Poem Exercises
POEMS
Practice 1
IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP
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
There were born amidst hardship
and grew up without a sigh or a complaint
now they are in the kitchen, making
jokes while rolling their cigarette leaves
By Latiff Mohidin Translated by Salleh Ben Joned
a. Why were their clothes ‘soaky’?
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b. Write down the line in the poem which reveals that this incident took place in a village?
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c. What does the phrase “bloated carcasses” refer to?
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d. In your opinion, what kind of attitude do the last two lines imply? Explain.
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Practice 2:
IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP (stanzas 1 and 2)
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
By Latiff Mohidin Translated by Salleh Ben Joned
a. Write down the line which shows that they have been out for long hours?
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b. The theme may not be exactly about hardship as implied by the title. What is the theme related to?
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c. What does the phrase ‘albino buffalo’ reveal?
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d. What moral value did you learn from the poem? Explain.
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Practice 3:
He Had Such Quiet Eyes (Stanzas 1 and 2)
He had such quiet eyes
She did not realise
They were two pools of lies
Layered with thinnest ice
To her, those quiet 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”
Bibsy Soenharjo-1968
a. What does the phrase ‘two pools of lies’ refer to?
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b. Which lines show that the man is saying “I love you, and if you love me, prove it!”
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c. Which stanza shows that there is a sense of regret?
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d. What do you understand by the phrase “the hows and whys”?
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Practice 4:
He Had Such Quiet Eyes
He had such quiet eyes
She did not realise
They were two pools of lies
Layered with thinnest ice
To her, those quiet 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 means nice
Then you’ll never be losing at dice
Though you may lose your heart once or twice
Bibsy Soenharjo-1968
a. What does the phrase ‘thinnest ice’ imply?
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b. In this poem, the poet talks about the betrayal of a young girl’s feelings for a man. She believes in his sincerity to her as he had pleaded to her to surrender to him. Write the two lines depicting this.
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c. What is the main theme in this poem?
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d. What did you learn from this poem? Explain.
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Practice 5:
Are You Still Playing Your Flute?
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.
By Zurinah Hassan
a. Who is the persona in the poem?
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b. Write one line from the poem that depicts that people are jobless.
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c. Provide three phrases that depict the message of cruel realities of a nation in uncertainty of its future.
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d. In your own words describe why the poet used the word “sick” to describe the rice fields.
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Practice 6:
Are You Still Playing Your Flute? (Stanzas 1 and 2)
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.
By Zurinah Hassan
a. What did the persona mean when she said ‘deserted’?
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b. Why is the persona feeling guilty?
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c. Why is the question “Are you still playing your flute’ repeated as the starting line of all the stanzas?
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d. In your opinion, is this a romantic poem? Provide reasons for your answer.
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Practice 7:
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.
a. In your words describe the weather as depicted in the poem.
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b. State one moral value that you have learnt from the poem.
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c. Note that the poem ends with the line “and beauty comes suddenly and the rains have gone”. Describe how this bears a resemblance in our life.
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d. In the opening lines of the poem, the poet describes the things that are absent. In your opinion, what is the poet trying to convey?
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Practice 8:
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.
a. Why do you think H.D.Carberry wrote the poem?
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b. List three words related to nature.
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c. Which line in the poem ‘Nature’ suggests the sense of smell?
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d. Based on your knowledge of the poem ‘Nature’, describe a theme in the poem.
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