Latiff Mohidin

-A poet and painter who was born in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.

-Known as a “Boy Wonder” since he was 11 because of the artistry of his

works.

-Attended schools in various scholarships in Berlin, Germany; Paris, France;

and New York, USA.

-Considered to be one of Malaysia’s most living artists.

In The Midst of Hardship by Latiff Mohidin

SYNOPSIS

This poem is about a family who faces hardship whereby their son’s albino buffalo is

nowhere to be found. A flood occurs and they go out to find the buffalo. They reach home early

in the morning without the buffalo and yet there is no sign of despair in them. Meanwhile, they

can still crack jokes and roll the cigarettes.

LITERAL AND FIGURATIVE MEANING:

Stanza 1

Literal Meaning:

The family returns home at daybreak, soaked to the skin. They have scratches and

wounds on their hands and legs. They do not look depressed or disturbed after what they have

just gone through.

Figurative Meaning:

As we journey through life, we may experience circumstances that are painful and

challenging. Despite these challenges, we should not despair. We should face hardship with

courage.

Stanza 2

Literal Meaning:

They have been out the whole day and night. They have trudged through the floodwater

which is full of twigs, branches and dead animals. They are looking for their son's albino buffalo.

However, they do not find it.

Figurative Meaning:

Our journey through life may be troubled, and we may face obstacles and tragic losses

along the way.

Stanza 3

Literal Meaning:

Although they have been poor from birth and have experienced a lot of hardships, they

have grown up without regrets. They are now relaxing in the kitchen, cracking jokes and

preparing to have a smoke.

Figurative Meaning:
 We may be born into a life of hardship, but that does not mean we should live in despair.

We should learn how to cope with the difficulties we face, instead of dwelling too much on

them. We should take them in our stride, with humor and a strong camaraderie with our family

and friends.

SETTING

The setting of the poem is in the house.

THEMES

1. Life's hardships and stoicism in life

2. Accepting, with a positive outlook, circumstances that cannot be changed.

MORAL VALUES

1. We should learn to accept problems in life with a positive outlook.

2. We must attempt to face and solve problem.

3. Facing hardship is part and parcel of life.

4. If we face a problem, do not feel despair.

TONE

Sympathetic and emphatic tone, last stanza ends on humorous tone.

MOOD AND ATMOSPHERE

Mood: thoughtful and sombre, and changes to delightful moment at the end of the stanza.

Atmosphere: acceptance of one's fate.

POINT OF VIEW

Third person point of view: 'They'

FIGURE OF SPEECH

IMAGERY

1. Soaky clothes torn

2. Limbs marked by scratches and their legs full of wounds

 3. Horrendous floods

4. Bloated carcasses

5. Albino

SYMBOLS

1. Horrendous flood: obstacles of life

2. Bloated carcasses: death and decay

3. Albino buffalo: treasured and valued objects.

Pira Sudlam (or Pira Canning Sudlam)

-A Thai author who was born in a village in northeast Thailand.

-At the age of 14, he moved to Bangkok to serve the Buddhist monks in a

monastery, where he attended school afterward.

-He graduated from the Faculty of Arts in the Chulalongkorn University,

Auckland University and Victoria University in Wellington.

-It was in New Zealand where he got his first story published and since

then, he continued writing poems, short stories and novels in English.