ANALYSIS BUKIT TiMAH

In the first stanza, the poet establishes the location – the highway and
the city. Phrases such as ‘muddy canal,’ ‘coarse grasses,’ connote the
rather unpleasant surroundings. As opposed to nature and its beauty,
the city is described as undesirable. The mention of schoolboys
‘stumbling’ gives an idea of their drowsiness, maybe hinting at how their
childhood is boxed up in rooms with four walls; there are no blue skies,
lush greenery or the playfulness and bonding with nature that used to be
a reality.

The second stanza personifies the city as a maw, or a throat, consuming

men and machines. It is the highway upon which they ‘endlessly flow’
and are swallowed by the city. The idea of feeding the city with men and
machines is a rather obvious reference to civilization and industrialism,
which fuels capitalism and perpetuates materialism. Men, or people
populate the city as there are more job opportunities. They labour at the
multitude of organizations and factories – the machines mentioned in the
poem. Men and machine (alliteration – machine is onomatopoeic) then
symbolize the industries and people working their and populating the
city. The buildings, the companies, the production of goods and services:
all of these, of which the city is constituted, depends on man and
machine.

These people are flushed out of their short dreams – they do not get
enough sleep. Their lifestyles are completely swallowed up by the city
where they work tirelessly. It also connotes that they seem to be bound
in an endless cycle where they cannot dream freely and more
elaborately. Their dreams and hopes perhaps are cut short. ‘Suburban
Holes’ connote their miserable and less-than-satisfactory lives. Its as if
their humanity and dignity is removed: they are described in animalistic
language. These individuals, stripped off their dignity and their hopes,
are thrown into (churn) the chaos of the city. They arrive very early in the
morning – ‘before sky opens.’

The third stanza provides specifics, zoning in on the individuals and their
particular experiences in the city- beginning with a rather oppressive
imagery: ‘Under the steaming morning’. This phrase connotes the
harshness of the atmosphere (Tactile Imagery), which adds to the
unpleasantness of the city experience. Ambition is personified, and
‘flashes by in a new car.’ The people who can afford such a lifestyle
seem to flash by – showing off, flamboyant and ostentatious. The car is
new – this may point to the materialistic mindset, where there is no
consideration about sustainable living. No thoughts spared for the
preserving of nature.

The salesman, on the other hand, does not flash by in a new car: he
takes it day by day: ‘faced with another day of selling his pride.’ He is
reluctant, he is not content or satisfied. He has to abandon, part with or
lose his pride in order to do his job – moving from stranger to stranger,
asking them to buy a product the profit for which he would not enjoy. He
merely would get a negligible fraction of it. He rides a motor scooter
(Lambretta).

The old farmer seems to be carrying a good harvest of heavy fruit while
the women wonder how they will survive the bad monsoons. The poet
captures their struggles – the children did not have enough to eat. The
poet mentions that these were the days when markets existed in Bukit
Timah, before these began to disappear as the city began to consume
the communities and gave way to large companies and conglomerates –
probably hinting at the supermarkets.

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The last stanza surprises the poet because the persona

thinks about the perspective of someone from a different social circle. At
that time, Singapore is growing rapidly. People felt stress and always have
to rush off to contribute their part to Singapore. On the otherhand, that is
what they are familiar with even though it brings that pressure. It is
perhaps, an intriguingquestion to ask oneself if they will miss that life when
it is gone, will the city kids trade places with afarmer. The conflict will no
doubt evoke feelings of tension between the familiar and future .