SPIRIT OF THE KERISby Salleh Ben Joned

BIOGRAPHY Spirit of the keris is written by Salleh

Ben Joned,who was a lecturer in the English Department at the University Malaya.

His first book was the bilingual poetry collection, 'Sajak-Sajak Salleh' (1987). It was followed by 'As I Please', (1994) and Nothing is Sacred (2003) which compiled his popular New Straits Times columns.

His latest book, 'Adam's Dream' (2007) is his third collection of poems.

theideaprimalin the mind of the all mighty ideaof the Kher-sonesegolden unto the dawnthe bright star of morn

the forge(eye of the tiger burning bright in the jungle of the night)

the forge(what the hammer? what the chain?)

the forge

furnancefusing

meltingmerging

meteoric iron

into the form

foreshadowed

foreshadowing

of the idea

archetypal

tigerish

true

to the idea

in the loins

of the mind

of the all

foreshadowing

foreshadowed

in the smithyof the soulof a racetigerish true to the soulof the kerisgolden silverishmultialloyedmultiveinedstriatedwith memoriesof voicesancient-urgent

ambivalentmultivalenttrueto the tigerin the mindof the allto the thumb-pressof the handof theall-mighty

to the heartof the heatin the liverof the tigerof tigersKerissinuouslysilveringsilkysleek

unto the land’s endthrustingtrustinggolden-khersonese-

liketiger-trueLighteningleanflame-firmedtrusting thrustinginto the seasof prophecyspirit splurtingwith the seedsof a thousand islandsof a dream nationenvy of allsongs of the future

echoingreveberatingwith the roarof ancestral voicesfamiliar and strangein the bowelsof the mightiestof oceansof one-nessthis-nessthus-ness

POETRY MEANING

1ST STANZA

Keris is stated as a very well-known culture in Malay community and its fame will continue to shine.

2ND STANZA Making and producing of keris.

The burning metal shines brightly.

Keris maker does not use any modern tools but remains conventionally (hammer and chain).

3RD STANZA The process of making keris. Metal is being fused, melted and merged in the forge.

Meteoric iron Alloy The producing of the keris remains the same as the traditionally idea.

Main material in making keris

Keris has its soul.

Characteristics of the keris: Golden and silverishMultialloyed Multiveined

In ancient days, keris has its own symbolises and usages.

4TH STANZA Features of the keris:

MightySinuouslySilveringSilkysleek

Has many curves and turns.

5TH STANZA When the enemies came to the land, the warriors with keris will try their best and be brave like a tiger to fight with them to protect their land.

A new land.

THEME Spirit in making keris. The process of making keris is hard.

It symbolizes determination of people.

POETRY DEVICES

STRUCTURE Free-versed. Free rhyme. Divided into 5 stanzas. Number of lines in each stanza is different.

Does not have pentameter.

SHAPE OF A KERIS Starting from the first stanza until the

last, it shape like from the ‘hulu keris’ until the ‘tuntung’ which is the end of keris.

This is how, Salleh Ben Joned celebrates the Malay culture by not only using the words keris and tiger in his poem but also the shape of his poem.

IMAGERYFurnance fusingMelting mergingMeteoric iron

KerisGoldenSilverishMutlialloyedMultiveined

Process of making keris(stanza 3)

Appearance of the keris(stanza 3)

SIMILEExample:

unto the land’s endthrustingtrustinggolden-khersonese-liketiger-trueLighteningleanflame-firmedtrusting thrustinginto the seasof prophecy (Stanza 5)

METAPHOR Example:

spirit splurtingwith the seedsof a thousand islands

(stanza 5)

(eye of the tiger burning bright in the jungle of the night)(stanza 2)

Symbolize of the brightness of making keris.

PERSONIFICATION Memories cannot voice out

anything. Example:

striatedwith memoriesof voicesancient-urgent (Stanza 3)

SYMBOL keris Symbolic of the strengthen and creativity of Malay community.

Symbolic of Malay at that time (not fear to protect their land from the attack of enemies)

ALLITERATION spirit splurting

(stanza 5)

ASSONANCE

golden unto the dawnthe bright star of morn

(stanza 1)

REPETITIONof one-nessthis-nessthus-ness(stanza 5)

MORAL VALUE Be brave. Be patriotic. Remain and practise the traditional culture of a race.

THANK YOU