Here's the easiest and fastest way to teach your students this poem.. Make sure they understand these points..
ARE YOU STILL PLAYING YOUR FLUTE?
By Zurinah Hassan
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 the flute? In the village so quiet and deserted Amidst the sick rice field 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 | 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. ~ Zurinah Hassan |
Questions :
1. What is the persona feeling guilty of?
2. Where does the persona live? What about the flutist/ her boyfriend?
3. What is considered a luxury by the persona ?
4. Why is the village so quiet and deserted?
5. Why is the rice field sick?
6. What are the problems/hardships mentioned ?
The village is quiet and deserted. The paddy fields looked barren.
The ‘luxuries’ here refer to " watching the rain, gazing at the evening rays, collecting dew drops and enjoying the fragrance of the flower" and all these luxuries can be enjoyed in the rural areas and not in the city where everything is so busy, everybody leading a hectic and busy life.
The persona and her boyfriend, the flutist live in two different "worlds" .. The persona's lifestyle and way of thinking is now different from her boy friend's.
She feels guilty - when she misses / or longs for the beautiful melody of the bamboo flute played by her beloved long ago
because her conscience tells her that it is not a right thing to do/feel.
She cannot accept the fact that while the village is under populated and the paddy field in a deplorable state, her lover can still play the fluteand not thinking of the situation, or at least feeling bad about not being able to do anything about it..
s She also feels guilty to be thinking of their love at their difficult times. The hardships portrayed here are unemployed young men, people disunited by politics and a ‘dying’ world.
Edited by MDMNOR
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Themes/ Moral values
The village is quiet and deserted. The paddy fields looked barren.
The ‘luxuries’ here refer to " watching the rain, gazing at the evening rays, collecting dew drops and enjoying the fragrance of the flower" and all these luxuries can be enjoyed in the rural areas and not in the city where everything is so busy, everybody leading a hectic and busy life.
The persona and her boyfriend, the flutist live in two different "worlds" .. The persona's lifestyle and way of thinking is now different from her boy friend's.
She feels guilty - when she misses / or longs for the beautiful melody of the bamboo flute played by her beloved long ago
because her conscience tells her that it is not a right thing to do/feel.
She cannot accept the fact that while the village is under populated and the paddy field in a deplorable state, her lover can still play the fluteand not thinking of the situation, or at least feeling bad about not being able to do anything about it..
s She also feels guilty to be thinking of their love at their difficult times. The hardships portrayed here are unemployed young men, people disunited by politics and a ‘dying’ world.
Edited by MDMNOR
============================================================================
Themes/ Moral values
T Themes
· Adapting to changes. This is inevitable. We need to adapt to all kinds of social, economic and political changes. In this poem, the flutist is aloof to changes happening around him.
· Love and appreciate the arts.
·
Moral Values
· Aware of your family commitment.
Everyone needs to take responsibility to the changes that take place in life and act accordingly. The flutist does not succumb to the changes around him. He clings on to his roots. He is not aware of his family commitments. The persona, his former lover has progressed in life while he still leads his conventional lifestyle.
· Get your priorities right.
Eg: Village nowadays is left quiet and deserted. Rice fields are left barren, but the flutist continues to play his flute. He needs to realize there is time to play and time to work. Hence, one must get his priorities right.
Source :
C Curriculum Development Division.
What can I do about this mistake? I was not called to proof read.
just read this comment somewhere...
http://zahuren.wordpress.com/poems/are-you-still-playing-flute/#comment-1778
I am the poet mentioned here. Sorry to say that there has been a misprint. Look at the last paragraph. In the hazard of you should be in “the hazard of this city”.http://zahuren.wordpress.com/poems/are-you-still-playing-flute/#comment-1778
What can I do about this mistake? I was not called to proof read.
zurinah hassan Said: