SYNOPSISThis poem his about a persona who reminisces the time he/she spends when in a village. There are many things that are now luxury to her such as listening to the melody of the flute itself, gazing at the evening rays, collecting dew drops, or enjoying the fragrance of flowers. The village is now unpopulated as many have moved to the city. Now that she has moved on with her life, she wonders whether the flutist is still playing the flute. This is because, there are many challenges in the world today such as the world is dying, the unemployment issue and the people are disunited because of different political views.

The meaningStanza 1 The persona wonders whether her partner is still paying attention to his passion or hobby that is playing the flute. She feels neglected by him. She longs to hear his song, the song that he plays on the flute and which the wind is blowing to her heart.

Stanza 2 The persona wonders whether her partner is still paying attention to his passion or hobby that is, playing the flute. The village is quiet and deserted and the rice fields are dry and cracked. It is difficult to find time to watch the falling rain, watch the setting sun, collect dew drops or enjoy smelling the flowers

Stanza 3 The persona wonders whether her partner is still paying attention to his passion or hobby that is playing the flute. She feels guilty about imposing on him or even thinking about him He does not seem to be aware of what is happening to his family, relatives and friends.o His brothers-in-law have lost their jobs, the people are divided by politics, her friend has been killed and the whole world seems to be torn by troubles

FIGURATIVE MEANING

Stanza 1: In life, we sometimes have to change our way of life due to work or family circumstances. From a lifestyle filled with values and traditions like in the village, we may find ourselves embracing a totally different lifestyle in towns. However, we may sometimes long for our previous life with its unforgettable moments.

Stanza 2: We may wonder if the values and traditions we believed in and practised are still observed in our former villagers. Many people have migrated to towns or adopted an urban way of life where such traditions may not be so well-ingrained. In these places, life is fast paced and they do not have the time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life they used to.

Stanza 3: These people may think back to their days in the rural areas with guilt. Traditions and the old values may seem trivial compared to their present circumstances. There are economic, political and social problems to be faced. Some of these problems have become personal as they affect people who are close to them.

THEMES

Values and traditions - Values and traditions have an important role in our life. They teach us to live correctly and to hold on to our principles in life. We learn to value life, family and friends. A society without values and traditions is colourless and loses its direction.

Changes in life - Nothing stays the same forever and that includes life. Life changes over time. These changes affect every aspect of our lives and may have positive and negative consequences.

Family commitments - Everyone has family commitments, whether it is to our immediate family members or extended family members. Be aware of these commitments as they bind a family together.

Priorities in life - There are important and unimportant things in life. Learn to differentiate them and make plans accordingly.

Enjoying the simple pleasure of life - Nature surrounds us and the beauty of nature offers us the simple pleasures of life. The rising sun, the moon and stars, the rainfall and dew are some of the pleasures that nature offers. Enjoy them and enjoy life.

Passionate about one's interest - When we are really interested in a hobby, we will become passionate about it. It helps us to mature as this passion helps us to stay focused. We learn to be creative too. But, we should not let this passion become an obsession.

MORAL VALUES

We should learn to appreciate the values and traditions of society and family. They give us balance in life and help us to differentiate between the good and the bad.

We face changes in life every day. Learn to accept changes but only if they are for the good of society. If they are beneficial, work around them for the general good.

Our family is the most important thing in our life. We should put their interest and safety first before anything else. Show consideration for one's duties within the home and carry out family commitments responsibly.

We should know our priorities in life and be aware of them at all times. Don't get so taken in by our interests that we forget our priorities.

Passion for interests should should not be at expense of family happiness. There is a time for work and a time for play.

POINT OF VIEW

The poem is the first point of view. The person is addressing another person and describing a situation to him.

LANGUAGE AND STLYE

Rhetorical question Descriptive and questioning Simple style and no rhyme

TONE, MOOD AND ATMOSPHERE

Sombre and regretful Serious atmosphere

POETIC DEVICES

Imagery e.g. blown by the wind, depth of my heart Alliteration e.g. fragrance of flowers Symbol e.g. flute, song Repetition e.g. Are you still playing your flute? Figurative Language Metaphor e.g. The melody concealed in the slime hollow of bamboo Personification e.g. sick rice field

It was a very cold morning as it had been raining very heavily the previous night. As my mother was feeling a little under the weather, my sister volunteered to drive me to school. I had overslept and as a result, was running a bit late for school. We got into the car hurriedly. The road was already congested with traffic. It appeared that everyone was late as well.

My sister was a careful driver and despite the fact I was already late, she refused to drive fast on the slippery road. I was lucky she was such a resolute and careful person because a few hundred meters away from the school, we witnessed a tragic accident. it all happened very quickly, as most accidents do. A car full of school children had made a left turning without signaling and as a result a school bus crashed into it. A few cars behind the school bus rammed into the bus as they could not brake in time and soon it became a pile up. The already congested road became jammed with vehicles that came to a crawl. I told my sister that I wanted to help the victims and she nodded silently. She brought the car to a halt not too far from the accident spot.

The scene that greeted us was something I would never forget. It left an indelible imprint in my mind to date. The impact of the accident had plunged three school children out of the car. The driver, a lady, lay lifeless on the steering wheel. I rushed to the children who were preschoolers. Two of them were seriously hurt and bleeding profusely from the head and hands. they were conscious although too weak to realize what had happened. One of them had her left hand severed and appeared unconscious. I think she was killed on the spot. In the meantime passers-by had called the ambulance and while waiting we tried as best as possible to help the victims.

The passengers in the school bus too were injured. I dashed into the bus and saw the driver laid slumped on the wheels. He had severe injuries on the head. While my sister helped him down from the bus, I told the injured school children to stay calm. Most of them appeared to suffer from minor cuts and bruises on their arms and bodies. it was really fortunate that nobody was badly hurt. By then a few adults had entered the bus and together we instructed the children to come out of the bus slowly. The children were crying and screaming for their parents and we had to hug them to keep them quiet.

Meanwhile, two ambulances had arrived. A traffic police car was there too. Two policemen were taking down statements from eye-witnesses. The injured and the dead were whisked away to the hospital. My sister and I later gave an account to the police of what had happened.

I was late for school. In fact, many drives were also late for their work. I informed my teacher of the accident and both felt that it could have been prevented if the drivers had been more careful. Innocent lives would not have been lost otherwise.

Road accidents are reported in newspaper and on television every day. There are more frequently caused by reckless drivers rather than faulty vehicles. Last Saturday, while I was travelling from Ipoh, I witnessed a serious accident. The scene of the accidents was vivid in my mind.

A motorcyclist was following behind was taxi very closely. He was so impatient that he was trying to overtake my taxi even near a sharp bend. At that critical moment, there was an oncoming car. The taxi driver swerved to the roadside and I got a terrible jolt. It was too late for the motorcyclist to avoid the car. His motorcycle ran against the bumper of the car and smashed its windscreen. The motorcyclist somersaulted over the car and was found lying in a pool of blood. It was a scene to chill the flesh! The car driver, who was cut by the flying glass, was in a state of shock. All that happened in split second and fear overwhelmed us.

The taxi driver stopped his taxi and I quickly ran to the nearest to the nearest telephone booth to inform the police and the hospital. From a distance I could see some people trying to help the injured motorcyclist and the car driver. They carried them into one of the onlookers car and sent them to the hospital for treatment. Meanwhile the taxi driver tried to control and directs the traffic. Soon the police arrived and they promptly took some measurements and evidence. After that they moved the damaged car and the motorcycle to the roadside to ease the traffic congestion. They also took down the evidence provided by witnesses and onlookers. Some sweepers were clearing the debris and the blood stains on the road.

When the taxi finally continued the journey, I silently thanked God for my narrow escape. I learned a good lesson that impatience and recklessness would bring harm and danger. I was happy to see that Malaysians are public-spirited and they render help to others readily. Since then I remember and follow the saying more haste less speed and prevention is better than cure. I believe good road manners and roads safety campaigns can help to reduce the number of road accidents which cause injuries, loss and lives and properties.