FIGHTER LINES

The SettingThe poem is set after indenpence. The persona feels that the independence he
has struggled for is now threatened by subversive elements.
Tone and moodIn the first stanza, the tone indicates that the persona is sad and weary
because he is old and weak. The persona is also melancholic, reflecting on his past sacrifices
he made for the country's independence.
In the second stanza, the persona voices his helplessness, anger and contempt because his
country is facing threats.
The tone used in the third stanza is serious and demanding. The persona urges the present
generation to form a united front to uphold the freedom that he and many others has fought
for.
The persona ends by insisting that the younger generation continues to fight against
injustice because he can no longer do so.
Themes1. PatriotismPatriotism is one of the themes of this poem. The people in this
country have made a lot of sacrifices to fight for their freedom. They have achieved
independence but now there are other threats such as deceit. This affects the country's
safety. The persona calls on the younger generation to fight for justice and to speak up
against deceit.
2. Being courageousAnother theme is being courageous. In the past, people made many
sacrifices and fought bravely with the country's enemies for their freedom. Now, the
persona urges the younger generation to be brave and fight against other threats in the
country. He tells them to stand up and speak with courage.
3. UnityIn the past, people were united when they fought for independence. Now, the
persona emphasises that the younger generation who has inherited a free country should
unite to preserve their freedom. They should stand united by building a wall of people or
forming ranks irrespective of racial, religious and other social differences. The "lines" in the
poem, A Fighter's Lines refer to the persona's lines and the lines or ranks formed for unity.
We have to be united and strong as in the saying, "United we stand, divided we fall".
Values1. We must be brave to uphold justice.The persona urges the younger generation to
stand up against the widespread lies which are rampant in society today. This 'net of deceit'
worries his as it can destroy the solidarity of the people. Therefore, he urges them to stand
united and uphold justice to preserve the freedom and safety of the country.
2. We must be willing to make sacrifices to preserve our independence.In the fight for
independence, the persona and other soldiers sacrificed and risked their lives when they
fought for independence. Now, he is wheelchair-bound because he was either crippled in the
war or is now old and sick. Now, he wants the younger generation to make sacrifices too to
preserve their freedom.
3. We must be united to preserve our freedom.The persona wants the younger generation
to stand united regardless of their differences to ensure their freedom
Heir Conditioning
Heir means successor or in BM - waris. Conditioning means training. The poem is a dialogue between a grandchild
and his grandparents.
The grandchild (the heir) lives in a modern world. The grandchild cannot live without modern technologies such as a
handphone, a television, a computer, an air conditioner and so on. In this scenario, we can say that the grandchild is

conditioned (telah terlatih/terbiasa) to live in a modern world.

The grandchild asks his grandparents how did they live without modern inventions. The grandparents reply that even
though there were no modern technologies when they were young, they could still live a simple life. There were no
pollutions back then and they were afraid of God. The grandparents further told his grandchild that due to the
modern technologies, the world becomes polluted & people are no longer afraid of God because they become more
materialistic. In this scenario, the grandparents are trying to condition/train his grandchild that modern technologies
can bring about bad effects to people nowadays.
That's the meaning of Heir Conditioning

I Wonder
Lines from the poem

Meaning

I wonder why the grass is green,

The persona wonders why the

grass has to be green.

And why the wind is never seen?

The persona wonders why she

can feel the wind but cannot see
it.

Who taught the birds to build a

nest,

The persona wonders how the

birds know how to build a nest.

And told the trees to take a rest?

The persona wonders why the

trees are always standing
straight and tall, never once
sitting down to have a rest.

O, when the moon is not quite

round,
Where can the missing bit be
found?

At night, the persona sees the

crescent moon and wonders why
it is not always round.

Who lights the stars, when they

blow out,

During the day, the persona

cannot see the stars. So, the
persona wonders who light the
stars at night.

And makes the lightning flash

about?

The persona wonders who causes

the lightning to flash.

Who paints the rainbow in the

sky,

The persona wonders how the

colourful rainbow appears in the
sky.

And hangs the fluffy clouds so

high?

The persona wonders who hangs

the fluffy clouds up so high in the
sky.

Why is it now, do you suppose,

That Dad wont tell me, if he

Finally, the persona wonders why

his father does not answer his

knows?

questions. Maybe, his father does

not know the answers.

After that, the discussions lead to the persona, themes and moral values of the poem.
The persona of the poem:

The persona is the voice in the poem (the person who might say the lines in the
poem)

The persona might be an inquisitive child who observes the world around him.

Themes: (What the poem is mainly about)

A childs curiosity (Sifat ingin tahu kanak-kanak). Children loves to ask questions
about anything that they do not understand.

The wonders of nature (Keajaiban alam semulajadi). People who take time to stop
and appreciate nature will find that nature is amazing.

Moral values : (What can we learn from the poem)

There is an existence of God (Terdapat kewujudan Tuhan)

Care for our environment (Pelihara persekitaran)

We

must

have

strong

desire

to

learn

lot

of

(Mempunyai keinginan yang tinggi untuk menambah ilmupengetahuan)

knowledge.