A FIGHTER’S LINES BY MARZUKI ALI
A FIGHTER’S LINES
BY MARZUKI ALI
A lot of his poems have been published in the Utusan
Malaysia, Berita Minggu, Dewan Sastera dan Dewan Budaya. He
has also published a few anthologies which include Desir Angin Pantai Timur (1984), Lia
(1988), Mantera (1991), Bangau Payang KolekSekoci (1993), Puisi
Duyung Puisi Rakyat (1999), Jentan Satwa Luka(2000), Rimba Hujan Tropika (2008), Bungkau and Sape Lamanta(2009)He is
also active in theatre direction in Malaysia and Indonesia. He has
set up a theatre group in Terengganu called ‘Grup Teater Asyik’.Among the plays he has
directed are Naskhah Sophocles (1991) and Bangsawan Makbeh
(1998)(Source: BPK.MOE. [module] Form 3 Poem, A Fighter’s Lines)
He was born in 1945 in Terengganu, Malaysia. He was brought up in Kemaman and later Sabah. He has been writing poems since
1960’s.His poems mostly deal with issues
regarding his hometown, environment and
patriotism.
Biography of the author…
Synopsis of the poem
This poem expresses the feelings of the persona who is a former soldier. He has sacrificed his youth and his strength in the fight for his country’s independence. He is now old and weak, wheelchair bound and helpless. His country is facing many challenges and threats. The persona urges the younger generation to continue the struggle for freedom. He hopes the young people will unite and be the new ‘voice’ to fight for the country.
A FIGHTER”S LINE..I am old and worn and have lost all my strengthsufferingsand the history of the fight for independencehave forced sacrificesthat know no nameor life
The persona declares that he is old, tired and has no more strength left in him. He then
reflects that sacrifices made when fighting for independence are countless.
STANZA 1(LITERAL MEANING)
The persona in the poem is an old soldier. He is tired as he is old and weak. He and his people
suffered in the past in their fight for freedom of their country and they made many sacrifices.
People lost their lives and some remain nameless or unknown.
STANZA 1(FIGURATIVE
MEANING)
A FIGHTER”S LINE..from the wheelchair of the rest of my daysI, body and energy crushedsee and cannot do muchthese times are too big a challengefor the remnants of my crippled yearsthe net of deceit spread everywheredisturbs me.
The persona is in a wheelchair. Maybe, he was
badly wounded and crippled when he fought for independence or he
was very sick or ill. Now he is worried about challenges and deceit in his country.
That is deceit like cheating and corruption
everywhere. However, he can only sit and watch
what is going on around him. He cannot fight
anymore because he is powerless. Nobody listens
to him.
STANZA 2(LITERAL MEANING)
The persona, who believes that he will be in a
wheelchair for the rest of his life says he can only watch the happenings
around him. Physically, he is helpless and he has no energy left. He was either seriously injured when he was a soldier or he is very
ill. He finds that times have changed and being
crippled man, it is too challenging for him to fight
the injustice he sees around him. He is troubled by the many lies being told
everywhere.
STANZA 2(FIGURATIVE
MEANING)
A FIGHTER”S LINE..
In the name of justiceWake up and form ranks son of ourancestorBe braveAnd erect a wall of peopleStand up heirs of our freedom
The persona wants the younger generation to be
brave and stand up for their freedom. He wants them to
unite and fight for justice. He tells them to protect this country from threats and problems like corruption.
STANZA 3(LITERAL MEANING)
Being highly-spirited, he calls on the younger generation to wake up and
fight on. They have to realize that they have to form lines or ranks irrespective of racial, religious and social differences
to fight courageously for justice . He want the young people inherited the
country’s freedom to be united to fight injustice and denounces lies which may
threaten.
STANZA 3(FIGURATIVE
MEANING)
A FIGHTER”S LINE..
I have no more voiceIt is you now who should speak!
The persona says nobody will listen to him
because he is old and powerless now. He
demands that young people speak up for justice and freedom.
STANZA 4(LITERAL MEANING)
The persona feels helpless that he is not heard. He urges the
younger generation to fight or speak up for
what is right because it is now their turn to do
so.
STANZA 4(FIGURATIVE
MEANING)
THE VERSIFICATION AND SOUND PATTERNS
THE VERSIFICATION
1)It has 4 stanzas of unequal length
2)Stanza 1 and 2 have 7 lines
3)Stanza 3 has 5 lines
4)Stanza 4 has a couplet (2 lines)
THE SOUND PATTERN
The poem is free or blank verse with no fixed
rhyme scheme and metrical pattern.
THE SETTING..
In this poem, there are two settings arranged. First is in an independent country. This is
obviously shown in the Stanza 1(Line 4-7), ‘and the history of the fight for independence have
forced sacrifices that know no name or life.’ The word ‘history’ connotes that the persona is
reflecting the past he had. The second setting is an old man sitting on a wheelchair inside his abode. This can be proven from the Stanza 2
(Line 8), ‘from the wheelchair of the rest of my days’.
Point of
view This poem is looking from the first person point of view whom is a retired soldier
as the poem uses the
pronoun I in it.
PATRIOTISMThe people in this
country have made a lot of sacrifices to fight for their freedom. They
have achieved independence but now there are other threats
such as deceit. This affects the country's safety. The persona calls on the younger
generation to fight for justice and to speak up
against deceit.
BEING COURAGEOUS
In the past, people made many sacrifices
and fought bravely with the country's enemies for their
freedom. Now, the persona urges the
younger generation to be brave and
fight against other threats in the country. He tells them to stand
up and speak with courage.
UNITYIn the past, people
were united when they fought for
independence. Now, the persona
emphasizes that the younger generation who has inherited a free country should
unite to preserve their freedom. They should
stand united by building a wall of people or forming
ranks irrespective of racial, religious and
other social differences.
THEMES
MORAL VALUES
We must be brave to uphold justice.
The persona urges the younger generation to stand up against the widespread lies which are rampant in society today. This 'net of deceit' worries his as it can destroy the solidarity of the people. Therefore, he urges them to stand united and uphold justice to preserve the freedom and safety of the country.
We must be willing to make sacrifices to preserve our independence.
In the fight for independence, the persona and other soldiers sacrificed and risked their lives when they fought for independence. Now, he is wheelchair-bound because he was either crippled in the war or is now old and sick. Now, he wants the younger generation to make sacrifices too to preserve their freedom.
We must be united to preserve our freedom.
The persona wants the younger generation to stand united regardless of their differences to ensure their freedom.
LITERARY DEVICESPersonification
Stanza 2, Line 12“for the remnants of my crippled years”Year is something inanimate and it is given human quality.
Metaphor
Stanza 2, Line 13“the net of deceit spread everywhere “The phrase “the net of deceit” shows the various problems faced by the country.
Stanza 3, Line 18“And erect a wall of people”The phrase “Wall of people” is giving the impression that if the public get together they can win this battle and stop the deceit from spreading.
LITERARY DEVICESAlliteration
Stanza 1, Line 6“that know no name”
Assonance
Occurs internally in the Stanza 3“And erect a wall of peopleStand up heirs of our freedom”
LITERARY DEVICESSight Imagery
Old and worn (Stanza 1, Line1)Portrays an image of an elderly person who is weary and weak.
body and energy crushed (Stanza 2, Line 9) creates an image of a person who is old, tired and frail.
Net of deceit (Stanza 2, Line 13)Symbolizes the evil challenges faced by today’s generation.
A wall of people (Stanza 3, Line 18)A life-like picture is created of a line of people fighting for justice and freedom.
LITERARY DEVICESSymbols
There are two symbols being highlighted in the poem. First is the ‘wheelchair’ that connotes the disability. Through this symbol, one manages to imagine the persona’s condition, the hardships he went through before for the sake of achieving the country’s independence. Even though he is now wheelchair- bound, he still has the will and determination to trigger the younger generation from their long asleep on how essential it is to retain the independence achieved from the sacrifices paid by the old generation like him.
LITERARY DEVICESSymbols
Besides that, another symbol represents in the poem is 'a wall of people’ which connotes people uniting. In this poem, it refers to a need for the younger generation to unite themselves regardless any races, skin colors or backgrounds to speak for themselves, prohibit from being influenced by the deceits being spread nowadays. It is also essential for the younger generation to erect a wall of people to maintain the independence achieved by the persona’s generation efforts.
LANGUAGE AND STYLEThe poem uses simple language and easy to
understand.
Generally the mode and tone of the poem are serious.
The poem is written in the style of a monologue.
The poem creates a patriotism and revolution mood.
LANGUAGE AND STYLEThe persona voices out his hopes through
various tones. In the Stanzas 1 and 2, the
persona enhances the tone of frustration as
he shares his disabilities and weariness of not
being able to fight for the country anymore.
They are proven by the line, ‘I am old and
worn’. Not only that, the line ‘from the
wheelchair of the rest of my days ‘, also
symbolizes his disability which leads him to
feel frustrated. He is worry of the deceits that
spread everywhere nowadays as what he says
in the line, ‘the net of deceit spread
everywhere disturbs me’.
STANZA
1&2
LANGUAGE AND STYLEHis tone changes dramatically as in Stanzas 3 and
4, he goes from frustration to a fighting spirit
where he eagerly urges the new generation to
stand up and eradicate their fear of voicing out
their opinions as stated in the line, ‘In the name
of justice wake up and form ranks sons of our
ancestor’ and ‘Be brave’. Besides that, he also
stresses on the needs for the younger
generation to be united and seek for their
freedom as he clearly states in his lines, ‘And
erect a wall of people’ and ‘Stand up heirs of our
freedom’. In Stanza 4,, again he empathetically
urges the younger generation to speak after him
as now he is no longer strong to do so hence
hopes for their voices to be heard as he
stresses, ‘It is you now who should speak!’.
STANZA 3&4