IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP
Latiff Othman

At dawn they returned home
their soaky clothes torn
and approached the stove
their limbs marked by scratches
their legs full of wounds
but on their brows
there was not a sign of despair
The whole day and night just passed
they had to brave the horrendous flood
in the water all the time
between bloated carcasses
and tiny chips of tree barks
desperately looking for their son’s
albino buffalo that was never found

They were born amidst hardship
and grew up without a sigh or a complaint
now they are in the kitchen, making
jokes while rolling their ciggarete leaves

SYNOPSIS (OVERALL)

In this poem, the poet tells of the situation of a farmer and his family. They come back at dawn after being out in the floodwater for a day and night. They are looking for their albino buffalo. They come back wet and hurt but they do not show any despair. They have been born into a life of hardship and have never complained. Now, they are in the kitchen and they joke and talk while preparing to relax with a smoke.

SYNOPSIS (ACCORDING TO STANZA)

STANZA 1

They returned home at dawn and headed for the stove. Their clothes were soaking wet and tattered. Their bodies were covered with scratches and wounds. Yet, they did not display any signs of being worried.

STANZA 2

They were out in the flood the whole day and night. They were surrounded by dead animals and parts of trees that had been destroyed by the flood. They searched desperately for their son’s albino buffalo but were unable to find it.

STANZA 3

They were born into poverty and difficulty, but they do not complain about their suffer. Instead, they sit in the kitchen, cracking jokes while smoking cigarettes.

SETTING

The setting of the poem is in the house.

THEMES

Stoicism in life

Family love

Acceptance of way of life

MORAL VALUES

We should learn to accept problems in life with a positive outlook.

We must attempt to face and solve problems.

Failure is part of growing up.

Do not despair in the face of failure.

TONE, MOOD, ATMOSPHERE

Understanding and sympathetic

Dismal

Acceptance of situation

POINT OF VIEW

Third person pint of view.

LANGUAGE & STYLE

Language is simple and easy to understand.

The style is simple with no rhyming scheme.

POETIC DEVICES

Imagery – Gives picture of poet’s thoughts e.g ‘soaky clothes torn’ and ‘legs full of wounds’

Alliteration – e.g. ‘but on their brows’

Symbols – e.g. ‘horrendous flood’ and ‘bloating carcasses’

Diction – e.g. ‘stove’ and ‘brows‘

Source: http://form4englishliterature.wordpress.com/2011/04/12/in-the-midst-of-hardship/

TASK: Try these questions!


1. Which part of the day is dawn?
2. When did the family go back home?
3. Why were their clothes soaky?
4. What were found on their limbs and legs?
5. What did the phrase 'bloated carcasses' refers to?
6. What was happening to the dead bodies?
7. What were the family members desperately looking for?
8. What type of life is a life of hardship?
9. How did they view their hardship?
10. What hardship did the family just experience?
11. What shows that they are unaffected by their recent experience?
12. In what manner are they talking in the kitchen?
13. What lesson can readers learn from the poem?
14. What are the activities mentioned in the last stanza?


Source: PIB

NATURE

By H.D. Carbery

We have neither Summer nor Winter

Neither Autumn nor Spring

We have instead the days

When the gold sun shines on the lush green canefields -

Magnificiently.

The days when the rain beats like bullets on the roofs

And there is no sound but the swish of water in the 

gullies

And trees struggling in the high Jamaica winds.

Also there are the days when leaves fade from off

guango trees

and the reaped canefields lie bare and follow to the sun.

But best of all there are the days when the mango and 

the logwood blossom

When the bushes are full of the sound of bees and the 

scent of honey,

When the tall grass sways and shivers to the slightest

breath of air,

When the buttercups have paved the earth with yellow

star

And beauty comes suddenly and the rains have gone.

SYNOPSIS

The poem tells of the weather conditions in Jamaica although it does not have the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter. The weather conditions of golden sunny days and wet rainy days are just as good and are almost equivalent to the four seasons.

MEANING

Lush - Healthy growth

Magnificently - Wonderfully, grandly, beautifully

Swish- The sound made by moving water

Gullies - Channels cut out in the earth by persistent rainfall

Struggling - Fighting to survive; moving with great physical effort

Fade - Lose their colour

Fallow - Left bare (in order to recover natural fertility)

paved - Covered

UNDERSTANDING THE POEM

Lines 1 to 10

The poet tells about his homeland , Jamaica and rejoices the beauty of this island. Jamaica has no seasonal changes. It has a tropical climate which is hot and wet throughout the year. The days of golden sunshine are glorious and magnificent. The are many canefields in Jamaica as sugar is one of the main exports in this country.

Lines 11 to 15

In the ending of the poem, the poet tells us his favourite time – days when the flowers of mango trees and logwood blossom. He uses imagery of sound and smell to illustrate abundant life and activity in the bushes when the ‘sound of bees and the scent of honey’ add to the charm and beauty if Jamaica. He describes the fields filled with lovely yellow buttercups. All this happens when the rains have stopped and the beauty if nature emerges once again.

THEMES

Beauty of nature

Appreciation of one own country

Appreciate nature

MORAL VALUES

We should appreciate what we have in our own country

We should not long for what we do not have.

We should appreciate our homeland.

We should appreciate the beauty of nature.

TONE,MOOD, ATMOSPHERE

Appreciative and happy

Carefree and light-hearted

Sense of beauty

POINT OF VIEW

Third person point of view

LANGUAGE AND STYLE

Simple and easy to understand the language

Clear and descriptive

Simple style with no rhyming scheme

POETIC DEVICES

Imagery – e.g. ‘gold sun’, ‘lush green fields’, ‘trees struggling’

Alliteration – e.g. ‘sways and shivers to the slightest breath of air’

Symbols – e.g. ‘gold sun’ – symbol of summer, ‘rains’ – symbol of winter

Contrast – e.g. ‘beauty’ or summer is compared with ‘rains’ or winter

Figurative Language  – Simile – ‘rain beats like bullets’

Metaphor – e.g. ‘the buttercups paved the earth with yellow stars’

Personafication – ‘buttercups have paved the earth’ …  buttercups have been personified as having laid tiles

Source: http://zahuren.wordpress.com/poems/nature-by-h-d-carberry/

TASK: Answer these questions
1. Where is the place that is described in this poem?
2. Why does the poet say that 'we have neither summer nor winter'?
3. How does the 'gold sun' shine?
4. Which word in the poem shows that the poet enjoys the sun?
5. What sound comes from the gullies?
6. What happens to the canefields on hot days?
7. What happens to the grass when there is 'a breath of air'?
8. What does the poet compare the buttercups to?
9. What moral value have you learnt from this poem?
10. What is the main message of this poem?
11. What can you do to preserve nature?


Source: Oxford Fajar & PIB

Are you still playing your flute? 

by Zurinah Hassan

Are you still playing your flute?

When there is hardly time for our love

I am feeling guilty

To be longing for your song

The melody concealed in the slim hollow of the bamboo

Uncovered by the breath of an artist

Composed by his fingers

Blown by the wind

To the depth of my heart.

Are you still playing your flute?

In the village so quiet and deserted

Amidst the sick rice fields

While here it has become a luxury

To spend time watching the rain

Gazing at the evening rays

Collecting dew drops

Or enjoying the fragrance of flowers.

Are you still playing your flute?

The more it disturbs my conscience

to be thinking of you

in the hazard of you

my younger brothers unemployed and desperate

my people disunited by politics

my friend slaughtered mercilessly

this world is too old and bleeding.

SYNOPSIS

The persona is thinking of someone she was close to and who plays the flute. She longs to hear the wonderful soothing music that had touched her heart a long time ago. She wonders if he is still playing his flute in their village that is now empty and quiet. She feels troubled that she should be thinking of him and her past while people around her are suffering and her world is changing.

FIGURATIVE MEANING

Stanza 1:

In life, we sometimes have to change our way of life due to work or family circumstances. From a lifestyle filled with values and traditions like in the village, we may find ourselves embracing a totally different lifestyle in towns. However, we may sometimes long for our previous life with its unforgettable moments.

Stanza 2:

We may wonder if the values and traditions we believed in and practised are still observed in our former villagers. Many people have migrated to towns or adopted an urban way of life where such traditions may not be so well-ingrained. In these places, life is fast paced and they do not have the time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life they used to.

Stanza 3:

These people may think back to their days in the rural areas with guilt. Traditions and the old values may seem trivial compared to their present circumstances. There are economic, political and social problems to be faced. Some of these problems have become personal as they affect people who are close to them.

THEMES

• Values and traditions - Values and traditions have an important role in our life. They teach us to live correctly and to hold on to our principles in life. We learn to value life, family and friends. A society without values and traditions is colourless and loses its direction.
• Changes in life - Nothing stays the same forever and that includes life. Life changes over time. These changes affect every aspect of our lives and may have positive and negative consequences.
• Family commitments - Everyone has family commitments, whether it is to our immediate family members or extended family members. Be aware of these commitments as they bind a family together.
• Priorities in life - There are important and unimportant things in life. Learn to differentiate them and make plans accordingly.
• Enjoying the simple pleasure of life - Nature surrounds us and the beauty of nature offers us the simple pleasures of life. The rising sun, the moon and stars, the rainfall and dew are some of the pleasures that nature offers. Enjoy them and enjoy life.
• Passionate about one's interest - When we are really interested in a hobby, we will become passionate about it. It helps us to mature as this passion helps us to stay focused. We learn to be creative too. But, we should not let this passion become an obsession.

MORAL VALUES

• We should learn to appreciate the values and traditions of society and family. They give us balance in life and help us to differentiate between the good and the bad.
• We face changes in life every day. Learn to accept changes but only if they are for the good of society. If they are beneficial, work around them for the general good.
• Our family is the most important thing in our life. We should put their interest and safety first before anything else. Show consideration for one's duties within the home and carry out family commitments responsibly.
• We should know our priorities in life and be aware of them at all times. Don't get so taken in by our interests that we forget our priorities.
• Passion for interests should should not be at expense of family happiness. There is a time for work and a time for play.

POINT OF VIEW

• The poem is the first point of view - the persona uses the pronoun 'I' and 'my'
• The persona is reflecting on her past and feeling uneasy about the present.

LANGUAGE AND STLYE

• Language - simple and easy to understand
• Play of words to add interest
• Style - clear, descriptive and inquiring

TONE, MOOD AND ATMOSPHERE

• Sombre - talks about her longing for something she cannot have anymore
• Appreciative and regretful for loss of simple pleasures of life
• Mood of hopelesness and loss - does not like her present situation

POETIC DEVICES

• Imagery – e.g. ‘blown by the wind’, ‘depth of my heart’
• Alliteration – e.g. ‘fragrance of flowers’' dew drops'
• Symbol – e.g. ‘flute’, ‘song’
• Repetition – e.g. ‘Are you still playing your flute?’
• Assonance - 'sick rice filed'
• Figurative Language – Metaphor e.g. ‘The melody concealed in the slime hollow of bamboo – Personification e.g. ‘sick rice field’

LITERARY DEVICES

Personification:

- sick rice filed - the rice field is personified as a human who is not feeling well                                       

- this world is ...bleeding - earth is personified as being wounded

Symbol:
- flute - symbolises a thing of the past, something tradition                                                                    

- song - symbolises the simple pleasure of life

Repetition:                                                                                                                                       

- 'Are you still playing your flute?' - repeated at the beginning of all three stanzas to reinforce the emotion behind the question and to create a dramatic effect.

Rhetorical question:                                                                                                                         

- Are you still playing your flute? - the persona asks a question to which she does not expect a reply.

Metaphor:                                                                                                                                            

- 'the melody concealed in the slim hollow of the bamboo' : The song seems to be hidden in the bamboo when it is actually coming out from the playing of the flute.                                                      

- 'the world is too old and bleeding': The world seems to have aged due to war and the sufferings caused by it.

Imagery:                                                                                                                                         

a) imagery of sight:                                                                                                                                         - 'so quiet and deserted': This gives a clear picture of a lonely village with hardly anyone around.           

- 'slaughtered mercilessly': Many lives were lost in the war.                                                                 

b) imagery of feelings:                                                                                                                         

- 'depth of my heart': The persona feels deeply and wants to hear the song played by the flautist.          

- 'longing for your song': The persona has a deep desire to hear songs.                                                      

c) imagery of touch:                                                                                                                            

- 'collecting dew drops' - someone is putting their hands together to collect dew drops to feel the water 

d) imagery of smell:                                                                                                                             

- 'enjoying the fragrance of flowers': The flowers are emitting fragrant scent.                                        

e) imagery of sound:                                                                                                                             

- 'playing your flute' - The music comes from the flute.                                                                                

- 'blown by the wind' - The sound of wind and music

Source:http://ipsi86um96.blogspot.com/2011/05/are-you-still-playing-your-flute-more.html

TASK: Try to answer all!!

1. Why does the persona ask if her loved one is still playing the flute?

2. In stanza 1, how does the persona feels when she listens to the man playing the flute?

3. Why the persona feels guilty?

4. What are the feelings of the persona towards the music produced by the flute

5. What is considered a luxury in stanza 2?

6. What sound can be heard in the quiet village?

7. Why is the village deserted?

8. In stanza 3, how does the persona look upon the world?

9. Which phrase in stanza 3 indicates that the persona is upset that she is thinking of her love?

10. Which phrase in stanza 3 tells you how her friend died?

11. Which word in stanza 3 means danger?

12. Why is the persona's conscience disturbed?

Source: Oxford Fajar & P. Ilmu Bakti

He Had Such Quiet Eyes

By: Bibsy Soenharjo

3.1 SYNOPSIS OF THE POEM

The poem is about a woman who has been deceived to think that she was loved by a man with ‘quiet eyes’. She suffers for this and only learns on hindsight not to trust or give in to men who seek women only for pleasure. The poet gives an advice on being able to recognise what is true and what is not, when a person is truly friendly and when he is not. You may lose in the game of love and give your heart away, but knowing the truth of the situation will mean that you will not suffer any lasting losses.

3.2 UNDERSTANDING THE POEM [STANZA BY STANZA]

Stanza 1

The woman is taken up with his ‘quiet eyes’. The eyes mesmerise and beg her to ‘be nice’ to him and make him extremely happy, that is ‘render him paradise’. The poet uses a very long imagery of the eyes ‘breathing desolate sighs’ to enhance the effect of the eyes on the girl. The woman, being enamoured with those eyes, does not notice he is deceiving her. It would not be difficult to see through the man if the woman had her feet on the ground because the eyes have only the ‘thinnest ice’, easy to break through to learn the man’s true nature.

Stanza 2

Something has happened to the woman and she has learnt the truth about the man. The poet suggests that she has learnt the hard way that is she learns her lesson through bad experience. She has made a mistake of trusting the man because she has refused to listen to the advice not ‘to compromise’, that is, lower her standards or expectations in order to please a man who seduces women.

Stanza 3

The poet extends her friendly advice to women to understand what is meant by ‘nice’ what it means when men are ‘nice’ to you. When he is ‘nice’, friendly and pleasant to you, make sure that he is sincere and trustworthy and not because he has ulterior motive, that is he wants something from you in return. The poet further comments that love may be a gamble as suggested in ‘dice’, you take your chances with someone, you may find true love or you may not. The important issue here is that ultimately you have not lost anything because you have not compromised, you are not deceived.

3.3 THE POEM – LINE BY LINE

STANZA 1 MEANING BY LINE

• He had such quiet eyes – His eyes were calm and quiet
• She did not realise – She did not know
• They were two pools of lies-  His eyes were like two pools filled with lies
• Layered with thinnest ice – Thinly veiled, like very thin ice
• To her, those quiet eyes – To the woman, those calm and quiet eyes
• Were breathing desolate sighs – Looked very sad and desolate
• Imploring her to be nice – The eyes were begging her to be nice to him
• And to render him to paradise – And to give him happiness and bliss so that he would feel like he was in paradise (heaven)

STANZA 2 MEANING BY LINE

• If only she’d been wise – The woman wished she had been wiser in her past actions
• And had listened to the advice – And she had listened to the sound advice given to her by people who cared about her
• Never to compromise – They had advised her not to give up her moral values or principles
• With pleasure-seeking guys – When she was with men who wanted only pleasure and fun
• She’d be free from the ‘hows and whys’ – If she had listened to them, she would not be haunted by questions of hows and whys and the difficult situation she was in.

STANZA 3 MEANING BY LINE

• Now here’s a bit of advice – Let me give you a bit of advice
• Be sure that nice really means nice – Make sure that the person you think is nice, is truly sincere and trustworthy
• Then you’ll never be losing at dice – Then, you will not lose in a game of chance or a game of love where you can lose your heart to an undeserving man
• Though you may lose your heart once or twice – Even if you should fall in love and lose your heart to love once or twice

3.4 Elements of the Poem – Literal and Figurative Meaning

Stanza 1

Literal Meaning

When the persona looked into the young man’s sincere-looking eyes, she was deceived into thinking that he needed someone to love. She was not aware that betrayal was second nature to him. His eyes even made her feel compelled to be ‘nice’ to him.

Figurative Meaning

Meeting people and getting involved in a social relationship is part and parcel of life. However, along the way, we may meet two-faced people with ulterior motives. Sometimes, they may come across as so sincere that we innocently accept them as friends or partners.

Stanza 2

Literal Meaning

When the persona was betrayed by the man, she wondered why she had not been wiser. She should have remembered the age-old advice of not believing man blindly. If she had held on to her principles, she would not be asking herself why she had been cheated.

Figurative Meaning

Social relationships can turn sour if one party betrays the other. Hence, one should be careful of the other party’s motives. In any case, do not compromise your principles, as someone who is sincere would not force you into giving up your morals.

Stanza 3

Literal Meaning

The poet advises young ladies to be more careful before getting involved in relationships with men. They must make sure they know then men well. They should learn to differentiate between sincerity and falsehood. They will eventually meet the right man, though they may lose their heats to a few times before that.

Figurative Meaning

It is always good to be cautious before committing to a relationship to avoid serious consequences. You have to make sure you can trust the person you befriend. Do not gamble with your affections, even when you fall in love.

3.5 Themes

(1) Strong Moral Values and Self-Respect

The woman in the poem got herself into a difficult situation and was cheated by a man because she gave in to his pleading and his insincere lies. She displayed weakness in her moral standing and lost her self-respect as a result. We should never lower our self-esteem no matter how much we like a man. If a man has respect for the woman he loves, he too would not ask her to do what is morally wrong.

(2) Deception in Appearances

The woman is taken in by the man’s gentle and quiet eyes. She thinks he is a truthful and trustworthy person. The theme in this poem focuses on deception in appearances. Do not judge a person’s character by his appearance. As can be seen in this poem, a gentle and kind-looking man can actually be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

(3) Consequences

When we make mistakes in life, we have to live with the consequences. The persona tells us that the woman is haunted with questions of ‘hows and whys’. She probably asks herself every day how she could have fallen for his lies; how she could have forgotten the moral values instilled in her by her parents; how she could have ignored all the advice given to her by people who love and care about her. She would probably also wonder why she had not been wiser in her choice of men; why she did not see through his deception and insincerity.

(4) Listen to Advice

The poet wants to reach out to all young readers. The woman in the poem wished she ‘had listened to the advice’. She poured out her disappointment, frustration and hurt in this poem and wished she had ‘been wise’. The poet cautions young readers that they should not be impulsive in their actions and they should, above all, listen to the advice of their elders so that they would not end up like the woman – full of regrets.

3.6 Moral Values & Lessons Learnt

(1) Avoid Being Deluded by Looks or Appearance

• We sometimes encounter people who have ill intentions towards us.

• These are con men who prey on young women.

• They look nice and decent but have bad motives.

• So we should take precaution against them.

• We should not judge a book by its cover.

(2) Listen to Beneficial Advice

• We are given good advice when others feel that we need it.

• We should listen to their advice.

• The advice is for our own good.

• It prevents us from getting hurt or getting into trouble.

3.7 Setting

• The poem is set in the present – the world around us now.
• It highlights the fact that the people around us are not always sincere.
• They may have ulterior motives towards us.
• Some have the intention to cheat us.
• In the case of the woman in the poem, the man only wanted to have sexual pleasure from her.
• However, she saw him as a man in need of love and consolation.
• The poem puts forward the need to practise caution when we deal with the people around us.

Source:http://form4englishliterature.wordpress.com/2011/04/12/he-had-such-quiet-eyes/

TASK: State the correct answer

1. What does the persona in the poem talks about?

2. What does the word 'layered' in the poem means?

3. In stanza 1, what didn't the woman realise?

4. How is the woman attracted to the man?

5. What is the moral in stanza 1?

6. What is the advice given to woman in stanza 2?

7. In stanza 2, what didn't the woman do?

8. What type of guys described in stanza 2?

9. Does the woman have a good or bad experience in her relationship?

10. What lesson has the woman learnt from her experience?

11. What does the phrase the 'hows and the whys' refer to?

12. In stanza 3, what is the poet 's intention?

13. What does the line 'Be sure that nice really means nice' suggest?

14. What is dice used for?

15. What does the phrase 'losing at dice' means?

Source: Eastview & P. Ilmu Bakti