The poem The Professor by the Indian poet Nissim Ezekiel is essentially an Indian poem to display the typical Indian traits. But, the poem is also great at portraying how the aged people need only a receptive listener.

The poem is in the form of a dramatic monologue to help the poet achieve this. The professor starts the conversation, controls it and also finishes it the way he likes. As a professor, he has got the authority and license to do so. The supposed student doesn’t say anything directly as it is the norm for a monologue. But even the indirect reply was no more than twice, and that too a mere nod of acceptance or utterance of a single word like ‘three’. He doesn’t ask anything or opposes any point of the professor. So, we don’t get to know anything about his character. On the the hand, the professor speaks enough to reveal not only his own personality traits, but also the whole Indian nature.

So, it seems that the poet made it a point to depict how the aged people require a receptive listener in this brilliant piece of work.