Lesson 3: Analyzing & Composing poem

1) I feel that this poem shows that the author had a very eventful primary school life.
The author used "Free verse" in his poem as only by doing can he experiment with the shapes and sounds of the poem and truly express his inner feelings.

The second last stanza, there is an important quote about the author; "Pushing a wheelchair". This could mean the author either had an accident and broke his leg or suffered from a disease like polio. However, since his classmates "are smiling", I can assume that they do not mistreat or ostracize him because of that. Hence, I feel that the poet may have a happy memory of his primary school days.

The poet seems to enjoys school, judging that he does not defame his teachers or complain

The Son is in Secondary School by Affran Sa'at

My badge has a Latin motto
Hope for the future
The future is hope -->
Or something The author reveals that he does not understand the significance of his badge. He seems unsure of whether the motto is
"Hope for the future" or "The future is hope". This could also symbolize that the author hopes for a better future in secondary school.

At times black crows try to interrupt
When we sing the National Anthem

It is difficult to maintain
The whiteness of my shoes
Especially on Wednesdays --> Author may have Physical Education and soil his shoes

I must admit there is something quite special --> I feel the author is rather childish as About the bare thighs of hardworking scouts he admires and may even be jealous of the scouts not for helping others but for their muscular thighs. The Malay chauffeurs
Who wait for my schoolmates --> The author may come from a poor family unlike his Sit on the car park kerb classmates and cannot afford a chauffeur
Telling jokes to one another

Seven to the power of five is unreasonable

On Chinese New Year
Mrs Lee dressed up --> The author may feel that this is amusing as a Chinese teacher In a sarong kebaya dresses up as a Malay on Chinese New Year and sings Bengawan Solo
And sang Bengawan Solo

The capital of Singapore is Singapore --> This is elementary.

My best friend did a heroic thing once
Shaded all A's --> I feel this shows how childish the author and his friends were For his Chinese Language during primary school as they regard shading "all A's" Multiple-choice paper as"heroic".

In our annual yearbook
There is a photograph of me

Pushing a wheelchair and smiling
They caught me
At the exact moment

When my eyes were actually closed

2) I share the sentiments with the author about primary school. Though I undoubtedly had more homework and tests to worry about than the author, I too had an happy memories of primary school.

School

I still recall primary school,
when life was fun and never blue.

All day long we played in the sun,
leaving our homework undone.

The teachers were great and witty,
Tests and exams never a-plenty.

But then, in Primary 6, came hell,
when I had to bid them farewell.

Now I pine for primary school,
Primary school oh how I miss you!