units of 5 lines each. If we do so, we
will find that each 5 line unit follows this rhyme scheme – ABABA.

Rhetorical devices:

Extended metaphor:

This rhetorical device is used when an author exploits a single metaphor or analogy at length

throughout a poem or story. In this poem, the poet uses the device of extended metaphor
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because the pilgrimage he describes is a symbol of both organized religion in particular and
of life in general.

Epigram:

This rhetorical device is used to make a brief, interesting, memorable, and sometimes
satirical statement. In this poem, the poet uses the device of epigram in the last line of this
poem, that is, in line 30. He teaches his readers that piety begins at home and we can
practice it by caring for our loved ones if our aim is to serve God.

Central Idea of Enterprise:

The poet describes a pilgrimage that he and some of his fellow men undertook. They were
very enthusiastic at the beginning of the journey and they had no doubt that they would
succeed in reaching their destination easily. However, they were soon confronted by many
difficulties such as the blazing sun, the arid desert, and attacks from different quarters. Their
own unity was also lost. When they finally reached the place of pilgrimage, they were in
despair and confused as to why they had come. They realized that they should have stayed
at home and practiced their faith and piety there itself.

The Themes of Enterprise:

Satire on organized religion:

The pilgrimage that Ezekiel describes is actually a parody of organized religion. He says that
organized religion is a sham. It tells the man that pilgrimages and donations are the only way
to serve God. It tells the man to follow priests blindly and to ignore their own inner voice.
Organized religion causes differences among men and is easily doubted. However, if man’s
faith comes from within himself, then it can never lead him to the wrong track. It will teach
him that to serve God, one must serve his loved ones. It will teach him that piety starts at
home. Hence, we should shun organized religion and worship God in our own way.

The futility of life:

One interpretation of the poem says that the pilgrimage described by Ezekiel is actually a
metaphor for life. In life, we face many difficulties, we become skeptical, and we often
quarrel over trivial issues. However, when we are close to death, we realize that all this is
futile. The journey of life itself serves no purpose. One man’s life is but an instant in
comparison to the life of the universe. We are simply misguided in our search for meaning in
life. Instead, we should focus simply on looking after our loved ones and making the most of
our short time on earth.
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The Tone of Enterprise:

The tone of this poem varies frequently from one line to the next. At the beginning, the poet
is brimming with enthusiasm. Then when he is beset with difficulties, he starts to lose hope.
In the end, he reaches the shrine but he feels that the journey has been wasted. He is filled
with regret when he realizes that home would have been a better place to find one’s faith.

Conclusion:
This poem is an allegory, but its purpose is satirical. The poet starts on the pilgrimage hoping
to lessen his burdens, but the pilgrimage itself becomes a burden for him. The pilgrimage is
undertaken precisely to show how futile pilgrimages are. The message the poet gives us is an
important one. It can be summarized in a quote from George A. Moore – “A man travels the
world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it”. Ezekiel’s point is that
man searches for faith through pilgrimages and comes to find that it was available at his
home all along.

Summary And Analysis Of The Enterprise By Nissim Ezekiel

Nissim Ezekiel is one of the prolific Indian writers in English of the 20th century. He was
playwright, editor, critic and poet. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for his Poetry
collection, ‘Latter-Day Psalms. He was also awarded the Padma Shree by the Government of
India in 1988. He is often called the “Father of Modern Indian English Poetry.” Ezekiel’s poetry
has different themes and styles. His poems are a depiction of his craftsmanship, restraint and
intellectual approach to everyday life.

Stanza 1:
The poem, Enterprise, begins with a group of people which includes the poet himself (as it is
clear from the use of ‘we’ in the sixth line) journeys to a holy place. At that time, their minds
were full of ideas to reach their destination. Therefore, they started their journey with a lot of
vigour and excitement, sure enough, that they can easily overcome all the difficulties that they
face. Inconveniences seemed insignificant to them. However, our real strength emerges when we
face a crisis, isn’t it? Similarly, the travellers were full of enthusiasm and reached the second
stage of their journey. During this second stage, they confronted the adverse natural difficulties,
symbolizing the blazing Sun. But nothing could detain them from reaching their destination or
take away their enthusiasm. Their passion to reach their destination was as hot as the blazing Sun
above their heads. The heat of the sun is symbolic of Mother Nature being hostile towards
human ambitions. The more the human beings aspire, the more the nature tries to put up a
hindrance to beat them down.

Stanza 2:

The group of the travelers continues their journey, experiencing the difficulties put in their way.
Carried away by the unrestrained excitement, the pilgrims kept a record of the events that they
witnessed- goods being bought and sold by the peasants and the ways of serpents and goats. The
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travelers passed through three cities where a sage has taught. But they were unconcerned about
what e taught or what his message was.

Stanza 3:

The third stanza talks about the differences that cropped up among the members which made a
hole in their unity as they continued their journey. As they reached a desert, differences arose
among on the question of how to cross the challenging landscape. One of the members, an
excellent prose writer, left the enterprise. He was considered the most intelligent among the lot.
Therefore, a shadow of discord fell onto their enterprise and continued to grow as one of the
members parted from the group.

Stanza 4:

The poet describes the hindrances that follow the enterprise. In the next stage of their journey,
the travelers are attacked twice and while saving themselves they lose their ways and forget the
noble ambitions which had motivated them to come so far. The enterprise slowly breaks into
two. Some of the members, claiming their freedom, quit the journey and went their own ways.
The poet feels helpless and upset at the breaking of the enterprise, looking at the disorganized lot
of pilgrims, the only thing he could do was to pray. And why do you think we pray? The answer
is that the act of praying implies seeking the help of a divine personality when human efforts go
in vain.

Stanza 5:

There is still an assurance from the leader of the group. He assures them that the sea or the
destination was at hand. It seems that they members have lost their enthusiasm and hope as they
see nothing noticeable as they move forward. The pilgrims have now turned into a crowd of
aimless wanderers instead of being bounded by a well-focused goal like before. They were not
bothered about the roar of the thunder; some of them were too exhausted to stand erect.

Stanza 6:

The final stanza of Enterprise is a relief to the readers, as the poet tells us that they did reach
their destination in total disorder- exhausted and frustrated- and without any sense of satisfaction.
Instead of bringing a sense of fulfillment and achievement, the journey had only brought them
frustration. They now started to doubt the importance of their journey; they began to find it futile
and meaningless. They found nothing heroic in their achievements. They had a belief that their
journey would be unparalleled and that its success would give them a place in history. So was it
disillusionment? They later realized that such a journey was already undertaken by others before
them and would be repeated in the near futile. This gave them a sense of disillusionment and
they felt the journey was futile. In the end, they feel that staying back home would have been
better than venturing out on such a dangerous journey with disastrous consequences.

Use of Verbal Antithesis: The poem has used verbal antithesis to achieve a balance. Antithesis
is a contrast or opposition in the meanings of contiguous phrases, lines or stanzas. In this poem,
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verbal antithesis is not only found in the entire poem but in the same stanza and in the same
lines. Some of the examples are listed below:

*The initial activities of the pilgrims are juxtaposed with those in the final stage as the pilgrims
turn into ‘a straggling crowd of little hope.’

*The ‘exalted minds’ of the pilgrims are turned into ‘darkened faces.’

*in the beginning the pilgrims found themselves as the ‘burdens light’ but at the end of the poem
they are broken in spirit and bent down physically.

Symbolism: ‘Enterprise’ is a symbolic poem. Symbolism refers to the use of symbols to

represent ideas or facts. The various symbols used in Enterprise are listed below:

*Pilgrimage in the poem symbolizes life.

*The ‘crowd of pilgrims’ symbolizes a group of men, who undertake to achieve common goal
which begins with excitement and hope but ends with disillusionment and frustration.

*The ‘Sun’ is the symbol of hostility of nature towards human aspirations and ambitions.

*A ‘desert patch’ is symbolic of the challenges and hardships which the group faces or the
differences that rise among them.

* ‘A shadow falls on us and grows’ is symbolic of the differences in opinion that leads to a
discord in the enterprise and consequently, a member leaves the group and the disharmony
grows.

* ‘A straggling crowd of little hope’ symbolizes a group of people who had a well focused goal
and during the course of their journey loses their zeal and becomes a crowd of aimless and
frustrated wanderers.

* ‘Thunder’ is symbolic of man’s inner voice.

* ‘Home’ symbolizes remaining rooted to the soil or remaining true to oneself.

Allegory:

Allegory can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning. The poem ‘Enterprise’ is allegorical in
nature. The group of men all set for the journey, enthusiastic and full of vigour set out for the
spiritual quest. They face hardships, difficulties yet they do not lose their aspirations. But during
the second stage of their journey, disharmony and differences in opinions among the members
arises and soon a conflict breaks out which results in disunity. The final stanza raises a question,
‘Was the journey worth all the struggles?’ The journey here is a metaphor of life. The poem is a
stark depiction of the condition of men on this earth who are subjected to such failures, hardships
and disillusionment during their course of journey of life.
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Epigrammatic:

An epigram is a brief, sharp, witty and polished saying giving expression to a striking thought. It
is used to convey the poet’s message in the poem.

‘Home is where we have to gather grace’ is epigrammatic. Here, the poet wants to convey the
message that in the journey of life, home is symbolic of one’s inner self which must be accepted
and faced and not shirked away. This is the only sane and balanced way of life that man should
accept.

What enterprise is referred in Ezekiel’s Enterprise?

A group of pilgrims started a journey to a holy place. The pilgrims began their journey with joy.
On their way they were threatened by the nature and had been attacked twice and lost their way.

What do the pilgrims face at the hand of the nature?

On their way to the pilgrimage nature threatens the travelers and the intolerable heat of the sun
makes them tired.

What would be the end of all enterprise that we make?

The pilgrims reached their destination but they didn’t understand their goal of their journey.
When they caught in the desert, there comes a different opinion on crossing the dessert. A
quarrel occurs among pilgrims.

What did the pilgrims observed during their pilgrimage?

During their journey they observed everything around them and take notes. They saw the
peasants selling goods and the behavior of goats and serpents. In three cities they watched a sage
has been preaching.

Examine the metaphor of the pilgrimage employed in Ezekiel’s poem.

“Enterprise” is a metaphorical poem. It is an allegory of human conditions. The poem describes a
journey by a group of pilgrims to a holy place. The pilgrims began their journey with joy. Their
excitement in journey made them to forget all their burdens in life. They wish to understand the
ultimate aim of the human life. Their hearts are full of noble thoughts. They are ready to face any
dangers or difficulties. During their journey, the pilgrims observed everything around them and
take notes. Though they reached their destination, they did not understand the goal of their
journey. The poet said that the home is the best place to enjoy forever.

What is the misunderstanding among the pilgrims during their journey?

On their journey the pilgrims has been attacked twice and lost their way. So the pilgrims are fed
up and loss their hope. The unity of group was broken and there prevailed bitterness. The
narrator prayed God to give them peace of mind. The leader of the group said they were nearing
the sea. The disturbance fails them to hear the thunder. There around a misunderstanding even
for common needs such as soap. Though the pilgrims reached their destination they did not
understood their goal of their journey.

Write about the poet Nissim Ezekiel.

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Nissim Ezekiel is an Indian English poet. He was born on 16th December 1924 in Mumbai. His
masterpiece is “Latter-day Psalms”. The major themes of his poems are love, loneliness, lust and
creativity. Ezekiel wants simplicity of thought and language in modern poetry. He has opened a
new era and trend in Indian English poetry. He was the pioneer and father of modernity in Indian
English poetry. He is well-versed both in English and Indian languages. He breaks the romantic
tradition of poems. He is universally recognized and appreciated as being one of the most notable
and accomplished Indian English language poets of the twentieth century, applauded for his
subtle, restrained and well crafted diction, dealing with common and mundane themes in a
manner that manifests both cognitive profundity, as well as an unsentimental, realistic
sensibility, that has been influential on the course of succeeding Indian English poetry.
Did the pilgrimage in the poem culminate in a positive note?
Nissim Ezekiel is the pioneer and father of modernity in Indian English poetry. Enterprise is a
metaphorical poem. It is an allegorical of human condition. The poem describes a journey by a
group of pilgrims to a holy place. The pilgrims begins their journey with full of joy. Their
excitement in journey made them to forget all their burdens in life. They wish to understand the
ultimate aim of the human life. Their hearts are full of noble thoughts. They are ready to face any
dangers or difficulties.
“It started as a pilgrimage
exalting minds”

Problem by the nature to the pilgrims:

On their way to the pilgrimage nature threatens the travelers and the intolerable heat of the sun
makes them tired. However, the travelers are able to resist the heat and continue their journey
with hope. Later they caught in a desert. There comes difference of opinion crossing the desert.
A quarrel occurs among the pilgrims. One of the pilgrims, a prose writer gets angry and left the
group. The whole group feels s sense of sadness.
“On how to cross a desert patch,
We lost a friend whose stylish prose”

Pilgrims observation:
During their journey, the pilgrims observed everything around them and take notes. They saw the
peasants selling goods and the behavior of the goats and the serpents. In three cities they watched
a sage has been preaching.
“The way of serpents and goats,
Three cities where a sage had Laught”

Misunderstanding among pilgrims:

On their journey the pilgrims has been attacked twice and lost their way. So the pilgrims are fed
up and loss their hope. The unity of the group was broken and there prevailed bitterness. The
narration prayed God to give them peace of mind. The leader of the group said they were nearing
the sea. The disturbance fails them to hear the thunder. There around a misunderstanding even
for common needs such as soap.
“A straggling crowd of little hope”

Though the pilgrims reached their destination they did not understand the goal of their journey.
Finally, the poet said, the home is best place to enjoy forever.
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“Home is where we have to gather grall”.

ENTERPRISE AS AN ALLEGORICAL POEM

‘Enterprise’ is an allegory of human condition on earth and of the frequent efforts, failure and
frustrations which man is subject to by the very nature of his earthly life. The poet describes a
pilgrimage where each pilgrim faces difficulties and disillusionment along the way and realizes
that one’s own insufficiency is the root cause of all unaccomplished goals.

A group of men undertakes a journey moved by noble aspirations, but it all ends in failures and
frustrations as is usually the case with human attempts for some noble achievement. The
pilgrimage becomes a weary trek by the time the goal is reached. The goal is alluring but the
process of reaching it empties its glamour and glory.

A number of people, including the narrator, decide to go on a pilgrimage. They are city dwellers
and the journey they undertake is to some romantic, primitive hinterland. They start with hope,
courage and determination, with their minds full of noble ideas and ideals. They are out to make
some heroic effort, which will lead to some noble achievements. Their minds are exalted and
they are not afraid of any dangers and difficulties. Their confidence is too high to be dampened
by the fear of failure. This stage of the journey symbolizes the stage of innocence that man
enjoys in his boyhood and early youth, when he is entirely unconscious of the frustrations and
failures which life brings at every stage.

But this innocence is lost and in the next stage of the journey the pilgrims face dangers and
difficulties. They continue their journey of exploration. The objects and forces of nature are out
to frustrate human endeavour like the oppressive heat of the sun. The group of travelers is able to
put up very well with the dangers and difficulties for sometime and continue to journey in hope.
They note down the goods being bought and sold by the peasants and observe the ways of
serpents and goats which stands for evil and good men respectively. They pass through three
cities where a sage had taught, but do not care to find out what he had taught. These are the
material and earthly distractions which dissipate their channelized energy. The difficulties and
dangers posed by man’s physical environment are not as damaging as those that result from his
own insufficiency.

Soon there are differences of opinion among the travelers and they begin to quarrel over petty
matters. They had to cross a piece of wasteland a ‘desert patch’, and they could not agree as to
the best way of doing so. One of their friends -- rather proud of his stylish prose -- was so angry
that he left their company. The shadow of discord fell on their enterprise, and it continued to
grow. Bickering over petty matters, needless quarrels over trifles, hatred of and hostility to those
who hold different opinions is ingrained in human nature, and thus man carries the seeds of his
failure and frustration within his own self. So do these pilgrims who, despite their quarrel,
continue their journey further.
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But none the less, they are divided into groups, each group attacking the other. Engrossed in their
quarrel, they lose their ways and forget noble aspirations which had motivated their enterprise.
Their goal and their purpose were forgotten and their idealism is all gone. Some of them decide
to leave the group. Frustration and difficulties overwhelm the human spirit and many do not have
the courage to face the realities of life. They seek relief in escape and withdrawal. Many of us are
such introverts. Some try to pray and seek Divine assistance and blessings, forgetting that God
help those who help themselves. Their leader feels that he smelt the sea and he feels that their
goal is near (a reference to Moses who led Israelites back to their country and when he reached
the Red Sea, he parted it with his staff and made way for everyone to pass by God’s
intervention). He shares this realization with other pilgrims in a last attempt to inject hope into
the group that has lost all its cohesion and is on the verge of becoming a ‘straggling crowd of
little hope’.

Still they persist, though their journey has lost all its significance. They are dirty and shabby for
they have been deprived of such common needs as soap, are broken in spirit and bent down
physically. Such is the ultimate end of all human enterprise; this is the essential truth of human
life. Absorbed in their pretty quarrels and tried and exhausted, frustrated and at bay, the travelers
do not even hear the thunder and even if they do so, they ignore their significance. The thunder is
symbolic of spiritual regeneration and fertility but they do not care for it. The extreme
hopelessness of man at the end of life’s journey is thus stressed.

The pilgrims even come to doubt the very worth and significance of the journey when despite all
odds they reach their destination. It seems to them to have been meaningless and futile. All their
noble aspirations are forgotten, there is sorrow and suffering on every face, and they are
conscious of the fact that their actions have neither been great nor even. Efforts to escape from
the realities of human existence and achieve glory by doing rare acts are futile. We must accept
the limitations of our lot and do our best within those limitations. Heroism means the acceptance
of our lot in life and the doing of our best in the service of God and humanity. Therefore the
poem concludes on a note of exultation and optimism when the pilgrims realize that it is not by
undertaking long hazardous journeys but by doing the right deeds that everyone can receive
God’s grace.

The journey to the pilgrimage in Nissim Ezekiel’s poem ‘Enterprise’ is a

metaphorical one. Elucidate.

The pilgrimage in the poem ‘Enterprise’ is a metaphor for the journey of life. The pilgrimage
started with high flying ideals but faced a lot of challenges in the middle and ended up in
frustration. Similarly, our life generally begins with high hopes and dreams, but we face hurdles
throughout the life’s venture. And at the end of the troublesome journey, we often are dejected
by what we actually achieve.

At the beginning of the pilgrimage, people were highly enthusiastic. All burdens seemed to be
lighter. But the situation changed gradually. The scorching sun tried to match their rage, though
it failed to test them well. They were seen to be observing and taking notes on everything they
came across, wasting their time and energy. They visited three cities where a sage had taught
without concerning themselves with what his message was.
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Then arose the differences among themselves on petty matters like how to cross a desert. The
finest prose writer among them, seemingly the most intellectual one, left the group due to his
different opinions. While he was supposed to be holding others together in the time of need, he
chose the other way around.

More hurdles came when the group was attacked twice and a section claimed their liberty from
the group. The leader tried to soothe people when they were getting dejected deprived of basic
amenities like soap. They were exhausted due to the long journey full of hardships. But finally
they reached their destination. Some were broken and some merely bent by then.

At the end of this journey, they hardly knew why they were there. They didn’t find the tiring
journey to be worthy at all. It was neither great nor rare. Many people had already reached there.
So they concluded “Home is where we have to gather grace.“

Now, critics are divided in their interpretation of this poem and the metaphor in it. But most of
them agree that this poem is an allegory for the journey of life. One explanation says, we don’t
need to go to a pilgrimage for the spiritual needs; The God is inside us, so we need to listen to
our inner self. Another interpretation suggests that we should take care of the men around us and
earn their love and respect in order to lead a happy and meaningful life. Some critics also suggest
that the word ‘home’ indicates the poet’s commitment towards his home in Mumbai.

Describe the challenges faced by the pilgrims at every stage in Enterprise.

Or
Give an account of the hardships and conflicts that the pilgrims had to face in various
stages of their journey in Nissim Ezekiel’s poem ‘Enterprise’

The pilgrims in Ezekiel’s poem ‘Enterprise’ faced a lot of obstacles throughout the entire
journey. Though they started in high spirits, the second stage brought the challenges of nature.
The sun beat down to match their rage. However, it could not pose a real threat to them.

The setback occurred when differences in opinion arose on petty issues like ‘how to cross a
desert patch’. The group lost a friend who was a good prose writer. When the intellectual man
needed to hold the group together, he himself chose the other way round. As he left the team, a
shadow fell on them. They did not recover from it till the end.

In the next phase, they were attacked twice by external forces and lost their way. The group was
struggling to hold everyone together once again. A section of them claimed its liberty to leave
the group. Probably they were unhappy with the leadership. So, the disagreement continues.

Then comes the stage of fatigue, deprivation and reluctance to move forward. Some broke down
on the way and others merely bent. This is how the pilgrims finally reached the place to end a
troublesome journey.
Reproduce briefly how the enthusiastic enterprise grew disorganised and full of dismay.
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Nissim Ezekiel, in his poem Enterprise, deals with different stages in the course of an enterprise,
and different reactions of the persons undertaking this. After describing how disruptions, dismay
and this consolation gradually overcame them, he points out their dire, gloomy state.  That very
state is presented piercingly by the poet.
Though the poet and his mates continued their enterprise they had no more their energy,
enthusiasm or interest of the beginning. In fact, they were rather callous and heedless to what
they were intending or desiring.  They looked like a band of disorderly, disorganised people, who
had almost lost their hope. They even appear to have lost their interest in what might happen to
them and slighted the danger that might be impending on them. They were in a totally wretched
state, without the provision for the very common needs of life, like soaps. They appeared totally
lost to other hopelessness and the ennui of life. They, in fact, seemed to have mostly collapsed
and a good many of them were on the verge of such a collapse.
The poet's presentation of the wretched, scattered and disorganised condition of the undertaker's
of the enterprise, in course of their venture, is Graphic and meaningful. He will bring out how
human zeal and interest are lost under the pressure of exertion and frustration.
How did The enterprise finally conclude and with what realisation of the participants?
Despite the enthusiastic and energetic initiation, like a sort of pilgrimage, the enterprise
ultimately proved hopeless and useless. The poet and his companions, after their varied
experiences of hardship, disunity and confrontations, ultimately reached the destination. But they
could not find their endeavour worth undertaking. They reached their place but wondered to
ascertain why they had, at all, come there. Their enterprise affected them much mentally and
physically. Everyone of them looked pale and gloomy. What was more, to their utter shock and
surprise, they came to realise that they had done nothing commendable or wonderful. Their strain
and pain did not bring them to any gain, either material or spiritual. They felt foiled in their
endeavour about which they had hoped so much. What they came to realise, after their bitter
experience of the enterprise, was the value of their home to them. That was the place where to
they must turn - to have their peace of mind and the repose of their body.
The poem is quite meaningful in a two-fold way.  In the first place, it exposes the ultimate
failure of an enterprise that seems to offer so many promises and to enthuse so many hopes. In
the second place, it strikes the importance of home as the centre of the peace and grace of life.
The last line of the poem has a sharply didactic note in this respect.

How did differences arise and grow after the enthusiastic beginning of the Enterprise?
Nissim Ezekiel’s Enterprise is a poem that relates the tale of an enterprise. The poem presents
different stages in the process of such an enterprise. Here he refers to one particular stage as the
persons, undertaking the enterprise, were confronted with the growing troubles and problems.
Initially the poet and his friend carried on their enterprise quite solidly and enthusiastically, but
soon, differences came. There were different views regarding a particular matter as to how a
desert area was to be crossed. The matter was not very serious, but the dispute over it was
intense. The effect was unfortunate. One of the fellow mates left them. He was, no doubt, quite
impressive with his sophisticated style of speaking prose, and had proved himself superior to all
others in the matter. Yet, he did not remain loyal to the cause and deserted. That was the
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beginning of the shadow over the sunshine of the enterprise. In fact, disunity among the
Enterprises became patent. Darkness thickened.

Briefly state the beginning of the Enterprise.

Nissim Ezekiel's poem Enterprise presents the tale of an enterprise that ultimately in
infrastructure and ruination. In the opening stanza the two stages of the enterprise are stated.
The enterprise started in a high pitch. The participants took that up with holy zeal and a spirited
resolve. They were full of enthusiasm and energy, inspiration and exaltation. They did not bother
about whatever might be there to hinder or harass their course. That was how prosperously their
enterprise began. Their second stage was not as exalting as the first one. They, no doubt,
advanced, scrutinized, but did not  reap any fruit of their effort. They continued their effort
zealously, although the sun struck hard on them with its scorching rays. It exerted some pressure
on them, almost akin to their inspiring initiative to launch the enterprise.