PRACTICE 1-3 ON POEM In the Midst of Hardship

Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow.
In the Midst of Hardship
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 no 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 tiny barks
desperately looking for their sons
albino buffalo that was never found
They 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
Latiff Mohidin

PRACTICE 1
From stanza 1,
(a) which phrase suggests that they were drenched?
. (1 mark)
(b) what happened to their hands?
...(1 mark)
(c) why do you think they approached the stove?
(1 mark)
(d) in your own words, suggest ways to handle hardships in our life?
..
.(2mark)

PRACTICE 2
From stanza 2,
(a) why do you think they were enduring the terrible flood water?
..(1 mark)
(b) which phrase shows that the flood had caused the loss of lives?
..(1 mark)
(c) what was the peoples feeling at that time?
.(1 mark)
(d) do you think the buffalo was valuable to the family? Why?

. (2 marks)
PRACTICE 3
From Stanza 3,
(a) what type of life is a life of hardship?
... (1 mark)
(b) list two activities that they did to relax and unwind.
i. .. (1 mark)
ii . (1 mark)
(c) The poem is about a flood disaster. In your own words suggest two ways that
you can do to help the flood victims.
.
..... (2 marks)

PRACTICE 4-7 ON POEM He Had Such Quiet Eyes

Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow.

He Had Such Quiet Eyes

He had such quiet eyes
She did not realise
They were two pools of lies
Layered with thinnest ice
To her, those quiet eyes
Were breathing desolate sighs
Imploring her to be nice
And to render him paradise
If only shed been wise
And had listened to the advice
Never to compromise
With pleasure-seeking guys
Shed be free from the hows and whys
Now heres a bit of advice
Be sure that nice really means nice
Then youll never be losing at dice
Though you may lose your heart once or twice
Bibsy Soenharjo

PRACTICE 4
From stanza1,
(a) what was the woman blind to?
..... (1 mark)

(b) which line suggests that the woman was unaware of the kind of man he was?
.... (1 mark)
(c) in line 3, what does the two pools of lies refer to?
........ (1 mark)
(d) in your own words, suggest how the woman had been tricked?
.
. (2 marks)

PRACTICE 5
From stanza 1,
(a) how did the man try to attract the woman? Mention two ways.
i (1 mark)
ii-. (1 mark)
(b) what did the man desire from the woman?
. (1 mark)
(c) do you think the woman was foolish for falling in love with the man?
Give a reason for your answer.
..
.. (2 marks)

PRACTICE 6
From stanza 2,
(a) what could have saved the woman from committing the mistake?
. (1 mark)
(b) what was the advice given to the woman?
. (1 mark)
(c) what is meant by the phrase the hows and whys?
. (1 mark)
(d) do you think the woman regretted falling in love with the man? Why?
.
... (2 marks)

PRACTICE 7
From stanza 3,
(a) What is meant by the phrase nice really means nice?
.. (1 mark)
(b) Why love is compared to playing dice in the poem?
.. (1 mark)
(c) What does the phrase lose your heart mean?
... (1 mark)
(d) State two lessons that you can learn from the poem?
.
.. (2 marks)

PRACTICE 8-9 ON POEM Nature

Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow.

Nature
We have neither Summer nor Winter
Neither Autumn nor Spring.
We have instead the days
When the gold sun shines on the lush green canefieldsMagnificently.
The days when the rain beats like bullets on the roofs
And there is no sound but the swish of water in the gullies
And trees struggling in the high Jamaica winds.
Also there are the days when leaves fade from off guango trees
And the reaped canefields lie bare and fallow to the sun.
But best of all there are the days when the mango and the logwood blossom
When the bushes are full of the sound of bees and the scent of honey,
When the tall grass sways and shivers to the slightest breath of air,
When the buttercups have paved the earth with yellow stars
And beauty comes suddenly and the rains have gone.
HD Carberry

PRACTICE 8
From stanza 1,
(a) what are the two seasons found in Jamaican weather?
..... (1 mark)
(b) which phrase tells you that the wind blows strongly?
.... (1 mark)
(c) how do the canefields look after being harvested ?
..... (1 mark)
(d) would you like to live in a country with different weather conditions? Why?
..
. (2 marks)

PRACTICE 9
From stanza 2,
(a) what can be smelled on the day the persona cherished the most?
. (1 mark)
(b) state two things that take place on a day when the weather is good.
i .... (1 mark)
ii ...... (1 mark)
(c) And beauty comes suddenly and the rains have gone.
what do you think this last line means in relation to mans life?
..
.. (2 marks)

PRACTICE 10-12 ON POEM Are You Still Playing Your Flute?

Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow.
Are You Still Playing Your Flute?
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 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 your 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 the flute?
The more it disturbs my conscience
to be thinking of you
in the hazard of you
my younger brothers are unemployed and desperate
my people disunited by politics
my friend slaughtered mercilessly
this world is too old and bleeding.
.
Zurinah Hassan
PRACTICE 10
From stanza1,
(a) in line 1, to whom does the word you refer?
....... (1 mark)
(b) why do you think the persona feels guilty to be longing for the music?
............ (1 mark)
(c) write down two words that are related to how a flute is played.
i (1 mark)
ii .. (1 mark)
(d) why do you think the persona can hear the songs of the flute?
.... (1 mark)

PRACTICE 11
From stanza 2,
(a) how does the persona describe her village?
....... ( 2 marks)
(b) why do you think the rice fields are described as sick?
. ( 1 mark )
(c) name two activities that are considered as luxury to be done.
i . (1 mark)
ii .... (1 mark)

PRACTICE 12
From stanza 3,
(a) in line 2, what does it refer to?
.. (1 mark)
(a) name one of the problems faced by the nation.
. (1 mark)
(c) give the meaning of the phrase slaughtered mercilessly.
.. (1 mark)
.

(d) The world is too old and bleeding

in your own words state the meaning of the last line of the poem.
..
.. (2 marks)

SUGGESTED ANSWERS
POEMS
PRACTICE 1-3 ON POEM In the Midst of Hardship
PRACTICE 1

a
b
c
d

Their soaky clothes

Marked by scratches / covered by cuts/bruises
To cook a meal/ to prepare food
To warm themselves
Have strength/courage

PRACTICE 2

a
b
c
d

PRACTICE 3

a
b

Never give up
Have positive attitude towards life
OR any POSSIBLE ANSWERS

To look for/ to search for their sons albino buffalo

Bloated carcasses
Desperate
Yes, their son loves the buffalo very much and that is why the parents brave the terrible
flood to look for the buffalo.
-OR any POSSIBLE ANSWERS
Difficult life / A life of suffering
i-making jokes / joking with each other
ii-rolling their cigarette leaves/ smoking
Donate food
Donate clothes
Donate money
Give moral support
OR any POSSIBLE ANSWERS

PRACTICE 4-7 ON POEM He Had Such Quiet Eyes

PRACTICE 4

a
b
c
d

i-His eyes were breathing desolate sighs /

telling the woman of his loneliness or sadness
ii-imploring the woman to be nice /
pleading her to kind to him
iii-asking her to render him paradise /
requesting the woman to give him pleasure
ANSWERS are INTERCHANGABLE
ACCEPT ANY TWO ANSWERS
Pleasure / to have fun

Yes, because the man was deceiving her with his superficial appearance

PRACTICE 5
a

PRACTICE 6

a
b
c

PRACTICE 7

She was blind to the mans ill intention / the mans bad intention
She did not realize
The mans quiet eyes
-The woman had been tricked by the mans clever dramatisation of sadness and
loneliness asking her to give pleasure /
-The woman had been tricked by the mans look and appearance
-OR any POSSIBLE ANSWERS

a
b

Being wise / or
Listen to the advice
Not to be deceived by man /
Not to compromise with pleasure-seeking man
The questions the woman asked herself as she tried to come to terms with her bad
experience
Yes, because she had learnt a lesson in a hard way /
Yes, because she had been deceived by a pleasure-seeking man
Yes, because she had discovered how superficial and shallow the man was
-OR Any POSSIBLE ANSWERS
Take time to assess people /
Do not judge people by mere appearance /
Be wary of people who pretend to be good
Love is a gamble

c
d

Falling in love
i-We must not be take in by looks or appearance
ii-We must listen and take heed of good advice
-OR any POSSIBLE ANSWERS

PRACTICE 8-9 ON POEM Nature

PRACTICE 8

a
b
c
d
a

PRACTICE 9
b

Hot days and Rainy days

The high Jamaica winds
Bare and Fallow
Yes, it will be very interesting / or
No, it will be difficult for me to adjust to the weather
-OR any POSSIBLE ANSWERS
The scent of honey / The smell of honey / Honey
i-the mango and the logwood trees blossom / are flowering
ii-the buzzing bees busy collecting nectar
iii-the tall grass sways and shivers to the soft breeze
iv-the buttercups cover the land with yellow stars
ACCEPT ANY TWO ANSWERS
Life has its ups and downs, so we have to go through bad days in order to appreciate the
good days

PRACTICE 10-12 ON POEM Are You Still Playing Your Flute?

PRACTICE 10

a
b
c
d

PRACTICE 11

a
b

The flautist / the flute player / the man playing the flute
Because it is the right time anymore for their love
i.
breath
ii.
fingers
The sound is blown by the wind /
The persona can hear it in her heart due to her love
Quiet and deserted
Gloomy and barren / being abandoned by people
i-watching the rain
ii-gazing at the evening rays
iii-collecting dew drops
iv-enjoying the fragrance of flowers
(ACCEPT ANY TWO ANSWERS)

a
PRACTICE 12
b
c
d

The song / the sound of the flute

i-young men are jobless / and are desperate / unemployment
ii-People are divided by politics
iii-People are killed in war / or war has broken out
(ACCEPT ONLY ONE ANSWER)
Killed brutally / killed heartlessly
The persona feels trapped in a world that is dying and collapsing due to the serious
problems mentioned.

10