ARE YOU STILL PLAYING YOUR FLUTE ?

GROUP:C2
GROUP MEMBERS:
- MOHD.HAFEEZ
- ZAINULLAH
- MUHD.HAZIQ
- RISKA SARIB
- MOHD.YAHYA
 POET’S BACKGROUND
• ZURINAH HASSAN
• Born in Alor Setar,Kedah in 1949.
• Graduated with a literature degree in 1974.
• Her poetical works,short stories and articles were published in
newspaper and magazine such as House of Art,Dewan
Bahasa,Mastika and other.
• Her first published work was Tujuh Gunung Tidak Terdaki,which
appeared in the Sydney edition of the Gazette Weekly in 1967.
• Other works soon followed and were published in the National
Gazette and Utusan Zaman.
• Her career peaked in the 1970s,with the publication of two volumes
of poetry: Sesayup Jalan and Di Sini Tiada Perhentian.
 SUMMARY OF POEM
• Through the poem, the poet expresses her anxiety about the
events going on during her time. Event seem to be turbulent.
The nation is going through a crisis. The village is deserted the
rice fields are barren. Young men are unemployed and
desperate. The political situation is plagued by disunity. War has
broken out and people are being killed. In the midst of all this, a
man is playing his flute. He is in his own world of music. The
persona asks him a question three time. How can he was
continue playing his flute with all the turbulence going on in the
nation? And to make it worst, he feels guilty for enjoying his
music and to long for his song.
 LITERAL MEANING
• STANZA 1
• The persona questions herself if her beloved is still playing the
flute, when there is no time to show that one cares for each
other. Though persona feels it is not right to yearn for his
music from the flute, the tune is deeply attached to her
affectionately.
• STANZA 2
• The persona finds that the village had been abandoned by the
villagers and the paddy fields un attended. She recalls that,
admiring the rain, staring at the sunray during the dusk,
collecting dew drops and enjoying the pleasant smell of
flowers and nature had become a luxury or an advantage that
you do not find anymore.
• STANZA 3
• The persona feels guilty for yearning for the special person as
her countrymen are jobless and willing to commit anything for
a job. They are separated by different political views. People,
whom you care for, are brutally killed. Meanwhile the world
resembles a sickly and dying old man.
•  
 THEME
• Family commitments
• Priorities in life
• Neglect of one’s duties
• Enjoyment in listening to the flute
• Turbulence in a nation
 MORAL VALUES
• We should be aware of our family
commitments and carry them out properly.
• Everyone has priorities in, life and we should
know what is important and what is not.
• Following a hobby is good but there is a time
for work and a time for play.
 LANGUAGE AND STLYE
• Rhetorical question
• Descriptive and questioning
• Simple style and no rhyme
• Conversational
• Imagery and metaphors to express her ideas
 TONE, MOOD AND ATMOSPHERE
• Sombre and regretful
• Serious atmosphere
• Depressing
• Gloomy
• Disconsolate
 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’