LATIFF MOHIDIN

THE POET LATIFF MOHIDIN

*Born

in 1941

* A celebrated artist and poet *Studied art in Germany, France and America. * Received Malaysias National Literary Prize and

Southeast Asians Writer

Award in 1984

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP 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

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 translated by Salleh Ben Joned

SETTING

OVERVIEW This poem paints a realistic picture of life in a Malaysian /Indonesian/ rural setting. The villagers live in hardship and poverty, made more difficult by natural disasters like flood and storms. However, they accept their fate and make the best of their situation. TONE AND MOOD Sympathetic Impressed by how villagers accept hardship

Place: A village where a flood has recently occurred.

Time: The Present

PERSONA The persona is probably a visitor or a person who has lived with the villagers.

IN THE MIDST
OF HARDSHIP

THEMES Poverty and hardship Resilience and perseverance

MESSAGES
Hardship and suffering build character. Positive thinking s important when faced with lifes challenges We must carry on and persevere despite hardship MORAL VALUES Be thankful for everything that you have Empathize with the poor and do all you can to help them.

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

Meaning of the Stanza 1
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 occupants of the house have just returned home at daybreak. Their wet clothes are torn and their arms and legs are covered with scratches and wounds. They walk to the stove in the kitchen. Though it has been a rough day, they do not appear unhappy.

Meaning of Stanza 2
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

The people of the house had been out in the floodwaters for the past 24 hours. They were looking for their sons albino buffalo, which they never found. As they waded in the floodwaters, they saw signs destruction, such as dead animals and parts of trees of

IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

Meaning of Stanza 3
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

The persona observes that though these people were born into hardship, they never complained nor were they letting it get them down.

Instead they took the situation in their stride and even had time to sit around the kitchen making jokes and enjoying a smoke.

SETTING

TIME
Set in the past. The scene could also be in the present in the more remote areas of the country.

PLACE
A remote village where life is simple and the people live in hardship and poverty. A flood has just occurred causing destruction to livestock and crops. The scenes take place out in the flooded village and inside the house ( kitchen)

The poems opens with dawn when the family returns home and is relaxing in the kitchen.
They have spent the entire previous day and night in the floodwaters searching for a buffalo.

PERSONA

The persona is one who has visited or lived the rural folk he is describing. He is observant about attitudes, appearance, habits and the culture of the people. The persona is sympathetic. He understands and admires the villagers for their positive and cheerful attitude as they soldier on despite their troubles.

THEMES

The main theme of the poem is hardship suffered by this rural community.
They suffer physically (their limbs marked by scratches) and also emotionally and mentally (desperately looking for their sons albino buffalo)

THEMES

An important sub-theme is the vllage folks resilience and perseverance. Despite the many adversities, they still carry on with life ( making jokes and rolling their cigarette leaves as if they do not have any problems.

MESSAGES
HARDSHIP AND SUFFERING BUILD CHARACTER

Although at times we may suffer hardship more than we celebrate triumph, we should see this as an opportunity for personal character growth. This will allow us to be self-reliant.

MESSAGES
POSITIVE THINKING S IMPORTANT WHEN FACED WITH LIFES CHALLENGES

We should not sit and mope and feel sorry for ourselves whenever we have a problem. If we have a positive attitude, the challenge will be less unpleasant and easier to manage.

MESSAGES
WE MUST CARRY ON AND PERSEVERE DESPITE HARDSHIP

Life is a continuous journey with ups and downs along the way.

It is the way we approach the adversities that will truly show our determination and spirit of life.
People admire and look up to a strong and persevering person, therefore we should be brave and carry on with living despite the problems we may face.

Moral Values
We must be thankful for everything that we have

We must empathize with the way poor people live and do all we can to help them.

The persona is sympathetic towards the people in the poem

At the same time, the persona admires the rural folk for their positive attitude and perseverance despite their hard life.