FIGHTER LINES

The SettingThe poem is set after indenpence. The persona feels that the independence he has struggled for is now threatened by subversive elements.Tone and moodIn the first stanza, the tone indicates that the persona is sad and weary because he is old and weak. The persona is also melancholic, reflecting on his past sacrifices he made for the country's independence.In the second stanza, the persona voices his helplessness, anger and contempt because his country is facing threats.The tone used in the third stanza is serious and demanding. The persona urges the present generation to form a united front to uphold the freedom that he and many others has fought for.The persona ends by insisting that the younger generation continues to fight against injustice because he can no longer do so. Themes 1. Patriotism Patriotism is one of the themes of this poem. The people in this country have made a lot of sacrifices to fight for their freedom. They have achieved independence but now there are other threats such as deceit. This affects the country's safety. The persona calls on the younger generation to fight for justice and to speak up against deceit.2. Being courageousAnother theme is being courageous. In the past, people made many sacrifices and fought bravely with the country's enemies for their freedom. Now, the persona urges the younger generation to be brave and fight against other threats in the country. He tells them to stand up and speak with courage.3. UnityIn the past, people were united when they fought for independence. Now, the persona emphasises that the younger generation who has inherited a free country should unite to preserve their freedom. They should stand united by building a wall of people or forming ranks irrespective of racial, religious and other social differences. The "lines" in the poem, A Fighter's Lines refer to the persona's lines and the lines or ranks formed for unity. We have to be united and strong as in the saying, "United we stand, divided we fall".Values 1. We must be brave to uphold justice. The persona urges the younger generation to stand up against the widespread lies which are rampant in society today. This 'net of deceit' worries his as it can destroy the solidarity of the people. Therefore, he urges them to stand united and uphold justice to preserve the freedom and safety of the country.2. We must be willing to make sacrifices to preserve our independence.In the fight for independence, the persona and other soldiers sacrificed and risked their lives when they fought for independence. Now, he is wheelchair-bound because he was either crippled in the war or is now old and sick. Now, he wants the younger generation to make sacrifices too to preserve their freedom.3. We must be united to preserve our freedom.The persona wants the younger generation to stand united regardless of their differences to ensure their freedom

 Heir ConditioningHeir means successor or in BM - waris. Conditioning means training. The poem is a dialogue between a grandchild and his grandparents. 

The grandchild (the heir) lives in a modern world. The grandchild cannot live without modern technologies such as a handphone, a television, a computer, an air conditioner and so on. In this scenario, we can say that the grandchild is conditioned (telah terlatih/terbiasa) to live in a modern world.

The grandchild asks his grandparents how did they live without modern inventions. The grandparents reply that even though there were no modern technologies when they were young, they could still live a simple life. There were no pollutions back then and they were afraid of God. The grandparents further told his grandchild that due to the modern technologies, the world becomes polluted & people are no longer afraid of God because they become more materialistic. In this scenario, the grandparents are trying to condition/train his grandchild that modern technologies can bring about bad effects to people nowadays.

That's the meaning of Heir Conditioning

I Wonder

Lines from the poem Meaning

I wonder why the grass is green, The persona wonders why the grass has to be green.

And why the wind is never seen? The persona wonders why she can feel the wind but cannot see it.

Who taught the birds to build a nest,

The persona wonders how the birds know how to build a nest.

And told the trees to take a rest? The persona wonders why the trees are always standing straight and tall, never once sitting down to have a rest.

O, when the moon is not quite

round,Where can the missing bit be found?

At night, the persona sees the crescent moon and wonders why it is not always round.

Who lights the stars, when they blow out,

During the day, the persona cannot see the stars. So, the persona wonders who light the stars at night.

And makes the lightning flash about?

The persona wonders who causes the lightning to flash.

Who paints the rainbow in the sky,

The persona wonders how the colourful rainbow appears in the sky.

And hangs the fluffy clouds so high?

The persona wonders who hangs the fluffy clouds up so high in the sky.

Why is it now, do you suppose,That Dad won’t tell me, if he knows?

Finally, the persona wonders why his father does not answer his questions. Maybe, his father does not know the answers.

After that, the discussions lead to the persona, themes and moral values of the poem. 

The persona of the poem:

The persona is the voice in the poem (the person who might say the lines in the

poem)

The persona might be an inquisitive child who observes the world around him.

Themes: (What the poem is mainly about)

A child’s curiosity (Sifat ingin tahu kanak-kanak). Children loves to ask questions

about anything that they do not understand.

The wonders of nature (Keajaiban alam semulajadi). People who take time to stop

and appreciate nature will find that nature is amazing.

Moral values : (What can we learn from the poem)

There is an existence of God (Terdapat kewujudan Tuhan)

Care for our environment (Pelihara persekitaran)

We must have a strong desire to learn a lot of knowledge.

(Mempunyai keinginan yang tinggi untuk menambah ilmupengetahuan)