By the mid-twentieth century, India had gained more than just its independence—the flames of revolution forged a new literary genre known as Indo-Anglian literature. Empowered by their newfound freedom, Indian poets wrote in English to open “up the possibilities of a new language and a new way of looking towards the world” (Balikai), fusing academic vocabulary and formal grammar with British philosophies to explore postcolonial themes and issues. A modern Indian identity had emerged, but the words in which it was expressed remained inherently British. Nissim Ezekiel soon burst onto the scene as a revolutionary voice among his contemporaries, introducing a style that reflected Indian values rather than overlooked them. His innovation is encapsulated in “The Patriot,” in which the poet employs “Hinglish” (a hybrid of Hindi and English) to convey a positive message about peace, tolerance, and nationalist pride. By deviating from the conventions of postcolonial Indian poetry, Ezekiel approaches the genre with a uniquely Indian worldview that captures the characteristic features of his country’s attitude expressed through the Indian dialect of English. While post-independence Indian writers adhered to the strict rules, grammar, and vernacular found in the Anglo-Saxon standard of English, Ezekiel embraces the syntactic quirks of English used by Indian speakers to articulate a distinctly Indian voice. From the first few lines, he wastes no time immersing the reader in this rather
