POEM: ARE YOU STILL PLAYING YOUR FLUTE?

By

Paraphrase of the poem

STANZA 1
The persona questions whether the person is still playing his musical instrument. He has
not paid attention to her, the persona, who feels guilty about wanting to hear his song.
The song is played on the flute and the melody is heard by the persona.

STANZA 2
The persona questions again whether the person is still playing his flute, in the quiet and
lonely village and in the middle of dry paddy fields. While he is there, the persona is in a
place where it is difficult to enjoy nature. The persona is unable to watch the rain, the
sunset, collect dew drops or smell the flowers.

STANZA 3
The persona questions for the third time whether the person is still playing his flute. The
persona is not happy feels disturbed thinking of the person. All this happening while her
younger brother is unemployed and desperate, there are political problems and a friend
has been killed. The persona feels her world is collapsing.

Additional notes:
• The village looks deserted and quiet. The paddy fields looks barren
• The persona’s younger brother is unable to find a job and feeling desperate
• The people are not united and there is no harmony because of the politics
• Violence has taken place among the people and victims are hurt in merciless way
• The village looks bleak and deserted. There is a lot of suffering and loses around

Moral Values
• Life is never constant-there is always change from the leisurely time watching the
rain to the horror of knowing a friend is being slaughtered mercilessly.
• Do not take life for granted-there are many pressing issues we need to address
such as unemployment and violence around us

Point of View
• The point of view in this poem is the first person
• The word ‘I’ in the poem suggests that the description is seen through the eyes of
the poet
• The persona is an observer who describes the events
POEM: NATURE
By H.D Carberry

1. Paraphrase of the poem

• We do not have the regular seasons of spring, summer, autumn or winter. Instead
we have the days of bright sunny days when the sun shines on the fertile, healthy
fields of cane.
• There are days of heavy rain which beats rapidly and noisily on the roof-tops and
the only sound that could be heard is rushing water in the narrow eroded channels.
• There are times when the trees struggle to stay rooted in the strong Jamaican
winds. Then, there are days when leaves fade from the guango trees and the
harvested cane fields lie empty and unproductive in the sun.
• But the best times are when the mango and the logwood trees blossom, when the
low shrubs/bushes are filled with the buzzing of bees and the fragrance of honey.
When the tall grass moves gracefully to the gentle breeze or when buttercups lace
the ground like yellow stars.

2.
THEMES

Accepting change
Appreciate the beauty
(Environment/weather
of nature
)

Pleasant climate of
Jamaica

3. Persona- first person point of view using ‘we’

4. Tone: friendly/pleasant/cheerful

5. Setting: canefields of Jamaica in particular with the changes of weather in general. The
poet then relates how the country’s environment is affected by these changes at different
times of the year.

6. Moral values
• Nature is never constant-good times will be followed by hard times and vice
versa.
• So too in life which is filled with many ups and downs.
Metaphor- The 6 metaphors in the poem are:

a) Rain beats like bullets- rain drops which drop like bullets.
b) Trees struggling- trees moving violently in the strong wind.
c) Leaves fade off- the leaves falling off the trees.
d) Canefields lie bare- becoming unproductive.
e) Buttercups have paved the earth- buttercups flowers covering the ground
f) Yellow stars- the buttercups looking like yellow stars.

Personafiation- describing non-living things as living things/human actions.

a) the rain beats

b) the trees struggle
c) the canefields lie bare
d) the tall grass sways and shivers
e) the buttercups pave the earth

Answer the following questions based on the poem Nature.

1. How are the canefields described?

_____________________________________________________________

2. During the season of flowers, what can you hear and smell?

______________________________________________________________

3. Which line indicates that there are bright sunny days and the sun shines on
fertile fields of corn?

______________________________________________________________

4. In your opinion, has the poem given you a comprehensive picture of the
changes that take place in Jamaica?

______________________________________________________________