A Fighter's Lines Notes

8/17/2019 A Fighter's Lines Notes

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A Fighter's LinesBy Marzuki Ali

Understanding the meaning of the poem

About the poet

Marzuki Ali

Marzuki Ali was born in 1945 in Terengganu, Malaysia. He was brought up in Kemaman

an later !abah. He has been writing poems sin"e the 19#$%s. His poems mostly eal

with issues regaring his hometown, en&ironment an patriotism. A lot o' his poems

ha&e been publishe in the Utusan Malaysia, Berita Minggu, Dewan Sastera an Dewan

Budaya.

Synopsis of the poem

The persona in the poem is an ol solier. He is tire as he is ol an weak. He an his

people su''ere in the past in their 'ight 'or 'reeom o' their "ountry an they mae

many sa"ri'i"es. (eople lost their li&es an some remain nameless or unknown.

The persona, who belie&es that he will be in the wheel"hair 'or the rest his li'e says he

"an only wat"h the happenings aroun him. (hysi"ally, he is helpless an he has no

energy le't. He was either seriously in)ure when he was a solier or is &ery ill. He 'ins

that times ha&e "hange an being a "ripple man, it is too "hallenging 'or him to 'ight

the in)usti"e he sees aroun him. He is trouble by many lies being tol e&erywhere.


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The poem is set a'ter inepenen"e. The persona 'eels that the inepenen"e he has

struggle 'or is now threatene by sub&ersi&e elements.

Tone and mood

+n the 'irst stanza, the tone ini"ates that the persona is sa an weary be"ause he is

ol an weak. The persona is also melan"holi", re'le"ting on his past sa"ri'i"es he mae

'or the "ountry%s inepenen"e.

+n the se"on stanza, the persona &oi"es his helplessness, anger an "ontempt be"ause

his "ountry is 'a"ing threats.

The tone use in the thir stanza is serious an emaning. The persona urges the

present generation to 'orm a unite 'ront to uphol the 'reeom that he an manyothers has 'ought 'or.

The persona ens by insisting that the younger generation "ontinues to 'ight against

in)usti"e be"ause he "an no longer o so.

Themes

1. (atriotism

(atriotism is one o' the themes o' this poem. The people in this "ountry ha&e mae a loto' sa"ri'i"es to 'ight 'or their 'reeom. They ha&e a"hie&e inepenen"e but now there

are other threats su"h as e"eit. This a''e"ts the "ountry%s sa'ety. The persona "alls on

the younger generation to 'ight 'or )usti"e an to speak up against e"eit.

. *eing "ourageous

Another theme is being "ourageous. +n the past, people mae many sa"ri'i"es an

'ought bra&ely with the "ountry%s enemies 'or their 'reeom. -ow, the persona urges the

younger generation to be bra&e an 'ight against other threats in the "ountry. He tells

them to stan up an speak with "ourage.

. /nity

+n the past, people were unite when they 'ought 'or inepenen"e. -ow, the persona

emphasises that the younger generation who has inherite a 'ree "ountry shoul unite to

preser&e their 'reeom. They shoul stan unite by builing a wall o' people or 'orming

ranks irrespe"ti&e o' ra"ial, religious an other so"ial i''eren"es. The 0lines0 in the

poem, A ighter%s 2ines re'er to the persona%s lines an the lines or ranks 'orme 'or

unity. 3e ha&e to be unite an strong as in the saying, 0/nite we stan, i&ie we

'all0.


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Values

1. 3e must be bra&e to uphol )usti"e.

The persona urges the younger generation to stan up against the wiesprea lies whi"h

are rampant in so"iety toay. This %net o' e"eit% worries his as it "an estroy the

soliarity o' the people. There'ore, he urges them to stan unite an uphol )usti"e to

preser&e the 'reeom an sa'ety o' the "ountry.

. 3e must be willing to make sa"ri'i"es to preser&e our inepenen"e.

+n the 'ight 'or inepenen"e, the persona an other soliers sa"ri'i"e an riske their

li&es when they 'ought 'or inepenen"e. -ow, he is wheel"hairboun be"ause he was

either "ripple in the war or is now ol an si"k. -ow, he wants the younger generation

to make sa"ri'i"es too to preser&e their 'reeom.

. 3e must be unite to preser&e our 'reeom.

The persona wants the younger generation to stan unite regarless o' their i''eren"es

to ensure their 'reeom.

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A Fighter's Lines Notes