SPM Poems

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Poems for SPM 1119/2

SPM LITERATURE COMPONENT 2012 Page 0

PREPARED BY

NO NAME SCHOOL

1 MOHD NAWAWI BIN

HUSSIN

SMK CHENDERING,

KUALA TERENGGANU

2 NAJIHAH BINTI TALAHA SMK TENGKU BARIAH,

KUALA TERENGGANU

3 HEDZLIN SHAZWANI BINTI

ADZLAN

SMK SULTAN MANSOR,

KUALA TERENGGANU

4 PAUZIMA BINTI ZAKARIA SMK PANJI ALAM,

KUALA TERENGGANU

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FOREWORD

Teaching English nowadays gets more and more challenging. In our schoolsyllabus we also have to teach English Literature Component which consists ofpoems, short stories, plays and novel.

The teaching of literature is important because students have a chance tostudy the language as well as learn new cultures. It also provides the students with

many examples of good sentence structures, correct usage of grammar andvocabulary. The teaching of literature would definitely help students to improve theirlanguage skills. Therefore, a good introduction to literature can compensate for thedeficiencies of the linguistic approach in the area of grammar, vocabulary and syntaxand it can augment the students' competence in English.

Moreover, literature exposes students to complex themes and exemplary usesof language. Great novels such as The CurseandAround the World in 80 Dayscantake students to foreign countries, exciting events and wonderful journeys. Thesestories evoke certain dilemmas and powerful emotional responses which students canreflect.

I strongly believe that using literature to teach students can help them to

become more sensitive to some of the overall features of the English Language and

enhance their linguistics ability. The aim of this module is to simplify the teaching

and learning of the literature components for both the teachers and students. I do

hope the module will play a pivotal part in our English Language classrooms.

Finally, I would like to thank all English teachers who are involved in the

publication of the module. Your excellent contribution is greatly appreciated.

ByEnglish Language UnitAcademic Management Sector

Terengganu State Education Department

(Free circulation for educational purposes only)

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

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By Latiff Mohidin

About the Poet

Latiff Mohidin was born on 25 August 1941 in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan.

He was graduated from University of Fine, Berlin. He has served as Writer in

Residence at the Science University of Malaysia (USM), the National University of

Malaysia (UKM), and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. He is not only a well-known

poet in Malaysia and South-east Asia but also a famous artist. Many of his poems

have won the Putra I Poetry Award.

Poem

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 passedthey 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 cigarette leaves

Understanding the poem in pictures

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STANZA 1

At dawn they returned home

their soaky clothes torn

and approached the stove

their limbs marked by scratchestheir legs full of wounds

but on their brows

there was not a sign of despair

The family returned home at day

break. Their clothes were wet

and torn.

They were hungry and tired.

They quickly walked towards the

stove for warmth and food.

Their bodies were covered with

scratches and wounds. Yet, they

did not display any signs of being

worried.

STANZA 2

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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'salbino buffalo that was never found

They spent the whole day and night searching for

their sons albino buffalo that was never found.

They were surrounded by dead animals and parts

of trees that had been destroyed by the flood.

STANZA 3

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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 cigarette leaves

Even though, they were born in hard times, they

did not complain about their lives.

They were still cheerful and made jokes as they

relaxed and smoked their cigarettes.

Activity 1 - Test Your Vocabulary

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Match the pictures with the words

A) o o Wounds

B) o o Stove

C) o o Flood

D) o o Carcasses

E) o o Cigarette

F) o o Tree barks

G) o o Scratches

ACTIVITY 2

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Answer the questions below

1. (i) What natural disaster had occurred?. [1 mark]

(ii) In stanza 2; which line shows that an animal had gone missing during the natural disaster.

. [1 mark]

2. Despite the conditions of the people in the poem, did they give up? Give a reason for your answer.

.. [2 marks]

3. From Stanza 1, which line shows that they were patient?

. [1 mark]

4. From Stanza 2, they had been outside the house.

(i) How long had they been out?. [1 mark]

(ii) What were they doing outside?. [1 mark]

5. In stanza 1, why are their clothes soaking wet?

. [1 mark]

6. Which phrase in the poem refers to dead animals?

. [1 mark]

7. Do you think the parents love their son so much in the poem? Give a reason for your answer.

.. [2 marks]

8. Where do you think is the setting of the poem.

. [1 mark]

9. Why are their limbs and legs full of scratches and wounds?

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. [1 mark]

10. What was unusual about the buffalo?

. [1 mark]

11. Do you think that the buffalo was important to the family? Why?

.. [2 marks]

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ANSWERS

Activity 1

A. FloodB. WoundsC. StoveD. CigaretteE. CarcassesF. Tree barksG. Scratches

Activity 2

1. (i) Flood/ flash flood(ii) Albino buffalo that was never found

2. Accept any reasonable answer. Do not award marks if no reason is given.3. And grew up without a sigh or complain4. (i) the whole day and night

(ii) looking for their sons albino buffalo

5. Because they have to wade the flood/ it was raining heavily/ they had to brave the horrendousflood

6. Bloated carcasses7. Yes/No. Accept any suitable answer. Award either 2 or 0. Do not ward mark for yes/no answer

only.

8. House/ village9. They were surrounded by dead animals, parts of trees and got scratch because of sharp/thorny

objects in the flood water. (accept any suitable answer)

10.White in colour

11.Accept any reasonable answer. Do not award marks if no reason is given

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ABOUT THE POET

BIBSY SOENHARJO

Born 22November 1928 in Jakarta,Indonesia.she was the daughter of Haji AgusSalim,one of the founding fathers of the Republic of Indonesia.

Bibsy and her siblings were taught at home and they were taught at home and theywere encouraged to pursue their own interests.

Writes under the pen name NUSAPATI for the Indonesian dailies. After returning home from a four-year stay in Japan, she began writing first prose in

1957 and then poetry in the sixties.

Her Indonesian works have been translated into English,Dutch and and Japanese. Now lives in Jakarta with Haryo Soenharjo the youngest of her three sons and his

wife,Sutji and their children.

He had such quiet eyes (Bibsy Soenharjo)

Stanza 1

He had such quiet eyes(lelaki itu mempunyai mata yg kuyu/baik)

She did not realize(perempuan itu tidak menyedari)

They were two pools of lies(terdapat penuh penipuan dimatanya)

Layered with thinnest ice(dilapisi dgn ais nipis/perempuan itu dlm bahaya)

To her, those quiet eyes (baginya, mata lelaki itu)

Were breathing desolate sighs(menunjukkan kesedihan/kesunyian/kegersangan)Imploring her to be nice(meminta dia supaya berbuat baik/tunduk)

And to render him paradise(dan memberi dia syurga/kenikmatan /memenuhi keinginannya)

Stanza 2

If only shed been wise(kalaulah dia pandai menilai/bijaksana)

And had listened to the advice(dan mendengar nasihat)

Never to compromise(iaitu tidak bertolak ansur/tidak membiarkan dirinya tergoda)

With pleasure-seeking guys(dengan lelaki buaya darat/yg suka keseronokan)

Shed be free from the hows and whys(dia akan bebas dr masalah yg membelenggu dirinya)

Stanza 3

Now heres a bit of advice (Dengarlah nasihat yg ingin disampaikan)

Be sure that nice really nice(pastikan baik bermakna benar2 baik/ikhlas)

Then youll never be losing at dice(kamu tidak akan kecewa dalam percintaan)

Though you lose your heart once or twice (walaupun kamu mungkin kecundang/patah hati sekali atau

lebih dlm percintaan)

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The Poem

STANZA 1: MEANING BY LINE

Stanza 1

He had such quiet eyesHis eyes were calm and quietShe did not realizeshe did not knowThey were two pools of lies - His eyes were like two pools with liesLayered with thinnest iceThinly veiled,like very thin iceTo her, those quiet eyes to the woman,those calm and quiet eyesWere breathing desolate sighsLooked very sad and desolateImploring her to be niceThe eyes begging her to nice to himAnd to render him paradiseAnd to give him happiness and bliss so that he

would feel like he was in paradise

Stanza 2

If only shed been wise The woman wished she had been wiser in her past actionsAnd had listened to the adviceAnd she had listened to the sound advice given to

her by people who cared about her.Never to compromiseThey had advised her not to give up her moral values or

rinciplesWith pleasure-seeking guysWhen she was with men who wanted only pleasure

and fun./Casanova/playboy.Shed 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

Now heres a bit of advice Let me give you a bit adviceBe sure that nice really niceMake sure that the person you think is nice,is truly

sincere and trustworthy.Then youll never be losing at dice- Then you will not lose in a game of love where

you can lose your heart to an undeserving man.Though you lose your heart once or twiceEven if you should fall in love and

lose your heart to love once or twice.

SYNOPSISIn this poem, the poet talks about the betrayal of a young girls feelings for a man. She believes in his

sincerity to her as he had pleaded to her to surrender to him. She is taken in by his quiet eyes. If she

had listened to advice about men who seek pleasure, she would not be in this situation. The poet

advises all young girls to be careful and not be betrayed by men.

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THEME

Betrayal of love Personal experiences Relationships that are meaningful

MORAL VALUES

Dont 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

Reflective Sad and happy Sympathetic

POINT OF VIEW

Second and third person points of viewLANGUAGE & STYLE

Simple and easy to understand Simple style with rhyming scheme

POETIC DEVICES

Imagerye.g. pools of lies, layered in thinnest ice Symbole.g quiet eyes, dice Alliteratione.g lies layered

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Activity 1 Fill in the blanks with suitable words from the poem.

He had such .eyes

She did not realiseThey were two ..of lies

Layered with ice

To her, those quiet eyes

Were breathing .sighs

Imploring her to be nice

And to ..him paradise

If only shed been wise

And had to the advice

Never to compromise

With .guys

Shed be free from the .

Now heres a bit of..

Be sure that nice really nice

Then youll never be losing at ..

.. you lose your heart once or twice

Activity 2 Find the most suitable meaning to each quotes

1. two pools of liesin stanza 1 refers to

a) two people telling lies b) a pair of eyes that are full of lies

2. eyes that were breathing desolate sighs means

a) eyes that reflect sadness b) eyes that only see sadness

3. to render him paradiseis the same as

a) to show him heaven. b) to grant him a state of bliss

4. The word quiet in the phrases he had such quiet eyes in stanza 1 means

a) sad b) calm

5. The howsand whysrefer to

a) the questions we usually ask b) the difficult question-to-solve problems of

life

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Activity 3 Match correct symbolism with its meaning.

Symbolism Meaning

1.quiet eyes a)a state of bliss

2.pools of lies b)losing at a game of chance

3.thinnest eyes c)areas of deceit

4.eyes breathing desolate sighs d)a difficult situation where solutions are not easily found

5.paradise e)eyes that pour out sadness

6.the hows and whys f)a thin veil that is easy to see through

7.losing at dice g)eyes that do not show much emotions

Activity 4

Imagine you are the persona.Write a letter to the editor of the Dear Thelma column telling her of

your broken heart.Describe to her how you were seduced by a man with charming eyes and ask for

her advice on how to get over your heart broken.You need to refer to the poem He had such quiet

eyes

Dear Thelma,

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Please help me, I am really very desperate.

From

Broken-heart

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Activity 5 Answer the questions given.

He had such quiet eyes

She did not realize

They were two pools of lies

Layered with thinnest iceTo her, those quiet eyes

Were breathing desolate sighs

Imploring her to be nice

And to render him paradise

a.What did the girl think of the mans eyes?

____________________________________________________________

b.What were the eyes asking of the girl?

____________________________________________________________

c.Which word means give or grant?

____________________________________________________________

d.Write two words that are related to feelings of happiness?

____________________________________________________________

e.What do you think the man said to convince the girl to accept him?

____________________________________________________________

Activity 6 Answer the questions given.

If only shed been wise

And had listened to the advice

Never to compromise

With pleasure-seeking guys

Shed be free from the hows and whys

a.What does the girl regret not doing?

____________________________________________________________

b.What do pleasureseeking guys normally do to nave girls?

____________________________________________________________________________

c.Do you think the girl will make the same mistake again? Why?

____________________________________________________________________________

d.The poet uses two expressions to show the girls confused thoughts.What are these expressions?

_____________________________________________________________________________

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ANSWERS

Activity 1

(refer to the poem)

Activity 2

1) b 2) a 3) b 4) b 5) b

Activity 3

1) g 2) c 3) f 4) e 5) a 6) d 7) b

Activity 4accept any suitable answers

Activity 5

a.she thought he had quiet or sincere-looking eyes.

b.Begging her to accept the man.

c. render

d. nice and paradise

e. In your own words give a reason to support your answer (use any suitable answer)

Activity 6

a. She regrets not listening to advice.

b. the man probably said she was in love with her and she should show her feelings physically as he

had asked her to render him paradise.

c. No, because she gives advice to the girls out there/she regrets for not listening the advice/she haslearnt her lesson.

d. if only and the hows and whys

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NATURE : By HD. CarberryThe Poet:

NATURE

Synopsis

Jamaica has no four seasons like spring, summer, autumn and winter. Instead, the year is

divided into cycles or short periods of bright, golden sunshine beating down on the canefields,

followed by days of heavy rain which beats noisily on the roof-tops. Though Jamaica does not haveall four seasons as in other countries, it is just as beautiful as compared to those with hot and wet

days.

Then, there are periods when the leaves from the guango trees fall and the canefields

become bare after the harvest. According to the poet, the best time is when the mango and logwood

blossom with growth of grass and flowers and the sound of buzzing bees and the fragrance of honey.

There is beauty and fine weather all around.

H.D. Carberry was born on 12 July 1921 in Montreal,Canada and migrated to Jamaica when he was still

an infant,

A law practitioner He was also a poet and contributed greatly to the

literary world.

He wrote this poem with much focus and affectionabout his island, his people, his heritage , love,

humanity and nature.

He died on June 28, 1989 at the age of 68.

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UNDERSTANDING THE POEM:

The poem meanings

We have neither summer nor winter

Neither Autumn nor Spring

We (in Jamaica) dont have four seasons

of summer, winter, autumn or spring

We have instead the days Instead, we only have variety of days:

When the gold sun shines on the lush green

canefields-

There are days when the sun shines

brightly on the rich green fields of

sugarcane.

Magnificently It is a beautiful and magnificent sight

The days when the rain beats like bullets on

the roofs

There are days of heavy rain which beats

rapidly and noisily on the roof-tops

And there is no sound but the swish of water

in the gullies

The only sound heard (during rainy days)

is that of water flowing in the gullies

And trees struggling in the high Jamaica

winds

There are times when trees struggle to

stay rooted in the strong Jamaican winds

Also there are the days when leaves fade

from off guango trees

There are days when leaves fall from

guango trees

And the reaped canefields lie bare and

fallow to the sun

And the harvested canefields lie empty

and unproductive in the sun

But the best of all there are the days when

the mango and the logwood blossom

But the best times in our country is when

the mango trees and the logwood

blossom and flower

When the bushes are full of the sound of

bees and the scent of honey

(still the best moment) The bushes are

filled with the buzzing of bees and

wonderful smell of honey

When the tall grass sways and shivers to the

slightest breath of air

When the tall grass moves gracefully to

the gentlest breeze

When the buttercups have paved the earth

with yellow stars

When the buttercups lace the ground with

yellow stars

And beauty comes suddenly and the rains

have gone

Beauty comes immediately after the rain

stops

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From the poems:

1) Instead of having no regular four seasons in a year, Jamaica has a changing days of hot sunnydays and cold rainy days.

2) During sunny days, the sun is very hot and is described like gold - it shines brightly.3) On the other hand, the rain comes in a torrential shower like bullets shooting on the roof ofhouses4) There are also sad moments for the poet: strong windy days which make it difficult for trees

to stay rooted on the ground, leaves fall from trees and barren harvested canefields lie fallow

to the sun.

5) The best moment in Jamaica :i) When the mango trees and the logwood blossom bearing fruitsii) When the smell of honey emerges from the bushesiii) When the gentle breeze of air sways the tall grassiv) When the earth is filled with a buttercups

6) Those four moment marks the coming of beautiful days in Jamaica (the poet loves thesituation)7) Words list :

1. Lush (Adj)abundant, dense, flourishing, verdant, luxurious, opulent, plush

2. Canefields (Noun)sugarcane fields or plantations

3. Magnificently (Adv)splendidly, gloriously, gorgeously, imposingly, impressively,

majestically, regally, excellently, brilliantly, finely, outstandingly, superbly

4. Beats (Verb) - hits, bangs, batter, knocks, pounds, strikes, thrashes

5. Swish (Noun) - to move or make something move quickly through the air with a quiet

sound

6. Gullies (Noun)channel, ditch, gutter, watercourse.

7. Struggling (Noun)fighting, battling, competing, contending, grappling, wrestling

8. Fade (Verb)pale, bleach, discolour, lose colour, wash out, dwindle, decline, die away,

disappear, vanish, vane

9. Guango trees (Noun)a type of tree unique to Jamaica

10. Reaped (Adj)collected, brought in, garnered, gathered, harvested

11. Bare (Adj)naked, nude, stripped

12. Fallows (Adj)uncultivated, dormant, idle, inactive, resting, implanted, unused

13. Logwood (Noun)a type of tree unique to Jamaica

14. Blossom (Verb)flower, bloom, bud

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15. Scent (Noun)fragrance, aroma, odour, perfume, smell

16. Sways (Verb)leans, bends, rocks, rolls, swings

17. Shivers (Verb)trembles, quakes, quivers, shakes, shudders, flutters

18. Slightest (Adj)smallest, most feeble, most insignificant, most meager,

slimmest, most trivial, most unimportant

19. Breath (Noun)respiration, breathing, exhalation, gasp, gulp, inhalation, pant, wheeze

20. Buttercups (Noun)small shiny yellow wild flowers

21. Paved (Verb)covered, concreted, floored, surfaced, tiled

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