Complete all the questions given and send to my email, undian88@yahoo.com

1. When did the people in the poem return home?
   _______________________________________________________

2. What kind of a setting do you see in the poem, ‘ In the Midst of Hardship’
    by Latiff Mohidin?
   _______________________________________________________
   _______________________________________________________

3. Describe the conditions of the people in this poem.
   _______________________________________________________

4. Despite the conditions of the people in the above poem, did they give up?
    Which line tells you this?
    _______________________________________________________

5. What do you understand by ‘ but on their brows, there was not a sign of despair’?
   ________________________________________________________

6. What natural disaster had occurred to the place?
   ________________________________________________________

7. Name the animal that had gone missing in this poem.
   ________________________________________________________

8. Do you think the people in the poem are rich? Justify your answer with evidence
    from the poem?
    _______________________________________________________
    _______________________________________________________

9. Why do you think the people are desperately looking for the lost animal?
    _______________________________________________________

10. What is alliteration? Give an example of alliteration from the poem.
   ________________________________________________________

11. Do you think the people here are hopeful and optimistic? Justify your answer.
   ________________________________________________________
   ________________________________________________________
   ________________________________________________________

12. What can you learn from this poem?
   ________________________________________________________

13. Do you think the poet has chosen a good title for this poem? Give a reason for
      your answer.
     _______________________________________________________
     _______________________________________________________

14. Do you like the poem? Give a reason for your answer.
    ________________________________________________________
    ________________________________________________________

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Watch this following video and write a short paragraph of your emotions towards it. Email your answer here; undian88@yahoo.com

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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 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 son’s

albino buffalo that was never found

They were born admist 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

Synopsis

This poem tells of the hardship that a family in a village faces after a big flood. The elders return at dawn in soaking-wet clothes. They go straight to the kitchen. They are probably hungry. Their hands and legs are bruised but they do not show any sign of despair or of losing hope.

After braving the dreadful flood for the last 24 hours, they still can not find their son’s albino buffalo. Despite all the adversities and suffering, the people in the poem do not complain or lament on their misfortunes. They spend time together, enjoying each other’s company. They are grateful for the fact what they still have instead of what is lost. Life goes on with their daily chores of preparing food and habit of rolling their cigarette leaves. They are still able to joke with one another.

SYNOPSIS  ( ACCORDING TO STANZA)

STANZA 1

They returned home at dawn and headed for the stove. Their clothes were soaking wet and tattered. Their bodies were covered with scratches and wounds. Yet, they did not display any signs of being worried.

STANZA 2

They were out in the flood the whole day and night. They were surrounded by dead animals and parts of trees that had been destroyed by the flood. They searched desperately for their son’s albino buffalo but were unable to find it.

STANZA 3

They were born into poverty and difficulty, but they do not complain about their suffer. Instead, they sit in the kitchen, cracking jokes while smoking cigarettes.

SETTING

The setting of the poem is in the house.

THEMES

Stoicism in life
Family love
Acceptance of way of life

MORAL VALUES

We should learn to accept problems in life with a positive outlook.
We must attempt to face and solve problems.
Failure is part of growing up.
Do not despair in the face of failure.

TONE, MOOD, ATMOSPHERE

Understanding and sympathetic
Dismal
Acceptance of situation

POINT OF VIEW

Third person pint of view.

LANGUAGE & STYLE

Language is simple and easy to understand.
The style is simple with no rhyming scheme.

POETIC DEVICES

Imagery – Gives picture of poet’s thoughts e.g ‘soaky clothes torn’ and ‘legs full of wounds’
Alliteration – e.g. ‘but on their brows’
Symbols – e.g. ‘horrendous flood’ and ‘bloating carcasses’
Diction – e.g. ‘stove’ and ‘brows‘

credit: thelitpath.wordpress.com

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