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