POEMS
In The Midst of Hardship by Latiff Mohidin
In the Midst of Hardship by Latiff Mohidin
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‘
He Had Such Quiet Eyes by Bibsy Soenharjo
He had such quiet eyes
She did not realise
They were two pools of lies
Layered with thinnest ice
To her, those wuiet eyes
Were breathing desolate sighs
Imploring her to be nice
And to render him paradise
If only she’d been wise
And had listened to the advice
Never to compromise
With pleasure-seeking guys
She’d be free from ‘the hows and whys’
Now here’s a bit of advice
Be sure that nice really nice
Then you’ll never be losing at dice
Though you lose your heart once or twice
THEME
§ Betrayal of love
§ Personal experiences
§ Relationships that are meaningful
MORAL VALUES
§ Don’t be naive and believe everything we are told especially in matters of the heart.
§ We must be careful when choosing friends.
§ Falling in love is normal but one should be careful.
§ We must learn from the experience of other people.
TONE, MOOD, ATMOSPHERE
§ Refelective
§ Sad and happy
§ Sympathetic
POINT OF VIEW
§ Second and third person points of view
LANGUAGE & STYLE
§ Simple and easy to understand
§ Simple style with rhyming scheme
POETIC DEVICES
§ Imagery – e.g. ‘pools of lies’, ‘layered in thinnest ice’
§ Symbol – e.g ‘quiet eyes’, ‘dice’
§ Alliteration – e.g ‘lies layered’
§ Personafication – e.g The eyes were ‘breathing the desolate sighs’ as though he was talking charmingly to her
Nature by H.D. Carberry
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-
Magnificently.
The days when the rain beats like bullet on the roofs
And there is no sound but thee 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 fallow to the sun.
But best of all there are the days when the mango and the logwood blossom
When 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 stars
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.
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’s country
§ Differences in appearances but similar in effects
MORAL VALUES
§ We should appreciate what we have in our own country
§ We should not long for what we do not have.
§ We should be aware that different people have different skills or beauty.
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
Are You Still Playing Flute by Zurinah Hassan
The Original Version of the Poem
Masihkah Kau Bermain Seruling oleh Zurinah Hassan
Masihkah kau bermain seruling
walau waktu telah terlewat untuk kita bercinta
aku semakin terasa bersalah
melayani godaan irama
lagu yang tersimpan pada lorong halus buluh
dikeluarkan oleh nafas seniman
diukir oleh bibir
diatur oleh jari
dilayangkan oleh alun angin
menolak ke dasar rasa.
Masihkah kau bermain seruling
ketika kampung semakin sunyi
sawah telah uzur
waktu jadi terlalu mahal
untuk memerhatikan hujan turun
merenung jalur senja
mengutip manik embun
menghidu harum bunga.
Masihkah kau bermain seruling
ketika aku terasa mata bersalah
untuk melayani rasa rindu padamu
di kota yang semakin kusut dan tenat
adik-adikku menganggur dan sakit jiwa
bangsaku dipecahkan oleh politik
saudara diserang bom-bom ganas
dunia sudah terlalu tua dan parah.
Di sinilah berakhirnya percintaan kita
kerana zaman sedang menuntut para seniman
hidup di luar dirinya.
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.
THEMES
§ Family commitments
§ Priorities in life
§ Neglect of one’s duties
MORAL VALUES
§ We should be aware of our family commitments and carry them out properly.
§ Everyone has priorities in, life and we should know what is important and what is not.
§ Following a hobby is good but there is a time for work and a time for play.
POINT OF VIEW
§ The poem is the first point of view.
§ The person is addressing another person and describing a situation to him.
LANGUAGE AND STLYE
§ Rhetorical question
§ Descriptive and questioning
§ Simple style and no rhyme
TONE, MOOD AND ATMOSPHERE
§ Sombre and regretful
§ Serious atmosphere
POETIC DEVICES
§ Imagery – e.g. ‘blown by the wind’, ‘depth of my heart’
§ Alliteration – e.g. ‘fragrance of flowers’
§ Symbol – e.g. ‘flute’, ‘song’
§ Repetition – e.g. ‘Are you still playing your flute?’
§ Figurative Language – Metaphor e.g. ‘The melody concealed in the slime hollow of bamboo – Personification e.g. ‘sick rice field’
SHORT STORIES
QWERTYUIOP
SYNOPSIS
'QWERTYUIOP’ is about a poor, young graduate named Lucy Beck who has just finished her ‘O’ levels at Belmont Secretarial College. She is a slow learner herself but she is determined to find a job in order to get out of poverty. Fortunately, she is offered a job by Mr. Ross, the Manager of Ross and Bannister’s. However, she begins to face problems from her first day of work. She encounters many peculiar incidents when she starts using the electric typewriter. Whenever Lucy types, the words “QWERYUIOP” which is on the top lines on the keyboards will keep on appearing. She is determined to keep on her job, so she tries to overcome her fear. Later, she finds out that there is a spirit lingering around the office. She finds out from that Miss Broome, a former secretary of the late Mr Bannister was forced to retire after working for forty-three years. That was why the spirit of Miss Broome is adamant in holding on to her position as the company’s secretary. Towards the end of the story, Lucy tries to get rid of the spirit that has been haunting that place for many years. She assured Miss Broome that the late Mr Bannister needs her in the afterlife. She managed to convince Miss Broome to leave and finally she could maintain her job.
SETTING
The story was set in a small town, Belmont and it revolves around two main settings:
Ø Lucy’s house which she shares with her mother and her Uncle Bert,
In a poor neighbourhood
Ø The office of Ross and Bannister’s where Lucy works as a secretary.
It is a small firm which is over thirty years old.
PLOT
Exposition-
The main character, Lucy Beck is introduced and she lives with her mother and uncle. She has completed her secretarial course and wants a job. She is tried living in poverty and wants to lead a better life.
Rising Action~
Lucy managed to get a job as a secretary at Ross and Bannister’s after being interviewed by Mr. Ross. Harry Darke explained to Lucy that she needs to use the typewriter to do her work. Whenever Lucy types, the typewriter tries to control her. The word “QWERTYUIOP” keeps on appearing each time she types. Lucy types questions in order to investigate the mystery behind it. Harry Darke informs her of the old former secretary, the late Miss Broome, who was forced to resign.
Climax –
Lucy is determined to defend her job and she started to type another copy by fixing her eyes on the keys. She was surprised when the typewriter typed out a threatening note. Through the battle of wits between Lucy and the spirit of Miss Broome at the typewriter, Lucy managed to gather all her courage. She erased all the words and she managed to type all her letters and sent it to be signed by Mr Ross.
Falling action –
Lucy feels sorry for Miss Broome after she heard about Miss Broome’s loneliness and depression after losing her job. She sympathized Miss Broome and tries to persuade her to leave in peace. Lucy convinced her that Mr Bannister needs her help in the afterlife.
Resolution -
The typewriter become silent and Lucy types a goodbye note to Miss Broome. There was no reply and Lucy was relieved as she has finally helped the spirit of Miss Broome to find peace at last.
CHARACTERS
LUCY BECK
A young seventeen year old lady who got a job as a secretary at Ross and Banister’s
Characteristics:
She is a young, shy, a low achiever, not competent and highly qualified and insecure graduate of secretarial studies.
Textual evidence:
Lucy Beck was young and small and mouse-coloured, easily overlooked.
She had a lonely ‘O’ level and a typing speed that would make a tortoise laugh.
Characteristics:
She has a very low self esteem, inferior complex, no confidence and pessimistic
Textual evidence:
She is wondering who will employ her as she is aware of her inadequacies.
Lucy assumes that there are more qualified and brighter people than her who are qualified for the job vacancy.
Characteristics:
She became ambitious, determined and optimistic to change her life style.
Textual evidence:
Lucy is tired of being poor and she is fed up with macaroni cheese and baked beans. She is also sick of wearing second-hand clothes. She gathered her strength and determined to get a job to get out of poverty.
Characteristics:
Lucy becomes enthusiastic and a quick learner when she got a job. She also became courageous when she has to face the conflict with the spirit of Miss Broom.
Textual evidence:
Lucy got a job at Ross and Bannister’, a small firm with a factory just outside the town. She is so excited so came to her work place on Monday morning, at ten to nine and waited as the door to the office is closed. She faces problems when each time she types, the word ‘QWERTYUIOP” appears on the paper. When she finds that it was the ghost of Miss Broom, she became courageous and keep typing and liquid the unwanted words and reached the end of the letter by triumph.
Characteristics:
Lucy became sympathetic, caring, insightful and understanding after knowing Miss Broome’s history. She took the initiative to look for an amicable solution.
Textual evidence:
Lucy is shocked when she heard the news about Miss Broome from Harry Darke. She was forced to stop working after she had been working for forty three years. Lucy sympathizes Miss Broome
and tells her that Mr Bannister is only acting out of concern as he was worried of her health. Lucy managed to convince Miss Broome that the late Mr Bannister needs her help in the after life.
GHOST OF MS.BROOME :
The spirit of Ms Broome who haunts the office where she once worked as she is so attached to her job.
Characteristics:
Loyal, dedicated and took her job seriously at Ross and Bannister’s.
Textual evidence:
Ms Broome had worked for forty three years :girl, woman, old misery. She is unwilling to let go of her position and continues to defend her post, even after her demise.
Characteristics:
Lonely as she had no family and friends.
Textual evidence:
The office was her home; the job was all she lived for as she did not have any family of her own. She had no place worth to go and she insists to stay on.
Characteristics:
She is persistence, vengeful and also possessive over her secretarial job at Ross and Bannister’s.
Textual evidence:
Miss Broome dies but she does not want to leave her job and insist to stay on. She types nasty messages to new secretaries to instill fear. The typewriter rocked as if with laughter, its keys clicking like badly fitting false teeth. She creates havoc with intention to scare those who will replace her place at the office.
Characteristics:
Finally she is convinced that she should leave as her help is needed.
Textual evidence:
Miss Broom leaves the office permanently after Lucy managed to convince her that Mr Bannister needs her help in the afterlife. The typewriter became silent, sunlight glittered on its keys making them looked wet.
HARRY DARKE :
Ross and Bannister’s handyman. He is an old man who has been working with the company for years.
Characteristics:
Helpful and concern
Textual evidence:
He does all the odd jobs in the office and helps out new employees. He is helpful in giving useful information to Lucy regarding the spirit of Miss Broome and shows concern to her. He even told Lucy not to be like a frightened mouse, and not to worry.
Characteristics:
A loyal worker at Ross and Bannister’s.
Textual evidence:
He has been working for thirty years with Ross and Bannister’s, retired with a silver watch but still can’t keep away from his job.
Characteristics:
Encouraging and supportive to his colleague
Textual evidence:
He praises Lucy for her braveness and determination to keep on her job even after she has confronted the spirit of Miss Broome. He said that Lucy is no longer the timid mouse and she is a right little lion. Then he gives her chocolate biscuits with her tea as a credit and encouragement.
LUCY’S MOTHER/ MRS BECK
She is a patient and hardworking housewife who live a hard life. She has to support her brother.
Characteristics:
Content with her status in life.
Textual evidence:
Mrs Beck is satisfied with her status, she said to Lucy that “We are jumble sailors on the rough sea of life.” Thus she accepts her fate and shows no actions or thoughts of wanting more than what she has in life.
Characteristics:
Forgiving and compassionate
Textual evidence:
She had an argument/quarrel with Uncle Bert and had turned him out once. Six weeks later, she asked him to return as she sympathize him. She said he looks so lonely, so lost, living all by himself in a horrid little room with the worn lino and the curtains all shrunk.
Characteristics:
Patient
Textual evidence:
Lucy could not help wishing her mother would sometimes lose her temper, shout, scream, throw saucepans at the spinning, grinning head of Uncle Bert.
Characteristics:
Low expectations
Textual evidence:
She does not expect Lucy to get a job as she was not confident in Lucy’s ability.
UNCLE BERT :
A drunkard man who depends on his sister for support.
Characteristics:
Dependable and irresponsible
Textual evidence:
He drinks heavily and borrows money from Lucy’s mother.
Characteristics:
Caring
Textual evidence:
He is concern of Lucy and thought to prepare her supper since she is now a working girl.
MR. ROSS :
Lucy’s boss
Characteristics:
Accommodating and concern
Textual evidence:
He is easy to deal with, willing to help and even offers to do something about the typewriter if any problems continue.
THEMES
DETERMINATION:
Lucy has strong determination to keep her job as secretary of Ross and Bannister’s despite the supernatural forces that tries to fail her. Miss Broome’s spirit lingered in the room where Lucy works and demands her to leave but she shows no signs of giving up. Lucy is steadfast in defending her position as the secretary and she battled fearlessly with the spirit of Miss Broome who haunted the typewriter that Lucy was working on. Due to her strong determination, she managed to hold on to her job at the firm.
FAMILY LOVE AND CARE
Lucy’s mother is a responsible lady who takes care of Lucy and her brother despite of the hard life they have to go through. She manages to keep the bond of family love by forgiving Uncle Bert and accepting him back into the family. Lucy also regretted for being rude to Uncle Bert when she sees his shaking hands and miserable eyes, she apologizes and maintain the family bond. Lucy loves her mother and shares her happiness with her mother when she was successful of obtaining a job as a secretary.
COMMITMENT AND LOYALTY:
Lucy and Miss Broome are both committed and loyal to their profession. Lucy takes her work seriously and does the job of typing which was given to her successfully. She has to face the battle with Miss Broome who is still attached to her work even after her death. Lucy did not give up even when Miss Broome demanded her to leave. Miss Broome was so possessive towards her job
and also extremely loyal towards Mr. Bannister. Lucy managed to convince her that the late Mr Bannister needs her so she left the office in order to continue her service to Mr Bannister in the after life.
LONELINESS:
Miss Broome has no friends and family members, so she commits herself to her job seriously and made the office her home. She became so attached to her position in the office and the feel of possessiveness went beyond the grave. Uncle Bert also felt the loneliness in life and became so dependable on his sister, Mrs Beck.
THE SUPERNATURAL:
Supernatural is being above or beyond what is unexplainable and natural by natural law. The character of Miss Broome in this story is presented as an ethereal entity. Her spirit lingered in the office where she used to work and haunts the new young secretaries who are supposed to replace her. She writes nasty messages and tries to drive away those who were choose to replace her. She instill the fear and eerie feelings in their hearts to frighten them.
COMPASSION:
The theme of compassion is revealed in the final confrontation between Lucy and Miss Broome. After hearing about Miss Broome’s life history from Harry Darke, Lucy became sympathetic and understanding. She interacts with the spirit of Miss Broome through typing on the typewriter and finally she managed to convince her of leaving the place. She told her that Mr Bannister needs her in the afterlife and the spirit left in peace. Compassion is also revealed by Mrs Beck to her brother who is lonely and needed a place called home. Lucy also had compassion towards her Uncle Bert and sympathize him as he is a lonely person who has no place to go.
MORAL VALUES
Ø In order to be successful in life, we need to have a positive mind set
Ø On our journey to success, we need to have high level of positive self esteem
Ø In communication, be compassionate not aggressive as compassion heals while aggression causes hurt.
Ø Appreciate and compliment others accordingly
Ø Preserve the family ties and unity through understanding and forgiving
Ø Do not judge a book by its cover
Ø We should not underrate people and their creativeness or abilities.
THE FRUITCAKE SPECIAL by Frank Brennan
SYNOPSIS
The Fruitcake Special is the story if the effects of a perfume on men. It was accidentally created by Anna, a chemist. When Mr Amos gets a whiff of the perfume he feels he is in love with Anna and so invites her out for dinner. He does not behave like a man in love and Anna is surprised and upset. When she wears the Fruitcake perfume again, Mr Amos and a waiter become enticed and both make declarations of love to her. The situation become chaotic when a fight ensues between two men.
THEMES
§ Illusion vs Reality
§ Be realistic in life
§ Appearances can be misleading
MORAL VALUES
§ We should not be taken in flattery.
§ We must not be too proud of our looks.
§ We must not belittle other people.
PLOT
§ EXPOSITION – Anna creates a Fruitcake perfume and dabs on it. Mr Amos becomes intoxicated with her when he gets a whiff of it. Anna is very surprise with this sudden interest.
§ CONFLICT – During dinner, Mr Amos is not as attentive as he was in the morning. Anna dabs on the Fruitcake perfume in the ladies room.
§ CLIMAX – Mr Amos becomes enamoured and makes declarations of love to her. A waiter also makes love declarations to her. A fight starts between Mr Amos, the waiter and Sabrina, Mr Amos’ girlfriend. Anna realises it is the effects of the fruitcake perfume.
§ FALLING ACTION – Anna wants to find the ‘special something’ in the fruitcake but is unable to.
§ RESOLUTION – Anna resigns from Amos Cosmetics and she settles for the pizza delivery man, Armstrong, who has his own pizza company.
CHARACTERS
§ Main characters
- Anna, the narrator
- David Amos, owner of Amos Cosmetics
§ Minor characters
- Narrator’s mother
- Narrator’s Aunt Mimi
- Waiter at restaurant
- Sabina, David Amos’ girlfriend
- Armstrong, the pizza delivery man
POINT OF VIEW
§ First person point of view
TONE, MOOD, ATMOSPHERE
§ Light-hearted and humorous
§ Comedic and entertaining
LANGUAGE AND STYLE
§ Simple and easy to understand the language
DRAMA
GULP AND GASP by John Townsend
SYNOPSIS
This is a melodrama about a villain, Lord Septic who is greedy for more power, money and fame. He is even ca[able of committing murder to get what he wants. He owns the railways and is after the Gatsby gold. Crouch, Lord Septic’s manservant is a big bully. Rose is a damsel in distress who meets Percy, the hero. They fall in love and he rescues her from a bloody death at the railway tracks. Later, Percy learns he is the heir to the Gatsby gold and is known as Sir Percy. Lord Septic loses everything.
THEMES
§ Pride goes before fall
§ Greed is destructive
§ Innocence and beauty
MORAL VALUES
§ One should be humble about one’s wealth and fame.
§ We should be sensitive to people’s feelings.
§ We should live a humble and honest life.
SETTING
§ An empty train station
§ A cold foggy night
PLOT
§ EXPOSITION – Lord Septic, the villain, and his manservant Crouch, a groveling bully, are waiting for the midnight express at the train station. Lord Septic owns all the train stations and he wants wealth and power.
§ RISING ACTION/CONFLICT – Rose, a blind flower girl comes to the station. Crouch bullies her and Percy, the dashing hero comes in to help her. He tells her about himself.
§ CLIMAX – Lord Septic hits Percy and ties Rose to the train track. Percy runs off to try and stop the train coming down the track.
§ FALLING ACTION – Percy stops the train and Rose is saved. Percy learns that he is Sir Percy Gatsby and heir to the Gatsby Gold.
§ RESOLUTION – Lord Septic and Crouch, the villains, are tied up and waiting to be picked up by the police. Percy, the hero, proposes Rose and she agrees to marry him.
CHARACTERS
§ Lord Septic, the villain
§ Crouch the bully
§ Rose the damsel in distress
§ Percy the hero
LANGUAGE AND STYLE
§ Simple and clear language
§ Dialogue – exaggeration, repetition of words
