Literature Component Form 3

Poetry

PREPARED BY
NO

NAME

TOHARAH BINTI OMAR

FADHILAH BINTI ABDUL

RAHIM
HADIJAH BINTI ABDULLAH

SCHOOL
SMK TENGKU LELA SEGARA,
MARANG
SMK SULTAN SULAIMAN,
KUALA TERENGGANU
SMK PADANG KEMUNTING,
KUALA TERENGGANU

Literature Component Form 3

Poetry

FOREWORD
Teaching English nowadays gets more and more challenging. In our school
syllabus we also have to teach English Literature Component which consists of
poems, short stories, plays and novel.
The teaching of literature is important because students have a chance to
study the language as well as learn new cultures. It also provides the students
with many examples of good sentence structures, correct usage of grammar and
vocabulary. The teaching of literature would definitely help students to improve
their language skills. Therefore, a good introduction to literature can compensate
for the deficiencies of the linguistic approach in the area of grammar, vocabulary
and syntax and it can augment the students' competence in English.
Moreover, literature exposes students to complex themes and exemplary
uses of language. Great novels such as The Curse and Around the World in 80
Days can take students to foreign countries, exciting events and wonderful
journeys. These stories evoke certain dilemmas and powerful emotional
responses which students can reflect.
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.

By
English Language Unit
Academic Management Sector
Terengganu State Education Department
(Free circulation for educational purposes only)

A Fighters Lines
By
Marzuki Ali
2

Literature Component Form 3

Poetry

A Fighters Lines is a
beautiful poem
written by Marzuki
Ali who was born
in Terengganu,
Malaysia. He has
been involved with
writing poems
since 1960s up till
today. He is keen
on writing poems
pertaining to the
wonders of his
hometown and
I am old and
the development
of worn
its surroundings.
Most of them
are lost
focused
on patriotism. He is actively involved
and have
all my strength
in Malaysian
and Indonesian theatre. What is more interesting
sufferings
about himand
is the
that
many
poems have been published by
history
fightof
forhis
independence
Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur.
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

A FIGHTERS LINES
Wake up and form (by
ranks
sons of our
Marzuki
Ali)
ancestor
Be brave
And erect a wall of people
Stand up heirs of our freedom
I have no more voice
3 who should speak!
It is you now

Stanza 2
worried about challenges and deceit in his country. That is deceit like cheating and corruption everywhere

Stanza 1
ak. He was a soldier who fought for independence and freedom. He has sacrificed and suffered a lot for hi

SUMMARY - by Stanza
Literature Component Form 3
Poetry

Persona
An old soldier who has fought for the independence for his cou
Message
(Possibly the poet himself.)
Age may crush your ability but not your spirit.
Setting
Society must be free of corruption.
Place : Independent country
People should be united and fght for justice.
Time : Post Independent period
5

Elements of the Poem

A FIGHTERS LINES
(By Marzuki Ali)

Stanza 4
dy will listen to him because he is old and powerless now. He demands that young people speak up for ju

Stanza 3
nd stand up for their freedom. He wants them to unite and fight for justice. He tells them to protect this c

Literature Component Form 3

Poetry

Language & Style

Free verse
Direct, straightforward language
Literary devices: imagery, alliteration, metaphor, irony

Tone & Mood

Serious & thoughtful

Themes
Patriotism
An appeal for freedom and justice

Moral Values
Patriotism
Honesty
Literature Component Form 3
Poetry

ACTIVITY 1
READ THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE. FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH
SUITABLE WORDS.
The former soldier sits in his................(1) and recalls the war he
fought in. It was a fght for ..............(2) for his country. During the war, he
became ..........(3) and crippled. Though crushed in body and..........(4), he
feels strongly against the.............(5) he sees around him. This has to put
to an.................(6). It can only be done if people join together as a...........
(7) force and speak out. They have to work together to bring
about ..............(8) in their nation.

ACTIVITY 2
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS
1. Who wrote the poem A Fighters lines?
............................................................................................................
.........
2. Which words in the poem tell us the persona is weary and has been
around a long time?
...............................................................................................................
...........
3. Who is the persona in this poem?
...............................................................................................................
.............
4. Who is the persona addressing in this poem?
...............................................................................................................
..............
5. What has the younger generation inherited from their forefathers?
...............................................................................................................
..............

ACTIVITY 3
MATCH THE PHRASES IN COLUMN A WITH THE PHRASES IN
COLUMN B

COLUMN A
1. The persona became crippled
rule

COLUMN B
(a) free from colonial

2. To be worn out is to

(b) in body and spirit

3. Our nation fought for

the
Independence to

(c) corruption among

be nations leaders.

4. The persona feels crushed

(d) united and courageous

5. The persona feels helpless

for he

(e) overcome it and be

successful

6. To face a challenge is to be able to

weak
7. The net of deceit refers to

(f) feel tired and

(g) after
fghting in the war for
Independence

8. To stand up for justice,

crippled
people have to be

(h) is old and

ACTIVITY 4
MATCH THE WORDS IN COLUMN A WITH THEIR MEANINGS IN
COLUMN B
COLUMN A
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Crushed
Suffering
Force
Sacrifce
Energy
Disturb
Remnants
Deceit
or interests
9. Erect
10. Ancestors

COLUMN B
(a)broken down in spirit
(b)compel
(c)remains
(d)distress
(e) cause anxiety
(f)forefathers
(g)corruption
(h)act of forgoing our own needs
(i)power
(j)build

ACTIVITY 5
FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH THE CORRECT ANSWERS.

1. The poem, The Fighters lines, is written by..............................................

2. The persona had fought for the .............................................of the
country and had seen a lot of................................... . He and his friends
had made ......................................and lost count of the lives lost in the
course of time.
3. The persona feels handicapped as he is now .......................................
and worn and is crushed in ........................... and energy.
4. However, he can see the problems which are affecting the country and
they are too big of a .................................... for him simply because he
is ....................................... and ............................ and cannot do much.
5. The social problem that is currently affecting society is
the................................... that is everywhere.
6. The persona wants the youths who are ....................................... of the
freedom he and others had fought for to come forward in the name
of.........................................
7. The persona says that the youths should be........................................... ,
willing to ................................ up and be united as
a .................................
8. The persona says that the old have no more.........................................
or say and it is the ............................ people who should speak out.
ACTIVITY 6
WRITE TRUE (T) OR FALSE (F) FOR THE STATEMENTS BELOW

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

The persona is an old man.

The persona wants the youth to sacrifce their lives.
The youth of today do not care for their country.
The persona is disturbed by the spread of poverty in the country.
The poem shows us that the old man pass his responsibilities
to the young.
6. The persona has endured much suffering.
7. The word you in the last line of the poem refers to soldiers.
8. The main theme of the poem is patriotism.
9. The persona is angry with the young people.
10.
The persona feels that the youths have done enough
for their country.

ACTIVITY 7
Match the sentence parts. Then rearrange the sentence in the correct order.
speak up and make the necessary changes
maintain our freedom
dishonest practices spreading throughout the nation
tired and lacking in strength
countrys struggle for independence
spend the rest of his days in a wheelchair
and his energy depleted
he cannot do anything about it
cannot be named or remembered
to rally bravely in support

In the name of fairness, the persona calls upon us

________________________________________
He feels helpless because, although he can see what is
happening around him, _________________
He suffered much during his
__________________________________________________________

The persona is so weak that he has to

___________________________________________________
The persona is a fghter who is old and
__________________________________________________
The persona has done his part and he wants us to stand up
and act to _________________________
His sacrifces are beyond description and
________________________________________________
It is now the younger generation who should
_____________________________________________
His body is damaged
_______________________________________________________________
For the rest of his crippled life, the persona can only worry
about the _________________________

ACTIVITY 8
Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the box.

energy

challenges

wheelchair

young

disturbed

fght

bravely
disorder

responsibility

independence

A Fighters Lines is a call of patriotism for young people to speak

up. The persona is a fghter who has struggled for the (1)_______________
of the country and is now old and disabled. He is wheelchair bound and
he feels tired physically and crushed spiritually. He has suffered much in
the (2) _______________ for independence. Now, he looks sadly at his
country that has won independence and is (3) ___________________ by what
he sees.
There is much (4) ____________________ that he sees in the country
and he feels pained. He feels that he cannot do anything about it because
he does not have the (5) ___________. Life for him is only from his (6)
_____________________, and therefore he appeales to the young people to
wake up and do something.
The present times are hard times. The (7) _____________________
are big and the persona can do nothing, trapped as he is in the wheel
chair. The (8) ____________________ people are enjoying freedom only
because people like the persona sacrifced their lives for the country.
Therefore it is the duty of the young heirs of freedom to fght (9)
__________________ and to form a united wall of people. It is their (10)
_____________________ to speak for the people. The baton has to be passed
on to the next generation.

ACTIVITY 9
Match the words in Column A with their synonyms in column B and
identify the location of the words in the poem. The frst one has been
done for you.
Column A
Column B
1
Challenge
A
Fairness
2
Deceit
B
Self-government
3
Remnants
C
Difficulty (line 11)
4
Crippled
D
Forefathers
5
Justice
E
What is given up
6
Independence
F
Dishonesty
7
Sacrifces
G
Disabled
8
ancestors
H
What is left behind
ACTIVITY 10
Read the poem and answer the questions.

1. Why has the persona lost his strength?

2. Why do his sacrifces have no name?
3. Where is he going to spend the rest of his days?
4. What disturb the persona a great deal?
5. What are the two things he asks the young people to do?
6. What are the two phrases he uses to address the young people?
7. What is the main theme of this poem?
8. How can the people form a wall?
9. What special quality must these people have?
10.

How do you feel after reading this poem?

Answer Key

Activity 1
1. wheelchair
2. independence
3. disabled
4. soul/spirit
5. corruption
6. end
7. task
8. justice
Activity 2
1. Marzuki Ali
2. Old and worn
3. He is probably a veteran
soldier who has fought for
Independence
4. He is addressing the younger
generation
5. They have inherited their
Independence from their
forefathers

2. a
3. b
4. h
5. i
6. e
7. c
8. g
9. j
10.f
Activity 5
1. Marzuki Ali
2. independence, sufferings,
sacrifces
3. old, spirit/soul
4. challenge, old, crippled
5. corruption
6. force, justice
7. brave/courageous, speak
8. voice, young

Activity 3
1. b
2. f
3. a
4. g
5. h
6. e
7. c
8. d

Activity 6
1. T
2. F
3. F
4. F
5. T
6. T
7. F
8. T
9. F
10.F

Activity 4
1. d

Activity 7
1. ... to rally bravely in support.

2. ... he cannot do anything

about it.
3. ... countrys struggle for
independence.
4. ... spends the rest of his days
in a wheelchair.
5. ... tired and lacking in
strength.
6. ... maintain our freedom.
7. ... cannot be named or
remembered.
8. ... speak up and make the
necessary changes.
9. ... and his energy depleted
10.... dishonest practices
spreading throughout the
nation.
The sequence of the poem
8, 6, 2, 4, 1, 9, 3, 10, 5, 7
Activity 8
1. independence
2. fght
3. disturbed
4. disorder
5. energy
6. wheelchair
7. challenges
8. young
9. bravely
10.responsibility

Activity 9
1. C line 11
2. F line 13
3. H line 12
4. G line 12
5. A line 15
6. B line 4
7. E line 5
8. D line 16
Activity 10
1. He is old and worn out.
2. They are many and cannot be
named easily.
3. He will be stucked in his
wheelchair.
4. He is bothered by the
dishonesty he sees around
him.
5. He wants them to wake up and
form a wall of people.
6. sons of our ancestors and
heirs of freedom.
7. People should be honest and
good citizens. They should
love their country and work for
its success.
8. They must unite to form that
wall.
9. They must be brave.
10.I think the poem is good and
suits the present times well. I
like the poem.

15

POETS BACKGROUND
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like stars at night.
No time to turn at Beautys glance,
And watch her feet how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

by William Henry Davies

LEISURE

 William Henry Davies was born in Newport, Monmouthshire,Wales.

After finishing school at the age of 15, he became an apprentice to a local
picture-frame maker.
After his apprenticeship, he travelled to America, to New York and then to
Klondike.
He returned to England after losing a foot whilst jumping a train in
Canada.
Upon his return in Britain he led a poor life, hard life living in London
lodging houses.
He married Emma in 1923.
His first poems were published when he was 34.
His poems highlight natures beauty based and his observations on the
hardships in life.
He wrote two novels and autobiographical works.
His best known novel is Autobiography of a Super-Tramp.
He died in 1940.

Couplet
1
2
3
4
5

Description
What type of life do we have if we do not have the time to just relax
and do not take time to appreciate the things going on around us.
We should take the time to stand under a tree and do nothing just like
sheep and cows which graze in the fields. They are just standing and
staring at their surroundings.
Take the time to look around when we pass woods full of trees. Look
at the squirrels as they scurry around hiding their nuts in their nuts in
the grass.
The river or streams glimmer and shimmer in the sunlight like stars
at night. We will notice this only if we take the time to watch the
rivers or streams.
We have no time to appreciate the beauty of nature and the people
that is around us. If we look carefully, we can see how this natural
beauty dances in the winds and under the sun or a beautiful dancer
16

dancing gracefully.
Take the time to enjoy the smile of another person or the beauty of
nature. Watch how the smile starts from the eyes and spreads
gradually to the mouth.
We have a poor life if we really have no time to relax mentally or
physically.

6
7

SUMMARY OF THE POEM

The poem Leisure is about the need to find time for leisure in order to live
a fulfilling life.
The persona highlights the busy lives of Man today which doesnt give
them much time to relax and enjoy nature.
The persona wants the reader to imagine what life would be if we dont
even have time to enjoy the simple things in life, like watching wildlife,
observing streams sparkling in the sunlight and admiring the stars
twinkling at night.
The persona emphasizes again that a life without leisure is a sad life.

ELEMENTS OF LEISURE

Setting
-The time setting is present, any time of the day.
-The place is in a park, a garden, a field or in the Countryside.

Persona

-The persona is a young person.

-The persona uses the first person we.
-The persona is a person who seems too burdened with study or work.
-The persona is also likely to be someone who has gone through life and
can now reflect upon it.

Themes
17

-People today are too busy to appreciate nature.

-Todays life is bogged down with work and worries.
-Having a balance of work and play in life.
-The need to balance our activities in life.
-The need to take time to enjoy life.
-The need to find time for rest or relax and put leisure time to good use.

Moral Values
We should lead a balanced life.
We should spend time appreciating nature.
We need to take advantage of our free time to live a better lifestyle
We should use leisure time creatively to strengthen aour minds and hearts.
We should take note of the beautiful things around us.
Do not be- blind to simple pleasures in life and you will be rich mentally
and spiritually.
o Appreciate people, animals and things however small and simple.
o Everything we see, touch and hear make our life beautiful.
o
o
o
o
o
o

Personification
Beautys glance- personified as a woman who can dance and has a wide smile.

ENRICHMENT EXERCISES
Task 1
Fill in the blanks with words from the box to understand the poem.
Study
Hide

Leisure
shining

Time
cattle

Unhurriedly
Unhappiness

The poem is about a persona who is overburdened with work or (1)________The

persona has come to realize that he will have to take a break from all his responsibilities and
find time for (2)___________
He realizes that (3)________________________ must be given for enjoying activities
or interests that need to be done (4)______________.He gives examples of how he has been
so pressed for time that he has had no time to just do nothing like the
18

(5)_________________. He also has passed by woods quickly without stopping to see the
squirrels (6)________________ their nuts. One other thing he has no time for is the night
view of stars (7)_______
When seasons comehe has no time to neither enjoy them nor realize when they change.
The persona resigns to the fact that life will be full of worries and
(8)_________________ because he does not have any time to relax and enjoy life.

Task 2
Say if these statements about the persona are True (T) or False (F)
1
2
3
4
5
6

He has a lot of work to do.

He has not had time to relax.
He wants to live in the woods.
He is always in a hurry.
He has not enjoyed watching stars.
He realizes that he needs leisure time.

(
(
(
(
(
(

)
)
)
)
)
)

Task 3
Match the words in the box to their meanings as used in the poem.
Leisure
Glance

Care
enrich

State
Poor

Beneath
Daylight

The time where you do not have to work; spare time

______________

Something that makes you worried or unhappy.

______________

To look at somebody or something for a long time.

______________

Under.

______________

A quick look.

______________

To improve the quality of something.

______________

Of low quality or a bad position

______________

During the day; when it is easy to see.

______________

Task 4
The poem is written in couplets with words that rhyme at the end of each line. List these
words.

19

Stanza 1:___________________________________,___________________________
Stanza 2:___________________________________,___________________________
Stanza 3:__________________________________,____________________________
Stanza 4:__________________________________, ____________________________
Stanza 5:__________________________________,____________________________
Stanza 6:__________________________________,____________________________
Stanza 7:__________________________________,____________________________
Task 5
Tick the values that are related to the good quality of life as suggested in the poem.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Preoccupied with work

Keeping busy
Managing time well
Moderation
Worrying about things
Admiring nature
Taking time to relax
Unhappiness with life

(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(

)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)

Task 6
Choose the best answer.
1.What do cows and sheep do in the field?
A
Graze the grass
B
Mow the grass
C
Pick up litter
D
Stand and sleep
2.Which of the following animals are considered dairy animals?
A
Cows
B
Sheep
C
Chicken
D
Squirrel
20

3.Streams are full of stars because of the

A
reflection of sunlight
B
ripples in the water
C
heavy rainfall
D
lightning
4.According to the poem, Beauty can do the following except
A
smile
B
dance
C
glance
D
scream
5.The last line in the poem means we
A
have no time to relax
B
Have not set aside for work
C
cannot stand on our own two feet
D
should look around carefully before we relax
6.The main theme in the poem Leisure is
A
work hard
B
Perseverance in work
C
Relaxation is a part of life
D
Take it easy for good health.

Task 7
Answer all questions

What is the main idea in the first stanza?

_______________________________________________________________

What point is the persona making when he mentions about sheep and cows?
_______________________________________________________________

What do the streams look like under the hot sun?

_______________________________________________________________

21

What are the two themes of the poem?

_______________________________________________________________

What are the messages of the poem?

_______________________________________________________________

Give reasons why we should take time to appreciate the beauty of nature?
_______________________________________________________________

What is the significance of the poem in our life?

_______________________________________________________________

What is Nature personified as?

_______________________________________________________________

PMR PRACTICE
Exercise1
1

What emotion is the persona expressing in the poem?

_____________________________________________________

In the last line, the persona uses the words not time to stand and stare. What two actions
of people is he referring to when he says this?

(a)______________________________________________________________________
(b)______________________________________________________________________
Exercise 2
1

What does the persona means he says What is this life, full of care?
22

________________________________________________________________
2 What two things does the persona suggest we should do?
(a)_______________________________________________________________
(b)_______________________________________________________________
Exercise 3
1

What is the poets message in the poem?

_______________________________________________________________________

Based on the poem, state what these lines mean?

streams full of stars

_______________________________________________________________________

And stare as long as sheep or cows.

_______________________________________________________________________

Exercise 4
1

According to the persona, what kind of life do we lead today?

_____________________________________________________________

How is Beauty personified?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 5
1.What does the phrase full of care mean?
_____________________________________________________________________
b. How long does the persona think we should stare at trees?
______________________________________________________________________

23

2.What does the persona emphasize in the poem?

________________________________ __________________________________
Exercise 6
1.a. What can we expect to see when we pass by the woods?
________________________________________________________________________
b.Why are the streams full of stars during the day?
________________________________________________________________________
2.According to the persona, what would make life worthless?
________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 7
1 a. What does the line No Time to turn at Beautys glance mean?

b How does the persona describe a life without leisure?

2 How does the persona view nature?

Exercise 8
1 a. State one example of how nature is personified in the poem.

b What does stand and stare represent?

24

2 How does the persona view nature?

Exercise 9
1 a. What does no time to stand and stare tell you about todays pace of life?

b. What do verses 5 and 6 to tell us about Mans attitude towards natures beauty?

c. What does the persona suggest we do for leisure?

ANSWERS
Task 1:
1.study

2.leisure

3.time

6.hide

7.shining

8.unhappiness

Task 2:1.T

2.T

4.T

3.F

Task 3: 1.leisure 2.care 3.stare

4.unhurriedly

5.T

5.cattle

6.T

4.beneath

5.glance 6.enrich

Task 4:
25

7.poor

8.daylight

Stanza 1: care, stare

Stanza 2:boughs, cows

Stanza 3:pass,grass

Stanza 4:daylight, night

Stanza 5: glance,dance

Stanza 6:can , began

Stanza 7: care,stare
Task5
managing time well,
Task 6
1.A 2.A

3.B

moderation,

4.D

5.A

admiring nature,

taking time to relax.

6.C

Task 7
1. We are so engrossed in our everyday worries that we do not have time for leisure.
2. These animals live in a simple world unlike ours.
3. They look a sky full of stars.
4. lack of recreational activities in life.
a. -Beauty of nature
5. We should lead a balanced life and we should spend time appreciating nature.
6. We can see squirrels hiding their nuts in trees and glimmer in the streams and stare at
the beauty of nature.
7. We are reminded that life is not about working all the time and we should have time to
relax and enjoy the beauty of nature.
8. A beautiful woman.

Answers:
Exercise 1
1 Regret/Disappointment
2 (a) People being too busy to relax
(b) People not appreciating the nature.
Exercise2
1 He means that our lives are full of worries and problems.
2 (a)Learn to relax more.
(b)Learn to appreciate the beauty of nature.
Exercise 3
1 That we should relax more.
2 (a)Sunlight being reflected in the streams.
26

(b)Relax like common animals? Not worry too much.

(REFERENCE:PELANGI TOP GEAR ENGLISH FORM 3-MATHILDA XAVIER)
Exercise 4
1 We lead a life full of care and worry.
2 Beauty is personified as having feet that dance and mouth and eyes that smile.
(REFERENCE:ILMU BAKTI-Modulpentaksiranpmr 2012)
Ex 5: 1a.lot of responsibilities
1b.as long as sheep and cows
2.The need for a balance between work and play.
Ex 6 1.a.squirrels hiding their nuts in the grass
1b. Due to the reflection of the sunlight
2.not having time to relax
Ex 7 1a.No time to appreciate the beauty of nature
1b A poor life
2 The persona views nature as a source of relaxation
Ex8 1a.Nature is likened as a woman dancing in grace
1b The simple things in life
2 concerned
Ex9

1a.Hectic
1b They are ignorant towards the beauty of nature
2 Observe nature/ the simple things in life.

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