POEMS By : Suziana Muhammad

What Is A Poem? A creative form of writing usually written in verse Expresses the emotions and feelings of a poet Usually ends in rhymes and if it doesn’t, it is known as free verse A group of lines is called a stanza The speaker / persona refers to the voice in the poem

In The Midst Of Hardship The poem is about the experience of a group of villagers who go out to search for a lost albino buffalo. They spend a whole day and night braving a terrible flood, amidst dead animals and floating pieces of bark. In spite of their difficulties, discomfort and failed mission, they remain calm, hopeful in high spirits.

Theme Consequences of flood on flood victims Facing hardship with optimism Message We must always look at the positive side of things. We must accept the hardship we are in and be resilient. Tone Acceptance Cheerfulness

Symbolism And aproached the stove compared to doing something cheerful after a bad experience. Desperately looking for their son’s albino buffalo compared to doing something difficult during a bad flood. Metaphor Legs full of wounds symbolises the suffering of people during a flood. Bloated carcasses symbolises the horror of flood.

He Had Such Quiet Eyes This poem is about a lady who is captivated by the quiet eyes of a young man. The lady believes she sees in those eyes mirroring the sadness within him and begging her for love and kindness so as to give him happiness. She is not wise enough to listen to advice and as a result, the young man deceives her.

Theme Deceit Importance of listening to good advice Message We must not be deluded by looks or appearance. We must listen to advice that is good for us. Tone Serious Friendly

Symbolism Quiet eyes – eyes that do not ‘speak’ or show much emotion. Pools of lies – areas of deceit Thinnest ice – a thin veil that is easy to see through Eyes breathing desolate sighs – eyes that pour out sadness Paradise – a state of bliss The hows and whys – a difficult situation where solutions are not easily found Losing at dice – losing at a game of chance

Nature The four seasons of the temperate countries are not experienced in the country where the persona comes from but there are periods or days that feature different weather patterns. The persona explores the splendor of Mother Nature during these seasonal changes. To the persona, the absence of the four seasons does not make his country any less attractive and he describes each weather change vividly and with pride.

Theme Contentment Counting our blessings The beauty of nature Beauty is in the eye of beholder

Message We should appreciate the wonders / beauty of nature. We should treasure what we have. We should be thankful with what we are blessed with. Being positive / optimistic helps us enjoy what we have. Tone Friendly and pleasant Cheerful and congenial

Symbolism The gold sun – the hot climate The slightest breath of air – a breeze The canefields – productivity The buttercups - beauty Metaphor Rain beats like bullets – raindrops of heavy rains Trees struggling– trees moving violently in the strong wind Leaves fade off– leaves falling off Canefields lie bare – becoming unproductive Buttercups have paved the earth – buttercups covering the ground Yellow stars - buttercups

Personification The rain beats The trees struggle The canefields lie bare The tall grass sways and shivers The buttercups pave the earth Beauty appears suddenly

Are You Still Playing Your Flute? Through the poem, the persona expresses her anxiety about the events going on during her time. Events seem to be turbulent. The nation is going through a crisis. The village is deserted and the rice fields are barren. Young men are unemployed and desperate. The political situation is plagued by disunity. War has broken out and people are being killed. In the midst of all this, a man is playing his flute. He is in his own world of music. The persona asks him a question three times. How can he continue playing his flute with all the turbulence going on in the nation? To make it worse, she feels guilty for enjoying his music and longing for his song.

Theme Apathy (Indifference) Turbulence in a nation Message We should be concerned of what is happening in our country. We must make good use of our time. We should be prepared to put aside our selfish desires. Tone Depressing Gloomy Empathetic

Symbolism Flute – a world without trouble Melody – creativity Rice field – an unhappy and barren scene Flowers – something that makes us feel nice and happy

Metaphor Uncovered by the breath of an artist - produced by the musician’s breath Blown by the wind - music being carried by the wind The depth of my heart - a strong feeling Watching the rain - An unproductive activity Slaughtered mercilessly - those killed in war