A FIGHTERS LINES

I am old and worn

and have lost all my strength
sufferings
and the history of the fight for independence
have forced sacrifices
that know no name
or life
from the wheelchair of the rest of my days
I, body and energy crushed
see and cannot do much
these times are too big a challenge
for the remnants of my crippled years
the net of deceit spread everywhere
disturbs me
In the name of justice
Wake up and form ranks sons of our ancestor
Be brave
And erect a wall of people
Stand up heirs of our freedom
I have no more voice
It is you now who should speak!
-

Marzuki Ali

1. Who is the persona in the poem?

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2. (a) What does the word history in line 4 refer to?

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(b) Why does the persona feel helpless?

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3. What kind of tone do you sense from the first two stanzas?
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4. (a) Why does the persona feel helpless?

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(b) Describe what the poet means by the last two lines in stanza 2.
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5. What does the phrase a wall refers to?

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6. (a) Who is referred to by the pronoun you in the last line?

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(b)What message is the poet trying to spread? Explain

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ANSWERS:
PRACTICE 1
1. A soldier
1. (a)The war fought for independence
(b) He has been injured due to his involvement in the war for independence. Now he is old and
disabled and cannot do much to free his country from new challenges. He still cares for the
country but unable to fight as he used to do.
PRACTICE 3
1. In the Stanzas 1 and 2, the persona enhances the tone of frustration as he shares his
disabilities and weariness of not being able to fight for the country anymore.

1. (a) He is old and disabled

(b) He voices out the problem encountered by the younger generation nowadays. He implies
how the modern generation deceives each other and how the deceit is being spread day by day
and it obviously bothers him.

PRACTICE 5
1. United population. In order to fight for our freedom, first we have to be united.

1. (a) younger generation

(b) We must defend our independence after the hardships that our late warriors had been
through as they sacrificed themselves to grant us the peace that we are able to enjoy now. With
all of our efforts, we must work hard to retain it.