Exercise 1
Read the interpretation below and identify
which stanza it belongs to.
No
|
Interpretation
|
Stanza
|
1.
|
The persona is now confined to his wheelchair
|
2
|
2
|
He can’t do much because he can’t control people and they
way they think.
|
2 |
3
|
He was a soldier before and fought for his country’s
independence.
|
1 |
4
|
The persona sees that the people are destroying themselves
by engulfing into the world of lies and dishonesty.
|
2 |
5
|
The persona is now old and weak.
|
1 |
6
|
What happens around him really disturbs him.
|
2 |
7
|
The persona wants the young people to stand up and speak
out their opinions.
|
3 |
8
|
The persona says that we need to be united and fight for
the sake of our nation’s harmony
|
3 |
9
|
The persona is only able to sit on his wheelchair and
monologues.
|
2 |
Exercise 2 - Themes
Tick the relevant themes for this poem.
No
|
Theme
|
No
|
Theme
|
||
1
|
Patriotism
|
/ |
4
|
Appreciation of nature
|
|
2
|
Environment
|
5
|
Courage
|
/ | |
3
|
Sacrifice for independence
|
/ |
6
|
Life and death
|
/ |
Exercise 3
Read the questions and choose the best answers.
1. The persona is a
patriotic person because he has helped to
A. Develop his country
B. Plan his country
progress
C. Fight for his country
D. Restructure his country
2. The ‘forced
sacrifices / that know no name or life’ would refer to the effort of soldiers
who
A. Have died for the country
B. Have won the world
war
C. Were captured
D. Were freed
3. The persona is
wheelchair bound because he has lost his
A. Sight
B. Hearing
C. Ability to feel
D. Ability to use his limbs
4. What disturbs the
persona now?
A. The education in this
country
B. The political
situation in his country
C. The economic situation in
his country
D. The spread of diseases
A Fighter's Lines
MODEL QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTED ANSWERS
1. Who is the persona in the poem?
An ex-army/ a former
army/a retired army/ an ex-soldier/a former soldier/a retired soldier/ an
ex-fighter/a former fighter/ a retired fighter
2. What does the word ‘history’ in line 4 refer to?
The fight for
independence
3. What kind of tone do you sense from the first two
stanzas?
Frustration
4. Why does the persona feel helpless?
He is old, weak, has
lost all his strength, crippled and wheel-chair bound
5. Describe what the poet means by the last two lines in
stanza 2.
After years of
independence, the persona sees that the people are trying to destroy themselves
by engulfing into the world full of lies/deceits.
6. What does the phrase “a wall” refers to?
In order to fight for
our freedom, first we have to be united, ‘erect a wall of people’ regardless of
our races or religions and fight for the sake of our nation’s harmony
7. Who is referred to by the pronoun “you” in the last line?
The young
generation/the present generation/the young people/the present youths/the
youths of today/the heirs of our country
8. What message is the poet trying to spread? Explain.
He urges the new generation to speak out their opinions and
fight for their freedom and justice.
9. Based on the poem, who do you think the persona is?
An ex-army/ a former army/a retired army/ an
ex-soldier/a former soldier/a retired soldier/ an ex-fighter/a former fighter/
a retired fighter
10. Why do you think the persona says that he has lost all
his strength?
The persona once had
become a soldier and he had suffered a lot to free the country from invaders.
During that time, they fought with all of their will and as the consequences
now he is wheelchair bound due to the loss of energy and he is now old enough
to only be able to sit on the wheelchair while monologues
11. What do you think happened to those who fought for
independence?
There were many
sufferings and some of them died in the fight for independence.
12. Who is the persona addressing in stanza 3 and 4? Why do
you think he does this?
The persona is
addressing the young generation. He urges the new generation to speak out their opinions
and fight for their freedom and justice.
13. What is the persona contribution to his country?
He fought for the
country’s independence.
14. Why does the persona say he can “see and cannot do
much”?
He is old, weak, has
lost all his strength, crippled and wheel-chair bound
15. What does the phrase “a wall of people” represent?
In order to fight for our freedom, first we
have to be united, ‘erect a wall of people’ regardless of our races or
religions and fight for the sake of our nation’s harmony
16. What does the persona mean when he says “I have no more
voice”? Why does he say it?
He is old, weak, has
lost all his strength, crippled and wheel-chair bound.
17. Why is the persona in a wheelchair?
He fought for
independence before and now he is old,
weak, has lost all his strength, crippled and wheel-chair bound.
18. What did the present or younger generation inherit from
their forefathers?
The spirit to fight
for freedom and justice.
19. Who do you refer to in the last line of stanza 4?
The young
generation/the present generation/the young people/the present youths/the
youths of today/the heirs of our country
20. State two things that the present or young generation
must do in order to defend the country threats.
1. Be united
2. Be patriotic
21. State two ways to show your appreciation to those who
sacrifices for your country independence.
1. Join in the Armed
Forces Day celebration
2. Write appreciation
cards/poems
22. Do you think you must defend your country from threats? Suggest two ways
that the present youths must do in order to defend the country from
threats.
We must defend our
country from threats. Firstly, we must be united and remained united. Secondly,
we must have patriotic feelings as this
creates positive implications in the future.
23. Do you think it is important for us to show our
appreciation to those fought for the
country independence? Suggest two ways
to appreciate them.
It is important for us
to show our appreciation to those who fought for the country independence.
Firstly, we can celebrate them in the Armed Forces Day celebration. Secondly,
the government can present them with military awards.
24. Do you think bribery is destroying our country? Suggest
two ways to curb bribery.
Yes, I do. Firstly, we
can hold a campaign to stop bribery. Secondly, we can put up posters, banners
and flyers on the harmful effects of bribery.
25. Corruption destroys the nation. Do you agree with this
statement ?Suggest two ways to stop
corruption.
Yes, I agree with this
statement. Firstly, we can hold a campaign on the harmful effects of
corruption. Secondly, we educate the present generation on good ethical
behaviour
26. Which phrase indicates that the persona is helpless?
from the wheelchair of the rest of my days
27. What is the persona worried about?
After years of
independence, the persona sees that the people are trying to destroy themselves
by engulfing into the world full of lies/deceits.
28. Who does the persona ask to ‘wake up’?
The young
generation/the present generation/the young people/the present youths/the
youths of today/the heirs of our country
29. What appeal does the persona make? Why do you think he
makes that appeal?
He urges
the new generation to speak out their opinions and fight for their freedom. He wants
us to be united, regardless of our races or religions and fight for the
sake of our nation’s harmony.
30. In stanza 1, how does the persona describe himself?
He describes himself
as old and weak
31. Which line in the poem suggests that the persona is too
weary to fight?
I, body and energy crushed
32. What does the persona mean by ‘the net of deceit spread
everywhere disturb me?
The persona sees that
the people are trying to destroy themselves by engulfing into the world full of
lies/deceits.
33. Do you agree that these times are too big a challenge
for the persona? Why do you say so?
Yes, I agree. He says
that there is nothing much he can do as he cannot control people’s mind as how
he once did holding guns to destroy invaders. This is shown in the Stanza 2.
34. Do you think protecting your country independence is important? How would you protect your country independence?
Yes. I would fight for justice and freedom and lies, corruption and dishonesty.
35. Do you love your country? How would you tell other people that you love your country?
Yes. The people must be united and fight for justice and freedom.
Yes. I would fight for justice and freedom and lies, corruption and dishonesty.
35. Do you love your country? How would you tell other people that you love your country?
Yes. The people must be united and fight for justice and freedom.
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