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DRAFT

LITERATURE COMPONENT FOR FORM 4

Poetry
Table of Contents.
Introduction
Poets background
In The Midst Of Hardship
- Synopsis
- Activities

He Had Such Quiet Eyes


- Synopsis
- Activities
Assessment
Glossary
Panel of writers

In The Midst Of Hardship


He Had Such Quiet Eyes

Latif Mohidin

Bibsy Soenharjo

Curriculum Development Division. Ministry of Education Malaysia. 2009

POETRY

About Poetry

Poetry

What is poetry? Poetry is a genre that is very different from prose and drama.
Poetry is distinguished by moving us deeply. A poem is an expression of a vision that is
rendered in a form intelligible and pleasurable to others and so likely to arouse kindred
emotions.

There are as many definitions of poetry as there are poets. Wordsworth defined
poetry as "the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings". Emily Dickinson said, "If I
read a book and it makes my body so cold no fire ever can warm me, I know that is
poetry" and Dylan Thomas defined poetry this way: "Poetry is what makes me laugh or
cry or yawn, what makes my toenails twinkle, what makes me want to do this or that or
nothing." In short, it is the epitome of life, the elixir of enjoyment.

Poetry is a lot of things to a lot of people. Homer's epic, The Odyssey, described
the wanderings of the adventurer, Odysseus, and has been called the greatest story
ever told. During the English Renaissance, dramatic poets like John Milton, Christopher
Marlowe, and of course Shakespeare gave us enough to fill textbooks, lecture halls, and
universities. Poems from the romantic period include Goethe's Faust (1808), Coleridge's
"Kubla Khan" and John Keats' "Ode on a Grecian Urn."

POETRY

Characteristics of Poetry

Poetry

One of the most definable characteristics of the poetry is economy of language.


Poets are miserly and unrelentingly critical in the way they dole out words to a
page. Carefully selecting words for conciseness and clarity is standard, even for
writers of prose, but poets go well beyond this, considering a word's emotive
qualities, its musical value, its spacing, and yes, even its spacial relationship to
the page.

The paragraph in a poem is called a stanza or a verse. Poetry does not


necessarily have to have ordered/regular standards.

Poetry is evocative. It typically evokes in the reader an intense emotion: joy,


sorrow, anger, catharsis, love and the like.

Poetry has the ability to surprise the reader with an Ah Ha! Experience -revelation, insight, further understanding of elemental truth and beauty. Like
Keats said:
"Beauty is truth. Truth, beauty.
That is all ye know on Earth and all ye need to know."

Predominant use of imagery which appeals to the senses - of sight, hearing,


touch, taste and smell. You might be interested in the terminology of the different
imagery. They are as follows:
o Visual imagery sense of sight
e.g. It was as strange as an ocean without water.
o Aural/auditory imagery - sense of hearing
e.g. Her voice was like the roar of a lion.
o Kinesthetic/tactile imagery sense of touch
e.g. Her skin was as soft as satin.

o Gustatory imagery sense of taste


e.g. Her voice was like warm honey on a cold morning.
o Olfactory imagery - sense of smell
e.g. Her cheeks were like the perfume of roses.

Poems contain figurative language (e.g. simile, metaphor, personification,


hyperbole, etc.)

Poems may include rhythm (the regular recurrence of stressed and unstressed
beats)

Poems may contain rhyme.

Poems contain sound devices (e.g. assonance, alliteration, consonance,


onomatopoeia, etc.) to support the content of a poem.

The table below will give you a quick look at the characteristics of poetry.

Characteristics of Poetry

POETRY

Types of Poetry

Poetry

There are many types of poetry but the more common ones will be dealt with below.

Haiku
Haiku is a Japanese poem composed of three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and
five syllables. Haiku poetry originated in the sixteenth century and reflects on
some aspect of nature and creates images.
Temple bells die out.
The fragrant blossoms remain.
A perfect evening!

Limericks
Limericks are short sometimes bawdy, humorous poems consisting of five lines.
Lines 1, 2, and 5 of a Limerick have seven to ten syllables and rhyme with one
another. Lines 3 and 4 have five to seven syllables and also rhyme with each
other.
There was an Old Man with a gong,
Who bumped at it all day long;
But they called out, 'O law!
You're a horrid old bore!'
So they smashed that Old Man with a gong.

Cinquain
Cinquain (cinq which means five in French) has five lines. Line 1 is one word
(the title). Line 2 is two words that describe the title. Line 3 is three words that
tell the action. Line 4 is four words that express the feeling. Line 5 is one word
that recalls the title. American poet Adelaide Crapsey created the cinquain
based on the Japanese haiku.
Dinosaurs
Lived once,
Long ago, but
Only dust and dreams
Remain

An ABC Poem
An ABC poem has a series of lines that create a mood, picture, or feeling. Lines
are made up of words and phrases. The first word of line 1 begins with an A, the
first word of line 2 begins with a B etc.
A lthough things are not perfect
B ecause of trial or pain
C ontinue in thanksgiving
D o not begin to blame
E ven when the times are hard
F ierce winds are bound to blow

Acrostic Poem
An acrostic poem, sometimes called a name poem, uses a word for its subject.
Then each line of the poem begins with a letter from the subject word. This type
of poetry doesn't have to rhyme.
Here's an example using the word school:
Shabonee is where I go
Computers, spirals, books, and more
Homework every night
On math, science, reading, and social studies
Our class does lots of fun projects
Learning never stops

Concrete/Shape Poem
In this kind of poetry, the words themselves form a picture. It is based on the
spacing of words. The pattern of the letters illustrate the meaning of the poem. It
does not have to rhyme and can be of any length.

Try this out. What do you think the shape of the poem resembles?

)
a
pen
_cil
holds
a gr
eater
know
ledge
than
any c
omp
uter,
a pen
cil hol
ds 100
years
of ex
peri
ence
and
has
been
thro
ugh
the
stori
es of
milli
ons

POETRY

Elements of Poetry

Poetry

The elements in prose and poetry are almost similar. The table below will best illustrate
the terminology used where the elements are concerned.
PROSE/DRAMA

POETRY

Plot

Subject matter

Theme

Theme

Characterization

Very rarely

Point of view

Voice/persona

Tone

Tone

Mood

Mood

Sources
URL
: http://contemporarylit.about.com/od/poetry/a/poetry.htm
Date accessed : 12 October 2009
URL
: http://hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/davidc/6c_files/Poem%20pics/
cinquaindescrip.htm
Date accessed : 12 October 2009

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

Poets Background
LATIFF MOHIDIN

Born on 25 August 1941 in Negeri Sembilan, Latiff Mohidin was educated at Lenggeng,
Seremban, Singapore, and the University of Fine Arts in Berlin. This poet and artist has held
exhibitions of his works and travelled abroad extensively in the 1960s and 1970s. He has
served as Writer in Residence at the Science University of Malaysia, Penang, the National
University of Malaysia and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. At present, Latiff is a freelance poet
and artist. His poems have won the Putra I poetry Award. Among his books are: Sungai Mekong
(1972), Kembara Malam (1974), and Wayang Pak Dalang (1977). Garis: Dari Titik ke Titik
(1988), a book on the creative process (art and poetry), won the Honourable Diploma Prize at
the Festival of International Books at Leipzig, Germany in 1989.
Latiff Mohidin is usually known for his graphic and imagistic experiment. He addresses
social themes in his poems, illustrating the all-important concept that poetry serves society.
Among the poems he has written are Dream 1, Mirror, The Puppeteers Wayang, Words Adrift
on Air, The Legend of the Dawn, His Thick Shroud, The Shore of Time, Mask of My Name is
Rawana and A City, A Grandmother and Death.

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

Poets Background
BIBSY SOENHARJO

Bibsy Soenharjo was born in Jakarta on 22 November 1928. Bibsy and her siblings were
homeschooled and each was encouraged to pursue their own interests. She had a particular
fondness for literature and, after returning home from a four-year stay in Japan, Bibsy began
writing her first prose in 1957, and then poetry in the 60s. The Literary Review, an international
quarterly published by Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, USA, published her first
four literary pieces in their Autumn and Spring Editions in 1967 and 1968 respectively. In 1967
also, her poem, Jakarta, March 1967 was published in the Australian magazine Hemisphere,
while Setelah Gerhana Bulan (After the Eclipse of the Moon) was published in Gelanggang, an
Indonesian cultural magazine now defunct.
Her poems have appeared in bilingual anthologies, with her Indonesian works translated
into English, Dutch and Japanese and her English poems into Indonesian and Dutch. She
continued to write prose pieces in Indonesian that appeared in Jakarta dailies under the pen
name Nuspati.
Bibsy Soenharjo now lives in Jakarta with the youngest of her three sons, Haryo, his wife
Sutji and their children.

10

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

Synopsis
This poem tells of the hardship that a family in a village faces after a big flood. The elders return
at dawn in soaking-wet clothes. They go straight to the kitchen. They are probably hungry. Their
hands and legs are bruised but they do not show any sign of despair or of losing hope.
After braving the dreadful flood for the last 24 hours, they still can not find their sons albino
buffalo. Despite all the adversities and suffering, the people in the poem do not complain or
lament on their misfortunes. They spend time together, enjoying each others company. They
are grateful for the fact what they still have instead of what is lost. Life goes on with their daily
chores of preparing food and habit of rolling their cigarette leaves. They are still able to joke with
one another.

11

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

A Picture Says A
Thousand Words
Aims
To introduce the context of the poem
To elicit from students feelings and attitudes

To train students to listen, read and c


40 minutes
To enable team work while having fu

Materials

Pictures from newspaper cuttings of current natural disasters


MPEG Video on 2004 Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina
Worksheets P1a and P1b
Handout P1

Steps

Distribute Handout P1 and let students talk about the pictures. Fill in
Worksheet P1 : Looking at Pictures
Ask students about their personal experience in a flood, fire or landslide. Let
students watch a downloaded video from youtube.com of a current natural
disaster .
Conduct open class discussion: What do people do when disaster strikes?
Give students Worksheet 2 called Find Someone Who. and instruct
students to go around the class to find the various people with various
experiences in the set time phase.

12

Sources

On Tsunami

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpgsCaFe4sM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhuqKh
www.ogrish.com
On Hurricane Katrina

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB33kPIhBkc
On Padang, Indonesia earthquake
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jnr9Mcg_jIo
Date accessed : 12 October 2009

13

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

HANDOUT P1

A Picture Says A
Thousand Words

Source : The Star, 4 October 2009

14

Source : The Star, 11 Oct 2009

15

Source: The New Straits Time, 11 Oct 2009

16

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

WORKSHEET P1a

A Picture Says A
Thousand Words
Looking at pictures

17

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

WORKSHEET P1b

A Picture Says A
Thousand Words
Find somebody who
FIND SOMEONE WHO.

( write the name of a classmate here)

used to dream of becoming very rich when


he or she was a child.
thinks he or she would not be sad even if
he or she failed every single subject in
Form 4.
has an experience getting caught in a flood.
thinks he or she has changed a lot since he
or she were at primary school.
...would have given up hope at least once
before.
witnesses a very sad incident.
has donated cash or kind to a charity
before.
thinks he/she has given up on a hobby.
has a permanent scar on his/her hand or
leg.
has lost a pet before.
Reminder:
1. If a student cannot find anyone with a particular trait, leave it blank. Most questions
here are related to the context of In the Midst of Hardship.
2. You may tell a story or relate a personal experience pertaining to hardship.

18

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

ACTIVITY P2

Getting-To-Know-You
Aim

minutesto listen, read and c


To train20students

To find out more about the poet

To enable team work while having fu

Materials

Worksheet P2
Handout P2

Steps

Paste strips containing information of the poet around the classroom - on the
board, wall, table, behind the chair, door, windows, etc.
Get students to work in groups of four.
Give each group Worksheet 3 with questions asking for information related to
Latiff Mohidin. Set a time frame for this activity.
Decide on the winners. The first group with the most number of correct
answers will be the winner.

Notes
Instead of seven strips,
other information can
be pasted around the
classroom to allow the
students to be
discriminate in their
selection.

19

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

WORKSHEET P2

Getting-To-Know-You

Questions
1.

When was Latiff Mohidin born?

2.

Name his birthplace.

3.

Name a place where he had his

Answers

education.
4.

Give a country to which he has been


before.

5.

Apart from being a poet, what else


does he do?

6.

What award has he won?

7.

What is his nickname?

8.

Name one of his poems.

9. Latiff Mohidin believes that poetry


serves ..
10. Name one of his works.

20

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

WORKSHEET P2

Getting-To-Know-You
STRIPS OF PAPER ( to be pasted around the classroom on the table, behind the chair,
beside the door etc)

Latiff was born on 25 August 1941 in Negeri Sembilan. He is Malaysia's most celebrated
living artist and poet and is considered a national treasure.

Called 'Boy Wonder' since age 11, Latiff Mohidin was educated at Lenggeng, Seremban,
Singapore, and the University of Fine Arts in Berlin. He also got his art training in Germany at
Hochschule fur Bildende Kunste, Atelier La Courriere in France and Pratt Graphic Centre in
America. He shaped the development of art practice and literature through his extraordinary
vision.

This poet and artist has held exhibitions of his works and travelled abroad extensively in the
1960s and 1970s. He has served as Writer in Residence at the Science University of
Malaysia, Penang, the National University of Malaysia and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.

At present, Latiff is a freelance poet and artist.

His poems have won the Putra I Poetry Award. Among his books are: Sungai Mekong (1972),
Kembara Malam (1974), and Wayang Pak Dalang (1977). Garis: Dari Titik ke Titik (1988), a
book on the creative process (art and poetry), won the Honourable Diploma Prize at the
Festival of International Books at Leipzig, Germany in 1989.

21

Some of Mohidins poems are Dream 1, Mirror, The Puppeteers Wayang, Words Adrift on
Air, The Legend of the Dawn, His Thick Shroud, The Shore of Time and Mask of My Name is
Rawana and A City, A Grandmother and Death.

Social or public poems are a very important sub-genre in modern Malaysian poetry. Latiff
Mohidin addresses these social problems in his poems, illustrating this all-important concept
that poetry serves society. He finds pride in his social commitment. In the poem, In the Midst
of Hardship, he uses the social themes of poverty, hardship and perseverance closely
associated with the local peasants.

22

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

ACTIVITY P3

Show Some Emotion!


Aim
To enable students to grasp the mood and feelings of the poem

minutesto listen, read and c


To train40students

To enable team work while having fu

Materials

Worksheet P3
Handout P3

Steps

Introduce emoticons that portray different feelings. Get students to talk about
the various feelings shown. Get students write down appropriate words for
each emoticon.
Distribute Handout 3. Recite the poem with rhythm and intonation. Let students
cut out and paste emoticons on the section of the poem that they feel
appropriate.
Discuss the students options and let them state the reasons why they have
chosen a certain emoticon.

23

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

HANDOUT P3

Show Some Emotion!

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP


by Latiff Mohidin
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 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 sons
albino buffalo that was never found
There 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
Translated by Salleh Ben Joned

24

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

WORKSHEET P3

Show Some Emotion!


Which emoticons do you think will describe the feelings of the people in each stanza?
Cut and paste them on the handout given.

_____________________

_______________________

__________________

____________________

_____________________

________________________

25

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

ACTIVITY P4

The Search Is On

Aim
To allow students to explore ways in which figurative language is
used in the poem

minutesto listen, read and c


To train40students

To enable team work while having fu

Materials

Worksheet P4
Handout P4

Steps

Choose a figure of speech, for e.g. simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, or


personification. Discuss its meaning in class, and share examples.
Distribute Handout 4 and discuss it with the students.
Give out a copy of Worksheet 5 to each student. Write the word Assonance
on the top line.
Instruct students to look for examples of assonance in the poem they are
reading.
Let students write out the full line with the figure of speech and the line
number(s) in each lens of the binoculars.
Instruct students to form groups of four and discuss what each student has
found.
Let students write out two lines using either alliteration or assonance.

26

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

HANDOUT P4

The Search Is On

Find two examples of assonance.


Write them in the binoculars with the line number or numbers.

Assonance
Line 12

Assonance
Lines 2 and 3

and tiny chips of tree barks

their soaky clothes torn


and approached the stove

27

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

WORKSHEET P4

The Search Is On
Find two examples of _________________________ .
Write them in the binoculars with the line number or numbers.

Line ________

Line ________

28

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

ACTIVITY P5

Acrostic Poem
Aim
To enable students to write simple poetry using key words found
in the poem

40 minutes

Materials

The poetry text


Handout P5

Steps

Get each student to write a word from the poem ( for e.g. despair, albino,
hardship ) vertically on the left hand side of the paper.
Ask the students to write a word or a phrase that begins with each letter
creating a poem.
Tell them to use Handout 5 as a guide.

29

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

HANDOUT P5

Acrostic Poem

Do you know what it means to be poor


Especially when disaster strike every year
Some would say, oh very unfortunate
Perhaps some would just shake their heads
And move on
In fact many would not understand
Reality is what we confront

30

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

Answer Key

Worksheet P2 : GETTING-TO-KNOW-YOU

(25 August )1941

2
3

Negeri Sembilan
Lenggeng/Seremban/Singapore/
University of Fine Arts in Berlin/
Hochshule fur Bildende Kunste/
Atelier La Courriere in France or
Pratt Graphic Centre in America.

7
8

Singapore/ France/ Germany/


America
artist

society.

10

Mekong / Kembara Malam / Wayang


Pak Dalang/ Garis: Dari Titik ke Titik

31

Putra I Poetry Award/ Honourable


Diploma Prize
'Boy Wonder'
Dream 1, Mirror, The Puppeteers
Wayang, Words Adrift on Air, The
Legend of the Dawn, A City, A
Grandmother and Death, His Thick
Shroud, The Shore of Time and Mask
of My Name is Rawana.

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

BEYOND THE TEXT / ACTIVITY P1

Oh My!
Aim

To evoke students awareness of the disasters around the world

40 minutes

Materials
Worksheet P1

Steps

Divide students into four groups and give each group a card with a picture
of the four elements; the sun, earth, wind, water.
Distribute Worksheet 1. Get each group to discuss and list all the disasters
that could occur in the element given. Tell them to write on the worksheet
given be presented to the class.
Get each group to choose one disaster and discuss how it affects peoples
lives. (They should guess how these people move on with their daily lives
such as how they prepare food, wash themselves and their clothes clean,
and where they sleep, etc.)
Tell them to write what they have discussed in the worksheet given. Let the
group members write sentences describing the way the people lead their
lives after a disaster and add their feelings when doing it. (This can be
given as homework. A descriptive essay on the life of a disaster victim as
a follow-up activity.

Variation
Hold a debate on which disaster is the most impactful. Get two teams to choose
representatives from their groups. Let other groups judge who the winner is.
Tell them to write out an interview with a person who has been a victim of a natural
disaster.

32

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

WORKSHEET P1

Oh My!

ELEMENT:

DISASTERS RELATED TO ELEMENT:

DAILY LIVES AFFECTED:

33

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

BEYOND THE TEXT / ACTIVITY P2

Report a Disaster
Aim

To enable students to draw a fund-raising poster

80 minutes

To prompt students imaginative and creative involvement


To allow students to extend literary texts in another medium

Materials
Newspaper, mahjong paper, coloured markers, pictures, glue, scissors

Steps

Tell students to bring articles and pictures of natural disasters they can find
in the newspapers, magazines or from the Internet
Tell them to discuss ways to raise money to help the victims. They are to
choose the best way to raise money to help the victims.
Tell them to create a poster which includes the heading of the fund-raising
project, pictures, method of delivering the cash and kind, and venue of
collection.
Tell them to paste all posters around the classroom. Let the students judge
which poster is the most impressive.

34

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

BEYOND THE TEXT / ACTIVITY P3

Word Explosion
Aim
To enable students to make word associations in order to extend
their vocabulary

40 minutes

Materials

Mahjong papers, markers, masking tape

Handout P3

Steps

Divide the students into groups of 3 to 5. Ask each group to write the word
Disaster in the middle of the mahjong paper.
Give each group the materials above and Handout 1. Get the students to make
as many words as they can that are related to Disaster in five minutes.
(Students may use the words in the poem)
Ask students their reasons for choosing those words. Get the students to
extend from the words they have chosen (like a spidergram).
Allow or encourage high profiency students to write an essay based on the
word Disaster at home.

Variation
The activity can also be conducted with the whole class. Instead of the group
brainstorming for ideas.
If the students are weak, you can help the students by giving clues for students to come
up with words. Write the words on the board.

35

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

HANDOUT P3

Word Explosion
AN EXAMPLE OF WORD EXPLOSION

RAIN

FUNDS

RECEDE

RAISE

DROWN

WATER

FLOOD
DEATH

LEVEL

BOAT

LOSS

SMELLY

SWIM
CLOUD

36

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

BEYOND THE TEXT / ACTIVITY P4

I Remember Poem
Aim
To enable students to share an unforgettable memory by
writing simple poetry using key words found in the poem

40 minutes

Materials

The poetry text

Handout P4

Steps

Get students to think of all the memories related to time shared with someone.
Write down words related to the memory.
Give out Handout 2. Tell them to use as a guide.
Begin the sentence with I Remember Edit and arrange these sentences to
form a stanza ( as in a poem ).
Ask them to present their work.

37

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

HANDOUT P4

I Remember Poem
Example 1

I remember it was in the month of November


I remember that there was a thunderstorm
And I couldnt leave the house
I remember it was cold and the lights were out
But most of all
I remember it was a time to be together.

Example 2
I remember when I was small
I remember the cute little kitten I once had
As a pet
I remember the days we spent cuddling and playing together
But most of all
I remember the day the cute little kitten was gone

38

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

Synopsis
The poem is about a persona, a lady who fell for the wrong man. She was
fascinated with his quiet eyes and believed that his eyes showed his true emotion and
feelings for her. The mans eyes had the power to charm her and made her believe him
and be nice to him.
However, the man was actually a pleasure seeking man, a flirt. As the lady was
truly fascinated and charmed by the man, she did not listen or did not want to listen to
any advice concerning the mans true behaviour. In the end, she realized her error and
was broken hearted.

39

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

ACTIVITY P1

Do You Know Me?


Aims
To enable students to observe and describe features using
adjectives
To encourage students to put their creativity to work

40 minutes

Materials
Worksheet P1

Steps

Get students to sit in their respective places facing each other.


Hand out Worksheet 1 to them. Tell them to look into their friends eyes and draw on
the worksheet what they see.
Get students to move around the room to complete their worksheet.
Tell students to look for different types of eyes. Tell them to list in writing the words
describing their friends eyes. Introduce adjectives into the lesson via the labeling
activity.

Students are encouraged to slowly observe their


friends eyes and draw the best that they can. They
can use colour pencils if they choose to.
Students then label the eyes, e.g.: round eyes, big
eyes, small eyes or any other adjectives that befit
the eyes.

40

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

WORKSHEET P1

Do You Know Me?


Draw eyes to complete the characters above. Take examples by looking at eyes of those
around you. Then, label each character. For example; angry eyes, loving eyes, sad eyes,
etc.

41

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

ACTIVITY P2

Chain Reading
Aim
To read poem aloud with correct stress, intonation,
pronunciation and expression

20 minutes

Materials
The poetry text

Steps

Tell students to make two big circles in the


classroom. Each group consists of 19 students.
Get a student to read a line, starting from the
title, followed by the name of the poet Bibsy
Soenharjo and the seventeen lines of the
poem.
Encourage students to read with expression
and tell them to try to memorise the lines.
Once the reading starts, it must be continuous
so that the chain ( flow ) will not be broken. Let
the students read a few rounds to be familiar
with the poem.

42

Notes
Variation to
Steps 1 and 2
Form groups to
read each
stanza as part of
choral reading

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

ACTIVITY P3

Put Me Straight
Aims
To introduce rhythm in a fun way

To enable
40 minutes
students to observe and d
adjectives
To encourage students to put their cr

To train students in spelling


To encourage team work in a fun way

Materials
Worksheet P3

Steps

Get students to sit in groups of 3 4.


Hand out Worksheet 2 to them. Tell students to unscramble the letters to form words
that will in turn form short sentences from the poem.
The group that is able to unscramble all the sentences correctly wins.

Students are not encouraged to refer to


their text books.
The group that finishes with all correct
answers wins.

43

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

WORKSHEET P3

Put Me Straight
The following words are related to the poem He Had Such Quiet Eyes by Bibsy Soenharjo.
Unscramble them to find out what the sentences are.

1. NCOE RO ETCWI
2. SHWO NDA SHYW
3. SLOING TA ICED
4. LOASETDE SSHGI
5. TQEIU YEES
6. TTSEHINN CIE
7. LOOPS FO LEIS
8. RINGMOLIP ERH
9. RREEDN MIH
10. ELSO RYUO THREA
11. ECSOIMMPOR
12. ERLPUSAE-EGSNKIE
13. EB REUS AHTT
14. A TIB FO
15. DENETSIL OT
16. REEF FORM

44

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

ACTIVITY P4

Bingo
Aim
To identify meanings of words

40 minutes

Materials
Handouts P4a, P4b and P4c

Steps

Prepare the BINGO cards in advance. Give each


student a BINGO card with different combinations
Notes
of words found in the poem.
( see Handout P4a )
Prepare strips with meanings of the rhyming
You can play BINGO
words of this poem in advance, (Handout P4b)
with the rhymes or
verb
tense. Two or
Set rules for this game, for e.g. Lets play
three
students may
Diagonal Line (or vertical / horizontal line ).
have
the
same card
Students must wait for the teacher to draw a
(
all
words
arranged
Meaning Strip from a bag/envelope / box.
similarly ) but it
Read out the phrase /word /sentence loudly. Get
depends
on who will
students to look for the one word which has the
be
more
alert
to shout
same meaning as the Meaning Strips drawn.
BINGO!
first.
DO
Strike out the word.
NOT
FORGET
TO
Repeat Step 5 until there is a student who strikes
CHECK
WITH
all three words diagonally. The student must
DRAWN STRIPS.
shout BINGO! and he/ she wins. (Refer to
Handout P4c)
Continue pulling out the remaining strips until all the nine words are struck out to play
FULL HOUSE. The first student to strike out all the words on the card and shouts
BINGO! first, will win.

45

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

HANDOUT P4a

Bingo
Use combinations based on 20 words taken from the poetry text for Bingo cards.
eyes

layered

lies

pleasure-seeking

realise

desolate

dice

compromise

paradise

quiet

render

compromise

advice

pools

layered

breathing

lies

dice

listened

wise

advice

sighs

imploring

lies

heart

thinnest

dice

heart

thinnest

wise

advice

realise

desolate

pools

compromise

dice

46

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

HANDOUT P4b

Bingo
20 chosen words and the meaning strips in Bingo.

Long, deep audible breaths


Sighs

A pair of organs of sight

eyes

Guidance

advice

Unhappy and uninhabited

desolate

Looking for a feeling of happy


Pleasure-seeking

satisfaction
A small cube with each side having a

dice

different number ranging from 1 to 6


layered

arranged in layers

47

Intentional false statements

lies

realise

become aware
agree

compromise

heaven
paradise

quiet

no noise
inhaling and expelling air from the

breathing

lungs
shallow patches of liquid

pools

render

provide or give help


thinnest

superlative of thin

48

begging desperately

imploring

having knowledge and good

wise

judgement
muscular body organ that pumps

heart

blood

Past tense of listen

listened

49

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

HANDOUT P4c

Bingo
BINGO EXAMPLES TO HOW AND WHEN A STUDENT CAN SHOUT BINGO!

quiet

render

compromise

advice

pools

layered

breathing

lies

dice

pool

eyes

layered

advice

compromise

layered

quiet

lies

breathing

or

50

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

ACTIVITY P5

Haiku It!
Aim
To enable students to write a simple poem

40 minutes

Materials
The poetry text

Worksheet P5

Steps

Distribute worksheet 3 to the students


Haiku poems have a specific pattern. Introduce the pattern to the students.
Haiku has 3 lines and 17 syllables. The first and last lines have 5 syllables
each while the second line has 7
Give students phrases taken from the poem as the first line.
Tell students to complete the haiku with their own words .

51

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

WORKSHEET P5

Haiku It!
A haiku has a specific pattern. It has 3 lines and 17 syllables. The first and last lines have
5 syllables each, while the second line has 7 syllables. Create your own haiku.

i.

Pleasure seeking guys


____________________________
____________________________

ii.

You may lose your heart


____________________________
____________________________

iii.

A bit of advice
____________________________
____________________________

iv.

Never compromise
____________________________
____________________________

52

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

BEYOND THE TEXT / ACTIVITY P1

Idioms Uncovered
Aims
To enable students to interpret a picture and find its meaning to
complete a task
To encourage team work and brainstorming in completing a task

40 minutes

Materials
Worksheets P1a and P1b

Steps

Get students to sit in pairs. Hand out Worksheet 1 to the pairs. Students must read
the picture to find out what they say.
Tell the students to use the clues or unfinished sentences to help uncover the
correct word.
Get students to work out the message in each of the images or combination of
images. Then, state the idioms that have the word eyes in them.
The group that decodes correctly will be given worksheet 2 to work on.
Tell them to combine the words to form correct idioms. Because a picture holds a
thousand words, students must find the correct one that will make a proper idiom.

YOU MUST WARN THE STUDENTS THAT IN ORDER


TO FIND THE CORRECT IDIOM, THEY MUST FIRST
FIND THE CORRECT WORD TO THE PICTURE.

53

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

WORKSHEET P1a

Idioms Uncovered
Try to work out the message in each of these images or combination of images. Then,
state the idioms that have the word eye/s in them and give the correct meaning to the
idioms.

EXAMPLE:

EAGLE

EYES

clue
.................. .......

54

...........

..

..

..

....

clue
..

.....

....

.....

......

..

..

......

.....

Use this to ..

..................
clue

Sounds like

..

.....

55

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

WORKSHEET P1b

Idioms Uncovered
Try to work out the message in each of these images or combination of images. Then,
state the idioms that has the word eye/s in them and give the correct meaning to the
idioms.

FROM

MEANING:
..

R
Sounds like

clue

clue

MEANING:

56

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

BEYOND THE TEXT / ACTIVITY P2

Eye!
Aim
To extend key word usage in idiomatic expressions

40 minutes

Materials
Handout P2

Worksheet P2

Steps

Elicit phrases / idiomatic expressions / proverbs


which consist of the word eye from the
students.
Pre-teach Idioms with the word eye
(see Handout 1 for guidance ). Alternatively,
Step 2 can be given as a matching exercise
you can get the students to match the phrases
with their relevant meanings.
Give worksheet 3 and tell the students to work
on it in pairs

57

Notes
Make a
bookmark using
the word eye

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

HANDOUT P2

Eye!

to catch someone's eye

Meaning : attract someone's attention, make someone notice.

to be up to one's eyes (in something)

Meaning : be extremely busy.

to have an eye for something

Meaning : be a good judge of something.

to have eyes in the back of one's head

Meaning : be alert, notice everything going on around one.

to keep an eye on something/somebody

Meaning : look at something/somebody continually and carefully.

to see eye to eye (with someone) (on something)

Meaning : agree.

58

to turn a blind eye to something

Meaning

: ignore something.

to do something with one's eyes closed

Meaning : do something very easily

to keep one's eyes skinned/peeled

Meaning : remain alert

to open someone's eyes

Meaning: make somebody realize the truth about something

the apple of ones eye

Meaning: a person of whom one is extremely fond and proud of

59

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

WORKSHEET P2

Eye!
Complete the sentences with appropriate idioms.

1.

The teacher knows everything we do, she must have ___________________of her
head!

2.

Would you ________________________on the children while I go to the doctor's?

3.

They are a perfect couple, they ____________________________ on most things.

4.

If you would ___________________________________, I'd like some more bread.

5.

Using this fax machine is really easy, you can do it _________________________!

6.

Her flat is so beautiful. She obviously ____________________________________


for decoration.

7.

I'm sorry I didn't call you yesterday, but I was ________________________ in work.

8.

He knows I am always late, but he just _______________________ _________ to it.

9.

The youngest son is the _______________________________________________ .

10.

Nobody should see that I'm doing this, so _______________________ and tell me if
someone is coming.

60

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

BEYOND THE TEXT / ACTIVITY P3

Is She The One?


Is He The One?
Aim
To enable the students to explore the criteria of their future
spouse and give reasons for the criteria chosen

80 minutes

Materials
Coloured papers, mahjong papers, markers and
pictures of celebrities

Worksheet P3

Steps

Divide the students into 5 to 7 groups. Give


them worksheet 4 and the materials or ask
them to bring some. Planning is crucial here.
Let them choose the criteria of the spouse in
terms of physical and character traits. Use the
words in the poem in the criteria too. List them
down. Tell them to create a collage of their
future spouse using the pictures they have
brought. They are to put it on the mahjong
paper together with the list they have come up
with. Use the coloured paper to make 5 stars
for each group member. Each group is only to
come up with one collage.
Tell them to paste the mahjong paper on the
board and get the other students to view and
give comment by giving ratings up to 5 stars for
the future spouse of the other groups. Put the
stars on the mahjong paper itself. Allow
sometime for this activity. Each group will count
the stars and total them up. The spouse with
the most stars will be the most desirable.

61

Notes
Discuss the following
topic: Is the reality
show on television on
looking for the right
spouse by meeting
with many men and
women the right way?
What do you think?

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

WORKSHEET P3

Is She The One?


Is He The One?
CRITERIA FOR FUTURE SPOUSE:

PHYSICAL TRAITS:

CHARACTER TRAITS:

62

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

BEYOND THE TEXT / ACTIVITY P4

Blame It On Him Or Her?


Aim
To enable students to explore different perspectives.

80 minutes

Materials
Worksheet P4

Steps

Divide the students into two groups of gender, boys and girls. (If in a single sex
school get another group to imagine themselves as the other gender if possible)
Get the groups to think of the power of the eyes to men and women and how they
use them to get the things they want. List the situations where the eyes play a very
important role. Complete worksheet 5.
Get each group to present their findings to the rest of the class.
Get the groups to comment on the other groups presentation and explain why
they agree or disagree with the groups work. Discuss with the whole class.

Variation
-

This activity can be changed by exchanging the gender of the girls to think like
boys and boys to think like girls when explaining the usage of eyes by girls and
boys in any situation possible.
This activity can also focus on one aspect of the eyes; can they be used to lie?
Let the two groups discuss how the eyes are used to lie.
Another variation would be by reducing the age from teenagers to young children
and explain what things they lie about.

63

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

WORKSHEET P4

Blame It On Him Or Her?


GROUP: MALE / FEMALE
LIST SITUATIONS WHEN EYES PLAY A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE:
1)

.
.
.

2)

.
.
.

3)

.
.
.

LIST THE REASONS FOR THE HEARTBREAK IN THE POEM. [FROM THE MALE OR
FEMALE PERSPECTIVES.]
1)

.
.
.

2)

.
.
.

3)

.
.
.

64

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

Answer Key
WORKSHEET P3 : PUT ME STRAIGHT

1. NCOE RO ETCWI

ONCE OR TWICE

2. SHWO NDA SHYW

HOWS AND WHYS


LOSING AT DICE

3. SLOING TA ICED

DESOLATE SIGHS

4. LOASETDE SSHGI

QUIET EYES

5. TQEIU YEES
6. TTSEHINN CIE

THINNEST ICE

7. LOOPS FO LEIS

POOLS OF LIES

8. RINGMOLIP ERH

IMPLORING HER
RENDER HIM

9. RREEDN MIH

LOSE YOUR HEART

10. ELSO RYUO THREA

COMPROMISE

11. ECSOIMMPOR

PLEASURE-SEEKING

12. ERLPUSAE-EGSNKIE

BE SURE THAT

13. EB REUS AHTT

A BIT OF

14. A TIB FO

LISTENED TO

15. DENETSIL OT

FREE FROM

16. REEF FORM

65

WORKSHEET P1a : IDIOM UNCOVERED

Roll your eyes


Stars in your eyes
Cry your eyes out
Keep your eyes peeled
Sight for sore eyes

WORKSHEET P1b : IDIOM UNCOVERED

Scales fall from your eyes


MEANING: When the scales fall from your eyes, you suddenly realise the truth about
something.
Eyes are bigger than ones stomach
MEANING: If someone's eyes are bigger than their stomach, they are greedy and
take on more than they can consume or manage.

WORKSHEET P2 : EYE

1 Eyes in the back

Has an eye

2 Keep an eye

Up to my eyes

3 See eye on eye

Turn a blind eye

4 Catch the waiters eye

The apple of the mothers eye

5 With your eyes closed

10

Keep your eyes peeled/skinned

WORKSHEET P3 : IS SHE THE ONE? IS HE THE ONE?

PHYSICAL TRAITS:
Slim and slender.
Clean and smell nice.
Long hair.

CHARACTER TRAITS:
Intelligent.
Careful and think before she acts.
Open minded to many current and new things.

66

POETRY

ASSESSMENT 1

Authentic Assessment

Poetry

THE STUDENTS WOULD BE ASSESSED BY USING AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT.


THEY WOULD BE ASSESSED BY:
-

PORTFOLIO

SCRAP BOOK

THE CRITERIA TO BE ASSESSED WOULD BE:


PORTFOLIO:
-

ANSWER QUESTIONS GIVEN

COLLECT PICTURES RELATED TO THE POEM

FIND ARTICLES WITH SIMILAR THEME TO THE POEM

CREATE A PARALLEL POEM SIMILAR TO THE POEM

GIVE PERSONAL RESPONSE TO THE POEM IN 200 WORDS

MAKE REFERENCES TO SUPPORT YOUR PERSONAL RESPONSE

FIND A SIMILAR SONG TO THE POEM AND EXPLAIN THE SIMILARITIES

COMPARE THE ASPECTS OF LIVES TOUCHED BY THE TWO POEMS

STUDENTS HAVE TO USE AND FOLLOW THE SAME STYLE IN PRESENTING THE
PORTFOLIO

SCRAP BOOK:
-

THE CRITERIA WOULD BE THE SAME AS THE ABOVE

THE STUDENTS CAN ADD MORE CONTENTS INSIDE THEIR SCRAP BOOK

STUDENTS CAN PRESENT THEIR SCRAP BOOK ANY WAY THEY WANT
ACCORDING TO THEIR CREATIVITY

*HOLISTIC MARKING SCHEME WILL BE USED TO ASSESS THE QUALITY OF THE


STUDENTS PORTFOLIOS AND SCRAPBOOKS.

67

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

ASSESSMENT 2

Poetry Analysis Folder


In the Midst of Hardship by Latiff Mohidin.
Objectives:
1.
To allow students to present a graphic representation of the context of the poem.
2.
To encourage students to give a personal response to the poem

Read the poem carefully. Then decide on how best you can graphically present
the content of the poem.

68

Poetry Analysis Worksheet


Title of Poem

___________________________________________

Poet

___________________________________________

Theme

___________________________________________

Type of Poem

___________________________________________

Number of stanzas

___________________________________________

Select one stanza. Identify the rhyme scheme.

Identify literary elements (mood, imagery, symbolism, contrast, comparison) and explain
how they add to your understanding of the poem.

69

Analyze and explain the message of the poem.

What feelings has poem evoked in you?

70

About the Poet


What have you learned about the poet that contributes to the type of poetry he/she
writes? Consider:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Personal beliefs
Nationality or ethnicity
Male or Female
Time period in which he/she lived

71

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

ASSESSMENT 3

Have I Understood?
Objectives:
To conduct a diagnostic assessment for students to recall information from the poem to
get insight into how well they have learned the material
To give indication to the teacher of how well the information has been taught in the previous
lessons
To enable the teacher to conduct remedial or enrichment exercises in the forthcoming lesson
based on error analysis of each and every question

1.

When did the people in the poem return home?

2.

What kind of a setting do you see in the poem, In the Midst of Hardship by Latiff
Mohidin?

3.

Describe the conditions of the people in this poem.

4.

Despite the conditions of the people in the above poem, did they give up?
Which line tells you this?

5.

What do you understand by but on their brows, there was not a sign of despair?

6.

What natural disaster had occurred to the place?

7.

Name the animal that had gone missing in this poem.

8.

Do you think the people in the poem are rich? Justify your answer with evidence
from the poem?

9.

Why do you think the people are desperately looking for the lost animal?

10.

What is alliteration? Give an example of alliteration from the poem.

11.

Do you think the people here are hopeful and optimistic? Justify your answer.

12.

What can you learn from this poem?

13.

Do you think the poet has chosen a good title for this poem? Give a reason for
your answer.

14.

Do you like the poem? Give a reason for your answer.

72

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

ASSESSMENT 4

Have I Understood?
QUESTIONS BASED ON THE POEM
1.

The eyes have a lot of functions other than seeing. Explain one function of the eyes that
you know and give an example when that function is being used.

2.

Do you believe in seeing is believing? Give a reason for your answer and relate it to the
poem He had such quiet eyes.

3.

Why do you think the persona in the poem fell for the guys quiet eyes? Give a reason
why she likes his quiet eyes.

4.

How can you help a friend who fell for a person who you know is a pleasure seeking
person? Give a suggestion on how to help this friend.

5.

In the poem there is a phrase hows and whys. Form a question for each of the
question in the phrase with close relation to the situation of the persona in the poem.

6.

Which one is easier to do, giving advice or listening to advice? Give a reason for your
answer with close reference to the poem.

73

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

Answer Key
ASSESSMENT 3

dawn

2
3

Village
They are soaked in water and sweat, and their clothes are tattered /They are probably
hungry after a day braving through the flood and slightly injured
They did not give up as shown in their brows there was not a sign of despair or They
were born amidst hardship
and grew up without a sigh or a complaint
These people did not give up or lose hope.
A flood
(An albino ) buffalo
No. Any possible reason(s)

5
6
7
8
9
10
11

12
13
14

It is their sons buffalo/


They love their son/ Any other possible answer
between bloated carcasses
Yes.
but on their brows
there was not a sign of despair.
They were born amidst hardship
and grew up without a sigh or a complaint
Any possible answer
Any possible answer
Any possible answer

74

HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYES

Answer Key
ASSESSMENT 4

1. One of the eyes functions is to show emotion like sadness and happiness. An example
would be when one feels very sad and his eyes cry and shed tears because he has lost
someone he really loved and that person is now gone forever.
2. No. It is because there are a lot of things in this world that we can see do not really
portray their true identity or the reality. In the poem the girl fell for the guys quiet eyes
because she thought that those eyes portrayed a true and genuine feeling of love.
However, the girl was mistaken as he was only a guy who wanted to seek pleasure in a
relationship and he was not serious in his relationship.
3. The persona in the poem fell for the guys quiet eyes because she thought that those
quiet eyes were showing genuine feeling of love and care for her and the guy really
loved her for who she is and there is no other reason.
4. I would help this friend by looking for proofs first and show these proofs to prove that this
person is not who she thinks he is because she might not want to believe in words as
she has fallen for him really badly. If she still does not believe me I would not do
anything else to help her and let her fall for herself.
5. How did I fall for such a pleasure seeking guys? Why I could not see that this guy does
not really love me for who I am?
6. Listening to advice is easier because we can listen and choose which part of the advice
really matters and have close relation to the problems we have.

75

POETRY

Glossary

Poetry

acrostic

a series of lines or verses in which the first, last, or other


particular letters when taken in order spell out a word, phrase,
etc.

albino

A person or animal lacking normal pigmentation, with the result


being that the skin and hair are abnormally white or milky and
the eyes have a pink or blue iris and deep-red pupil

alliteration

The repetition of the same sounds or of the same kinds of


sounds at the beginning of words on in a stressed syllable, as
in on scrolls of silver snowy sentences (Hart Crane). Modern
alliteration is predominantly consonantal.

amidst

In the middle of, among

assonance

The repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds, especially in


stressed syllables, that dolphin-torn, that gong-tormented sea
(William Butler Yeats)

bloated

Swollen with fluid or gas

carcasses

Dead bodies of animals

despair

Absence of hope

Haiku

a major form of Japanese verse, written in 17 syllables divided


into 3 lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables, and employing highly
evocative allusions and comparisons, often on the subject of
nature or one of the seasons.

horrendous

Awful, terrible

idiom

An idiom (Latin: , special property, f. Greek: , special


phrasing, f. Greek: , ones own) is an expression, word, or
phrase that has figurative meaning

metaphor

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily


designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making
an implicit comparison, as in a sea of troubles or All the
worlds a stage

76

personification

A figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstract idea


is represented as animated, or endowed with personality, as in
the floods clap their hands.

proverbs

a short popular saying, usually of unknown and ancient


origin, that expresses effectively some commonplace
truth or useful thought; adage; saw.

rhyme

A similarity of sound between words, such as moon, spoon,


croon, tune, and June. Rhyme is often employed in verse.
A similarity of sound between words, such as moon, spoon,
croon, tune, and June. Rhyme is often employed in verse.

scrapbook

an album in which pictures, newspaper clippings, etc.,


may be pasted or mounted.

scratches

Superficial wounds in the skin caused by a sharp object

simile

A figure of speech in which two essentially unlike things are


compared, often in a phrase introduced by like or as, as in how
like the winter hath my absence been or so are you to my
thoughts as food to life (Shakespeare)

soaky

Extremely wet

77

Panel of Writers

Poetry

DIANA FATIMAH AHMAD SAHANI (COORDINATOR)


BAHAGIAN PEMBANGUNAN KURIKULUM
KEMENTERIAN PELAJARAN MALAYSIA
AMAR SHOBHA SARNA (PANEL HEAD)
INSTITUT PERGURUAN MALAYSIA KAMPUS ILMU KHAS,
KUALA LUMPUR
YONG WAI YEE
SMK SERI HARTAMAS, DESA SERI HARTAMAS,
KUALA LUMPUR
ANDREW LEONG KONG MENG
SMK AIR ITAM, GEORGETOWN,
PULAU PINANG
ABANG MUAMMAR GHADDAFI
SM TEKNIK BINTULU,
SARAWAK
NADIAH CHOONG ABDULLAH
SMK DATUK MANSOR, BAHAU,
N.SEMBILAN
ASMAH ABU HADZIM
SMK PUTRAJAYA PRESINT 9(1),
PUTRAJAYA

78

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