ARE YOU PLAYING STILL PLAYING THE FLUTE?

QUESTIONS

1. What musical instrument is mentioned in the poem? 2. Who is the artist mentioned in stanza 1? 3. Why is the village quiet and deserted? 4. What has happened to the rice field? 5. What is the persona longing for? 6. How is the song played on the flute 7. Why do you think the rice fields are not healthy? 8. What are considered luxuries by the persona? 9. In stanza 3, why does the persona feel guilty when thinking about the flutist? 10. What does the line this world is too old and bleeding mean? 11. Based on stanza 3, mention two problems faced by the country? 12. Name some of the activities that the persona is unable to do? 13. Why do you think doing these activities is considered a luxury? 14. In stanza 3, why do you think the personas conscience is disturbed when the flute is played? 15. What is the message found in this poem? 16. Why do you think the persona keeps repeating the same question in every stanza? 17. What was blown to the depth of the personas heart? 18. Why is there hardly an time for their love?

1. A flute 2. The person who plays the flute. 3. All the younger generation have more to other places, most probably searching for job and better life. 4. It is left unattended and abandoned. 5. The persona longs to hear the songs played by the flutist. 6. The flutist plays the flute with his/her fingers and by blowing into the flute to produce beautiful songs. 7. There is no one to take care of it or to work on the land. It has been left to rot. 8. - watching the rain fall - gazing at the sunset - collecting the dew drops in the morning - smelling the fragrance of flowers 9. He/She feels guilty of thinking about something she enjoys when people around her/him are facing difficulties. 10. It describes the earth that is facing turmoil and bloodshed.11. Unemployment, political unrest, killing/bloodshed 12. - unable to watch the rain coming down - unable to enjoy the sunset - unable to enjoy the fragrance of flowers. 13. Because according to the poet, these things are rarity and time is also limited. 14. The song most probably reminds the poet of life in the village which was the opposite of what the poet was experiencing now. 15. Changes can be traumatic, affecting the person. - Be aware of the happenings around you and should take responsibility to overcome/solve them. 16. To show the poet different intentions. Initially, the poet missed the flutist and her village but in the last the poet was upset that the poet was ignorant of the serious situations their country was facing.. 17. The music of the flute went deep into her heart. 18. The poet is busy with her life and is engrossed with her surroundings so she had no time for other things.