By Marzuki Ali

THE FIGHTER’S

LINES

• 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.

SYNOPSIS

• 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.

SYNOPSIS

• worn: tired; weary• sufferings: feeling of pain and unhappiness• forced sacrifices: have no choice but

to give up something important and valuable for the country

WORD POWER STANZA

1

• crushed: broken• challenge: difficult task• remnants: remains• crippled: disabled• deceit: dishonest behaviour that is intended to

trick someone

WORD POWER STANZA

2

• rank: lines; row• ancestor: • erect: build• heirs: people who continue the work started by others

WORD POWER

STANZA3

• 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

PARAPHRASESTANZA

1

• During that time, they fought with all of their will and as the consequences now he is wheelchair bound• After years of independence, the persona is upset as he sees that the people are trying to destroy themselves by engulfing into the world full of lies.

PARAPHRASESTANZA

2

• He says that there is nothing much he can do as he cannot control people’s mind as how he once did holding guns to destroy invaders

PARAPHRASESTANZA

2

• Due to the spreading of lies, he now urges new generation to speak out their opinions and fight for their freedom. • He tells us in order to fight for our freedom, first we have to be united, ‘erect a wall of people’ regardless of our races or religions and fight for the sake of our nation’s harmony

PARAPHRASESTANZA3 and 4

• Due to the spreading of lies, he now urges new generation to speak out their opinions and fight for their freedom. • He tells us in order to fight for our freedom, first we have to be united, ‘erect a wall of people’ regardless of our races or religions and fight for the sake of our nation’s harmony

PARAPHRASESTANZA3 and 4

• As most of countries nowadays are aiming to reach the highest level of developments, our country, Malaysia also do not want to miss it out. • But, without we realize, we slowly losing our morality and our country slowly engulfing in a sea of lies.

WHY the poet write this poem?

• He stresses here that if we, as the younger generation cannot find the way to prohibit the dishonesties and lies, we are putting our country fate in a danger as this dishonesties can shake the stability of our country and the peace it possesses.

WHY the poet write this poem?

• That is why in the Stanza 4, he urges the younger generation to be united disregard of the races and religions to speak out their opinions. • This is important as these lies able to distract the peace and harmony of our country and finally lead to fight.

WHY the poet write this poem?

• is written in the twentieth century

1. the present: as the persona sits in a wheelchair reminiscing about

past struggle

2. the past: when the persona was a a young and strong soldier

SETTING

TWO TIME FRAME

SETTING

POINT OF VIEW

• The point of view is based on the persona.

• The persona is the speaker in a poem.

• The poem is written in the first person of view. (pronoun ‘I’).

• He is portrayed as a former soldier or freedom fighter

LET’S SOLVE THE PUZZLE

MERDEKA ! MERDEKA ! MERDEKA !