Nissim Ezekiel's poem "Soap" takes place in an ambiguous location in India. This short work transforms the seemingly mundane act of shopping for a bar of soap into a somewhat comedic exploration of societal conformity, manners, and nuances of communication. With humor as his guide, Ezekiel uses this poem to offer a satirical commentary on the pressures of adhering to accepted behavior and the inherent absurdity in many human interactions.

The poem begins with the speaker's astute observation of societal manners, highlighting the poet's keen eye for the quirks of human behavior. Using a dialect of English common in India, he states, "Some people are not having manners." In a rather conversational tone, he launches into an anecdote where he sets out to purchase a "well-known brand soap" from a local shop.

As the poem continues, the speaker explains how the shopkeeper tries to sell him a defective bar of soap. What exactly is wrong with the soap is unclear to the reader. It may be a knock-off brand, or the bar of soap is broken inside the packaging. The speaker wants to object but also remain respectful to avoid a conflict. This is difficult because he has to address the shopkeeper in Hindi, even though the speaker is more comfortable and proficient in English.

The speaker's basic attempts to keep the situation polite and civil fail as the shopkeeper responds very rudely to the insinuation that he is trying to sell an inferior product. The speaker tries to de-escalate the confrontation by remaining calm and polite. He wants to allow the shopkeeper to admit that this is not quality soap, and he keeps a smile on his face. The speaker appears to be having an internal conflict where he wants to maintain the civil high ground but also get the shopkeeper to admit that he is in the wrong. To his frustration, the speaker's initial attempts at politeness are met with further rudeness and aggression.

When the shopkeeper refuses to give up any ground, the speaker also loses his temper and raises his voice to match the shopkeeper's. The two begin shouting insults at each other. The speaker admits that his words are a "vulgar thing to say," but he makes no apology for them.

They take their argument outside to the street, seemingly ready to fight. The absurdity of the situation is not lost on the speaker, but it has gone on too long not to accept the shopkeeper's challenge. A crowd of curious onlookers has gathered by this point, and the speaker now notices that the shopkeeper is much larger than he is. 

With the threat of public scrutiny and potential physical harm, he decides to swallow his pride and accept the soap. However, he maintains that he is right in this situation and defiantly promises, perhaps to the crowd, the shopkeeper, or both, that "next time" he won't be taken advantage of like this again.