My Clever Pupils

Cheu Ching KiingLiew Miaw HueiTing Siew Ching

BiographyOmar Mohd. Noor

• His works have been published in The Flowering Tree in 1970, The Second Tongue in 1976, both anthologies compiled by Edwin Thumboo and in An Authology of Malaysian Poetry in 1988.

compile:To collect information from a variety of places and

arrange it in a book, report or list

Stanza 1my teaching is dull today,i can see dullness being powderedonto the faces on my pupilsmaking them turn to one anothertrying to find a more active lessonthey always expect their malay teacherto provide them interesting lessons

about broken promises that have neglected themabout the ignorance enveloping their kampongsabout the disappointments killing their parents,thinking that I am an antidote to ignorancebut experiences have not made me any clevererfor they are nothing but reconfirmations ofpast inabilities and past mistakes

Stanza 2to break from the nausea that is monotonywe sometimes laugh, make jokes about one anotherwe play, trying to outdo one anotherwe become silly, trying to show thatmistakes must be made before one can become cleverbut, i still have not been able to

make them realize that the pursuit of genuine educationknows no holidays, only rest can temporarily impede learningi have also told them that education is a catthat follows them from birthdays to deathdays

Stanza 3

a bright and precocious girl questioned meabout what to call a woman whose husband is deadi said widowsomebody unattentive said window(a learning laughter was heard)

Stanza 4i hope they become what they want to becomeas long as they are not thieves, robbers and philistinesas long as their coming manhood and womanhooddo not become the fuel for the technological fireburning us, making us useless and spent kayu bakau.

Stanza 5

i know they wish me well, toobut none knows that teaching themis an extension of the deferred educationwhich i have always been seeking

Stanza 6

i do not knowwhat they and i will becomebecause the premature answersare well hidden in the disappointing amenities afforded

Stanza 7

when i am about to diei could bang my chest once and only oncei could say to myself, an autoboast?i was their teacher and their pupil

Synopsis

• In this poem, a teacher considers his life and his career. He faces a lot of problem and obstacles. However, he don’t give up easily. He only wish that his students not be the parasites of society.

Theme

Hopes • The teacher does not seem to have

very high hopes for his clever pupils. • Although he hopes that they will

achieve their own goals, but he fears that their ambitions are not very high.

• Most of all, he hopes that they will not be made obsolete(useless) by technology, especially if they were to end up being manual labourer of factory workers.

Point of view

1st point of view• Poet is the speaker. • He is teaching the pupils. • He understands everything

happening because he is the writer of this poem.

Literary Devices

1.Metaphor A comparison of two dissimilar things which does not use "like" or “as”.

Example:I have also told them that education is a cat

That follows us from birthdays to deathdays

(stanza 2, line 10,11)

2. Personification

Giving human traits (qualities, feelings, action, or characteristics) to non-living objects (things, colors, qualities, or ideas).

Examples:

i. do not become fuel for technological fire (stanza 4, line 4)

ii. I am an antidote (stanza 1, line11)

3.Use BM Language

Examples:

i. kayu bakau (stanza 4, line 5)

ii. kampongs (stanza 1, line 9)

4.Repitation ----Anaphora

The deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of several successive verses, clauses, or paragraphs

Examples:• As long as they are not thieves, robbers and

philistines As long as their coming manhood and womanhood (stanza 4,line 2,3)

• I could bang my chest once and only onceI could say to myself, an autoboast

(stanza 7, line 2,3)• About broken promises that have neglected

them About the ignorance enveloping their kampongs About the disappointments killing their parents

(stanza 1, line 8,9,10)

Tone • The tone of the poem is dull and weary at

the beginning, but develops into a more optimistic and hopeful tone by the end, reflecting the idea that life is a process of development and education.

dull : not interesting or exciting in any way; boringweary: weary of bored with something because you have

experienced too much of it

Meter• The minimum syllable only 4. For

example: – i do not know (4). (stanza 6, line1)

• The maximum syllable is 15. For example: - make them realize that the pursuit of

genuine education(15).(stanza 2, line 7)

Rhyme

• The rhyme of this poem is free verse because the poetry is with no regular rhyme and rhythm.

Structure• The poem has 7 stanzas. • The number of lines, syllables,

and rhyme scheme for each stanza are different.

Moral Values

1. Ones should be responsible in their own work.

2. Ones should have the willing to learn.

3. Ones should also never give up easily.