Form 5 Literature

The Poem

What has happened to Lulu?

What has happened to Lulu, mother? 
What has happened to Lu? 
There's nothing in her bed but an old rag-doll 
And by its side a shoe. 

Why is her window wide, mother, 
The curtain flapping free, 
And only a circle on the dusty shelf 
Where her money-box used to be? 

Why do you turn your head, mother, 
And why do tear drops fall? 
And why do you crumple that note on the fire 
And say it is nothing at all? 

I woke to voices late last night, 
I heard an engine roar. 
Why do you tell me the things I heard 
Were a dream and nothing more? 

I heard somebody cry, mother, 
In anger or in pain, 
But now I ask you why, mother, 
You say it was a gust of rain. 

Why do you wander about as though 
You don't know what to do? 
What has happened to Lulu, mother? 
What has happened to Lu?

Subject matter

It is a poem told in a child’s voice about his older sister running away.

A child is asking his mother what has happened to his sister, Lulu. There is nothing in her room, and her money-box has gone, with only an open window and an old rag-doll left behind. His mother is crying and burning a note. He thinks he heard voices and a car in the middle of the night, but his mother tells him he was only dreaming.

Form and structure

The poem is a ballad. written in four line stanzas where the second and fourth lines rhyme. This regular and simple form seems appropriate for the voice of the narrator, which is of a young child.

It is a first person dramatic monologue that is addressed to the mother of the narrator. It is almost entirely written in questions, both reflecting the age of the speaker and his puzzlement at what has happened to his sister. The form suggests the child’s innocence, while allowing the reader to read between the lines and understand what has happened.

Language and Imagery

Imagery

The image of the abandoned bed is the main one, described by the child narrator. The inclusion of childhood objects such as a rag-doll and a money-box emphasise the youth and innocence of the run-away Lulu. They are contrasted with the roar of the car engine heard in the night and the grown-up world that the narrator does not understand, emphasised by the constant questions. The curtain can be seen as a metaphor for Lulu’s new freedom, contrasted by the dust on the shelf that represents her previous life.

Sound

The doubling of the sound in ‘Lulu’, together with the high level of repetition of both the name and its shortening in the poem, create a strong echo of the sound – which is also the rhymed sound in the first and last stanza. This is quite a childish sound, and helps to create the plaintive note in the child’s questioning.

Attitudes, themes and ideas

The poem takes an approach that makes the reader work to figure out what has happened. We have to piece together the clues given in the poem. This is in contrast to the apparent simplicity of the poem provided by the ballad format and the child’s voice. Doing this also puts the reader in the position of the child, who does not understand what is going on. We, like the narrator, have more questions than answers. The tone is one of puzzlement.

What Has Happened to Lulu? 

It deals with themes of grief and love. The mother is grieving over her lost child. The fact that the child has run away does not make the grief less significant. The confusion of the narrator about his or her parent’s reaction also tells us something about the nature of grief.The poem also considers how we deal with children, in dismissing what they have heard or seen. The child narrator has some valid knowledge of what has happened, but his mother tells him he dreamed it. The poem raises the question of how the child can react, when he has been told nothing is the matter, when clearly it is. Ironically the mother does not know what to do, as the final stanza makes clear.

Setting

Place

·         Probably in England as the word "money-box" is a typical British word.

• Lulu's room
• The fireplace

Time

• In the past

Themes

1. The end of childhood and the loss of innocence

• Lulu is probably a young teenager. 
• She ran away based on the note that her mother crumpled.
• She took her savings "money-box" to start a new life with a man who drove her off in a "engine roar".
• She left her childhood behind.

2. Parent-child relationship

• The mother and Lulu relationship could have been a tense and strained one.
• Lulu is a rebellious teenager.
• She dislikes her mother's restrictions on her freedom and emerging interest in the opposite sex.
• She keeps secrets from her mother.
• The mother and narrator relationship is less dramatic.
• The narrator is obedient and respectful to the mother.
• The narrator loves the mother very much and observe her pain and distress.

3. Grief and love

• The mother is grieving over the loss of her child, Lulu.
• The mother clearly loves Lulu.
• The narrator loves the sister as she called her by pet name "Lu".
• The narrator is worried about the sudden disappearance of the elder sister

Dear Mr Kilmer Form 5 SPM – Sample Answer

Question 1 (SPM 2007)

‘It is important to have a person you look up to in your life.’

From the novel that you have read, write about one character that you look up to. Give reasons why you choose him/her.

Sample answer

Event

The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. One character that I looked up to was Richard. There were three reasons why I looked up to Richard. Firstly, he loved animals. This was shown when Richard purposely missed shooting a buck. Richard thought that hunting was not important. Richard could not kill animals. Gus, Richard’s elder brother, was upset with Richard because Richard purposely misfired. Richard’s father, Pa, was also disappointed with Richard. Pa asked Richard why he purposely missed shooting the buck. Richard told Pa that he had no right to kill it. Richard told Pa that he felt painful and sad to kill an animal. Pa told Richard not to go hunting anymore if he did not like it. Secondly, Richard was kind. One day, Mrs Hansen asked her class to sign a card for the Schermers. Someone vandalised the tavern owned by Hannah’s parents. They painted “Dirty Huns” all over the walls. Mrs Hansen brought a card to express regret for what had happened. The troublemakers like Abner, Harry, Blanche and Peggy refused to sign the card. They warned other classmates not to sign the card. The boys were afraid Abner and Harry would hit them. The girls worry that popular girls like Peggy and Blanche would not speak to them. However, Richard was the only student who signed the sympathy card for Hannah Schermer. After school, Richard took the card from Mrs Hansen. He wanted to give the card to Hannah. Hannah accepted the card reluctantly. Later, Hannah apologised to Richard for being rude. This was the beginning of their friendship. Thirdly, Richard was brave. This was shown when Richard told his family and Mrs Hansen that he wrote poetry. Before telling his secret to his family and Mrs Hansen, Richard wrote a letter to Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was Richard’s penpal. Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer when Richard’s English teacher, Mrs Hansen read a poem to the class. The title of the poem was “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. In his letter, Richard told Mr Kilmer that he wrote poems too. However, he kept this as a secret from everyone. Richard asked for Mr Kilmer’s advice. He wanted to know whether he should tell his secret to everybody. One day, Richard received a letter from Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to overcome his fear. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to share his poetry with people around him. Nobody was interested when Richard told his family about Mr Kilmer’s letter and his secret. Gus did not believe that Mr Kilmer was famous. Pa did not believe that Richard wrote poetry. Richard asked whether his family members wanted to read his poems. Nobody was interested. Richard was sad. Gus advised Richard not tell anyone he wrote poetry. He wanted Richard to fit in with other people. Everyone called him a Hun Lover after he signed the card for Hannah. The next day, Richard told Mrs Hansen that he wrote poetry. He showed her Mr Kilmer’s letter. Mrs Hansen helped Richard to choose a poem. Richard would send the poem to Mr Kilmer. As advised by Mrs Hansen, Richard shared Mr Kilmer’s latest letter and his poem with the class.Some of his classmates, including Blanche and Peggy, were deeply moved by his poem. They started to respect Richard. Hannah suggested a different ending to Richard’s poem. In conclusion, I admired and respected Richard because he had good personalities.

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Question 2 (SPM 2008)

Using the details from the novel that you have studied,

•      Describe what happens at the end of the novel.

•      Explain why you find the ending either happy or sad.

Sample answer

Event

The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. At the end of the story, Richard’s father finally supported his passion in writing poetry. This was a happy ending. Richard Knight had a secret. Nobody knew that he wrote poetry including his family, teachers and schoolmates. One day, Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer when Richard’s English teacher, Mrs Hansen read a poem to the class. The title of the poem was “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was a famous poet. He enlisted in the army. He wrote a letter to Mr Kilmer. In his letter, Richard told Mr Kilmer that he wrote poems too.Richard asked for Mr Kilmer’s advice. He wanted to know whether he should tell his secret to everybody. A few days later, Richard received a letter from Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to overcome his fear. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to share his poetry with people around him. Nobody was interested when Richard told his family about Mr Kilmer’s letter and his secret. Gus did not believe that Mr Kilmer was famous.Pa did not believe that Richard wrote poetry. Richard asked whether his family members wanted to read his poems. Nobody was interested. Richard was sad. One day, Richard received a bad news about Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was killed in the war between the Allies and the Germans. Richard wrote a poem as a tribute to Mr Kilmer. In the poem, Richard likened Mr Kilmer to the “world”. The tribute was printed in the local newspaper, “The Turtle Lake Weekly”. Richard’s father read the poem. Richard was afraid that his father was going to be angry at him. His father did not like Richard writing poems. After reading the poem, his father told Richard about what happened to Richard’s uncle, Roland. His father never told Richard about this story. Roland was killed in a war in Cuba. His father regarded Roland as his “world”. His father was amazed how Richard could use the same word in his tribute. Richard continued writing poems about farm life for the local newspaper. Richard got his father’s help as he was an experienced farmer. Every night, Richard read his poems aloud. His father would correct or give suggestions to improve the poems. His father finally supported Richard’s passion in writing poetry. In conclusion, the ending of this story was truly heartwarming when a father and a son finally got along through the love of poetry.

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Question 3 (SPM 2009)
Using the details from the novel that you have studied, write about a difficult decision made by one of the characters.
With close reference to the text, do you think this was the right decision?

Sample answer

Event

The novel that I studied was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. A difficult decision made by Richard was to tell people that he wrote poetry. This was the right decision. Richard Knight had a secret. Nobody knew that he wrote poetry including his family, teachers and schoolmates. One day, Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer when Richard’s English teacher, Mrs Hansen read a poem to the class. The title of the poem was “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was a famous poet. He enlisted in the army. He wrote a letter to Mr Kilmer. In his letter, Richard told Mr Kilmer that he wrote poems too.Richard asked for Mr Kilmer’s advice. He wanted to know whether he should tell his secret to everybody. A few days later, Richard received a letter from Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to overcome his fear. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to share his poetry with people around him. Nobody was interested when Richard told his family about Mr Kilmer’s letter and his secret. Gus did not believe that Mr Kilmer was famous.Pa did not believe that Richard wrote poetry. Richard asked whether his family members wanted to read his poems. Nobody was interested. Richard was sad. The next day, Richard told Mrs Hansen that he wrote poetry. He showed her Mr Kilmer’s letter. Mrs Hansen helped Richard to choose a poem. Richard would send the poem to Mr Kilmer. As advised by Mrs Hansen, Richard shared Mr Kilmer’s latest letter and his poem with the class. Some of his classmates, including Blanche and Peggy, were deeply moved by his poem. They started to respect Richard. Hannah suggested a different ending to Richard’s poem. In conclusion, Richard was a brave boy when he decided to tell his secrets to everyone.

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Question 4 (SPM 2012)

Based on the novel you have studied, write about an event that makes you angry?

With close reference to the text, give reasons why the event makes you feel this way.

Sample answer

Event

The novel that I studied was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. An event that made me angry was when the Schermers’ tavern was vandalised. I was angry because of two reasons. Firstly, I was angry because some Turtle Lake people were being unfair to the Schermers. They vandalized the Schermers tavern. They painted “Dirty Huns” all over the walls. They said that the Schermers were Huns. Some Turtle Lake people believed that Huns were a barbaric clan originated from Germany. They said that the Schermers were unpatriotic because they spoke German and served Hun food at their tavern while a war was going on against Germany. Secondly, I was angry because Richard’s classmates were being unkind to the Schermers afterthe Schermers’s tavern was vandalised. Mrs Hansen brought a card to express regret for what had happened Mrs Hansen asked her class to sign the card.The troublemakers like Abner, Harry, Blanche and Peggy refused to sign the card. They warned other classmates not to sign the card. The boys were afraid Abner and Harry would hit them. The girls worry that popular girls like Peggy and Blanche would not speak to them. However, Richard was the only student who signed the sympathy card for Hannah Schermer. After school, Richard took the card from Mrs Hansen. He wanted to give the card to Hannah. Hannah accepted the card reluctantly. Later, Hannah apologised to Richard for being rude. This was the beginning of their friendship. In conclusion, the event where the Schermers was being mistreated infuriated me. I truly believed that discrimination was unjust.

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Question 5 (SPM 2015 à Similar to SPM 2007)

Suggest one character in the novel you have read who you think is a good role model for teenagers.

Briefly describe the character and give reasons for your choice with close reference to the text.

Sample answer

Event

The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. A good role model for teenagers was Richard. Richard was 15 years old. He was tall, pale and slender. Richard was Mr Knight’s son. He was Angie and Gus’s younger brother. He was Mr Kilmer’s penpal and Hannah’s best friend. He loved poetry. There were three reasons why I chose Richard. Firstly, he was kind. One day, Mrs Hansen asked her class to sign a card for the Schermers. Someone vandalised the tavern owned by Hannah’s parents. They painted “Dirty Huns” all over the walls. Mrs Hansen brought a card to express regret for what had happened. The troublemakers like Abner, Harry, Blanche and Peggy refused to sign the card. They warned other classmates not to sign the card. The boys were afraid Abner and Harry would hit them. The girls worry that popular girls like Peggy and Blanche would not speak to them. However, Richard was the only student who signed the sympathy card for Hannah Schermer. After school, Richard took the card from Mrs Hansen. He wanted to give the card to Hannah. Hannah accepted the card reluctantly. Later, Hannah apologised to Richard for being rude. This was the beginning of their friendship. Secondly, Richard was brave. This was shown when Richard told his family he wrote poetry. Before telling his secret to his family, Richard wrote a letter to Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was Richard’s penpal. Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer when Richard’s English teacher, Mrs Hansen read a poem to the class. The title of the poem was “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. In his letter, Richard told Mr Kilmer that he wrote poems too. However, he kept this as a secret from everyone.Richard asked for Mr Kilmer’s advice. He wanted to know whether he should tell his secret to everybody. One day, Richard received a letter from Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to overcome his fear. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to share his poetry with people around him. Nobody was interested when Richard told his family about Mr Kilmer’s letter and his secret. Gus did not believe that Mr Kilmer was famous.Pa did not believe that Richard wrote poetry. Richard asked whether his family members wanted to read his poems. Nobody was interested. Richard was sad. Gus advised Richard not tell anyone he wrote poetry. He wanted Richard to fit in with other people. Everyone called him a Hun Lover after he signed the card for Hannah. Thirdly, he was supportive. Hannah and Richard won the roles of Lady Liberty and the Doughboy respectively because they wrote the best essays. Mrs Hansen asked the class to write an essay as one of the activities for a patriotic programme which helped sell Liberty bonds. Many students were angry when Hannah won the role. They regarded Hannah as an unpatriotic German although she was an American citizen. Hannah told Richard that her essay started a little war in Turtle lake. She did not want to cause any more problems. So she declined the role of Lady Liberty. Richard wanted to support Hannah. Therefore,Richard declined his part as the Doughboy. His family, his schoolmates and the Turtle Lake People criticized him for turning down his role. They called him unpatriotic and a traitor. These criticisms never stopped Richard from standing up for what was right. In conclusion, Richard was a good role model for teenagers because he had good personalities.

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Question 6 (SBP Trial 2016)

Which character in the novel do you sympathize with?Explain why you sympathize with this character with close reference to the text.

Sample answer

Event

The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. The character I sympathized with was Hannah Schermer. There were three reasons why I sympathized with her. Firstly, her schoolmates called her ‘Dirty Hun’. They even scrawled “Dirty Hun” all over her book cover. Some Turtle Lake people believed that Huns were a barbaric clan originated from Germany. They said that the Schermers were unpatriotic because they spoke German and served Hun food at their tavern while a war was going on against Germany. Starting from this incident, the Schermers were always being mistreated by some of the Turtle Lake people. Secondly, her parents’ tavern was vandalised.They painted “Dirty Huns” all over the walls. Mrs Hansen asked her class to sign a sympathy card for the Schermers. The troublemakers like Abner, Harry, Blanche and Peggy refused to sign the card. They warned other classmates not to sign the card. The boys were afraid Abner and Harry would hit them. The girls worry that popular girls like Peggy and Blanche would not speak to them. However, Richard was the only student who signed the sympathy card for Hannah Schermer. Thirdly, people unfairly denied her role as Lady Liberty. Hannah won the roles of Lady Liberty because she wrote the best essay. Mrs Hansen asked the class to write an essay as one of the activities for a patriotic programme which helped sell Liberty bonds. Many students were angry when Hannah won the role. They regarded Hannah as an unpatriotic German although she was an American citizen. Some parents complained to the principal and demanded Mrs Hansen to choose someone else. Mrs Hansen did not change her mind. Hannah told Richard that her essay started a little war in Turtle lake. She did not want to cause any more problems. So she declined the role of Lady Liberty. Richard wanted to support Hannah. In conclusion, although Hannah Schermer and her family was mistreated by some Turtle Lake people, they remained calm and patient.

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Question 7 (Kedah Trial 2016)

It is important to stand up for what is right. Discuss how this is portrayed in the novel you have read.

Sample answer

Event

The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. The statement “It is important to stand up for what is right” was portrayed by Richard in three different events. Firstly, this statement was portrayed whenRichard purposely missed shooting a buck. Richard thought that hunting was not important. Richard could not kill animals. Gus, Richard’s elder brother, was upset with Richard because Richard purposely misfired. Richard’s father, Pa, was also disappointed with Richard. Pa asked Richard why he purposely missed shooting the buck. Richard told Pa that he had no right to kill it. Richard told Pa that he felt painful and sad to kill an animal. Pa told Richard not to go hunting anymore if he did not like it. Even though Pa disagreed with Richard’s opinion about hunting, he did not force Richard to do what he hated. Secondly, this statement was portrayed when Richard was the only student who signed a sympathy card for the Schermers. When the Schermers’ tavern was vandalized, Mrs Hansen asked her class to sign a sympathy card for them. The troublemakers like Abner, Harry, Blanche and Peggy refused to sign the card. They warned other classmates not to sign the card. The boys were afraid Abner and Harry would hit them. The girls worry that popular girls like Peggy and Blanche would not speak to them. However, Richard was the only student who signed the sympathy card for Hannah Schermer. Richard believed that the Schermers were discriminated by some Turtle people because they were Germans. Thirdly, this statement was portrayed when Hannah declined the role of Lady Liberty. Hannah and Richard won the roles of Lady Liberty and the Doughboy respectively because they wrote the best essays. Mrs Hansen asked the class to write an essay as one of the activities for a patriotic programme which helped sell Liberty bonds. Many students were angry when Hannah won the role. They regarded Hannah as an unpatriotic German although she was an American citizen. Hannah told Richard that her essay started a little war in Turtle lake. She did not want to cause any more problems. So she declined the role of Lady Liberty. Richard wanted to support Hannah. Therefore,Richard declined his part as the Doughboy. His family, his schoolmates and the Turtle Lake People criticized him for turning down his role. They called him unpatriotic and a traitor. These criticisms never stopped Richard from standing up for what was right. In conclusion, Richard was truly a character who stuck to his principles to do what was right.

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Question 8 (N9 Trial 2016)

“People should be allowed to follow their dreams.”

Write about a character who wants to realise his or her dream.

Sample answer

Event

The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. A character who wanted to realise his dream was Richard. Richard wanted to be a poet. Richard Knight had a secret. Nobody knew that he wrote poetry including his family, teachers and schoolmates. One day, Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer when Richard’s English teacher, Mrs Hansen read a poem to the class. The title of the poem was “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was a famous poet. He enlisted in the army. He wrote a letter to Mr Kilmer. In his letter, Richard told Mr Kilmer that he wrote poems too.Richard asked for Mr Kilmer’s advice. He wanted to know whether he should tell his secret to everybody. A few days later, Richard received a letter from Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to overcome his fear. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to share his poetry with people around him. Nobody was interested when Richard told his family about Mr Kilmer’s letter and his secret. Gus did not believe that Mr Kilmer was famous.Pa did not believe that Richard wrote poetry. Richard asked whether his family members wanted to read his poems. Nobody was interested. Richard was sad. One day, Richard received a bad news about Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was killed in the war between the Allies and the Germans. Richard wrote a poem as a tribute to Mr Kilmer. In the poem, Richard likened Mr Kilmer to the “world”. The tribute was printed in the local newspaper, “The Turtle Lake Weekly”. Richard’s father read the poem. Richard was afraid that his father was going to be angry at him. His father did not like Richard writing poems. After reading the poem, his father told Richard about what happened to Richard’s uncle, Roland. His father never told Richard about this story. Roland was killed in a war in Cuba. His father regarded Roland as his “world”. His father was amazed how Richard could use the same word in his tribute. Richard continued writing poems about farm life for the local newspaper. Richard got his father’s help as he was an experienced farmer. Every night, Richard read his poems aloud. His father would correct or give suggestions to improve the poems. His father finally supported Richard’s passion in writing poetry. In conclusion, Richard faced many obstacles in his journey of becoming a poet. In the end, he managed to realise his dream.

2 5 7

Question 9 (Kelantan Trial 2016)

‘Family supports family.’

With close reference to the text, how far is this true of the novel you have studied?

Sample answer

Event

The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. The statement “Family supports family” was not true in the beginning of the story. However, it became true at the end of the story. Richard Knight had a secret. Nobody knew that he wrote poetry including his family, teachers and schoolmates. One day, Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer when Richard’s English teacher, Mrs Hansen read a poem to the class. The title of the poem was “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was a famous poet. He enlisted in the army. He wrote a letter to Mr Kilmer. In his letter, Richard told Mr Kilmer that he wrote poems too.Richard asked for Mr Kilmer’s advice. He wanted to know whether he should tell his secret to everybody. A few days later, Richard received a letter from Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to overcome his fear. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to share his poetry with people around him. Nobody was interested when Richard told his family about Mr Kilmer’s letter and his secret. Gus did not believe that Mr Kilmer was famous.Pa did not believe that Richard wrote poetry. Richard asked whether his family members wanted to read his poems. Nobody was interested. Richard was sad. One day, Richard received a bad news about Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was killed in the war between the Allies and the Germans. Richard wrote a poem as a tribute to Mr Kilmer. In the poem, Richard likened Mr Kilmer to the “world”. The tribute was printed in the local newspaper, “The Turtle Lake Weekly”. Richard’s father read the poem. Richard was afraid that his father was going to be angry at him. His father did not like Richard writing poems. After reading the poem, his father told Richard about what happened to Richard’s uncle, Roland. His father never told Richard about this story. Roland was killed in a war in Cuba. His father regarded Roland as his “world”. His father was amazed how Richard could use the same word in his tribute. Richard continued writing poems about farm life for the local newspaper. Richard got his father’s help as he was an experienced farmer. Every night, Richard read his poems aloud. His father would correct or give suggestions to improve the poems. His father finally supported Richard’s passion in writing poetry. In conclusion, the bond in a family strengthened when family supported each other.

2 5 7

Question 10 (Pulau Pinang Trial 2016)

The main character is a strong-willed person. How is this shown in the novel? Support your answer with close reference to the text.

Sample answer

Event

The novel that I read was ‘Dear Mr Kilmer’ by Anne Schraff. The statement “Family supports family” was not true in the beginning of the story. However, it became true at the end of the story. Richard Knight had a secret. Nobody knew that he wrote poetry including his family, teachers and schoolmates. One day, Richard learnt about Mr Kilmer when Richard’s English teacher, Mrs Hansen read a poem to the class. The title of the poem was “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was a famous poet. He enlisted in the army. He wrote a letter to Mr Kilmer. In his letter, Richard told Mr Kilmer that he wrote poems too.Richard asked for Mr Kilmer’s advice. He wanted to know whether he should tell his secret to everybody. A few days later, Richard received a letter from Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to overcome his fear. Mr Kilmer advised Richard to share his poetry with people around him. Nobody was interested when Richard told his family about Mr Kilmer’s letter and his secret. Gus did not believe that Mr Kilmer was famous.Pa did not believe that Richard wrote poetry. Richard asked whether his family members wanted to read his poems. Nobody was interested. Richard was sad. One day, Richard received a bad news about Mr Kilmer. Mr Kilmer was killed in the war between the Allies and the Germans. Richard wrote a poem as a tribute to Mr Kilmer. In the poem, Richard likened Mr Kilmer to the “world”. The tribute was printed in the local newspaper, “The Turtle Lake Weekly”. Richard’s father read the poem. Richard was afraid that his father was going to be angry at him. His father did not like Richard writing poems. After reading the poem, his father told Richard about what happened to Richard’s uncle, Roland. His father never told Richard about this story. Roland was killed in a war in Cuba. His father regarded Roland as his “world”. His father was amazed how Richard could use the same word in his tribute. Richard continued writing poems about farm life for the local newspaper. Richard got his father’s help as he was an experienced farmer. Every night, Richard read his poems aloud. His father would correct or give suggestions to improve the poems. His father finally supported Richard’s passion in writing poetry. In conclusion, the bond in a family strengthened when family supported each other.

Tips for Mid year exam....

Literature Notes (form 4)

POEM

THE LIVING PHOTOGRAPH

My small grandmother is tall there,
straight-back, white broderie anglaise shirt,
pleated skirt, flat shoes, grey bun,
a kind, old smile round her eyes.
Her big hand holds mine,
white hand in black hand.
Her sharp blue eyes look her own death in the eye.

It was true after all; that look.
My tall grandmother became small.
Her back round and hunched.
Her soup forgot to boil.
She went to the awful place grandmothers go.
Somewhere unknown, unthinkable.

But there she is still,
in the photo with me at three,
the crinkled smile is still living, breathing.
                                                  Jackie Kay

Synopsis

The poem talks about the persona's photograph of her grandmother. The

persona describes the grandmother as being tall and who dressed up prim and proper.

She had a kind smile and did not fear death. As she aged, Grandmother became

hunched and forgetful. She has passed away but the persona still feels her presence

as she looks at the photograph of herself and grandmother, taken when she was three

years old.

Literal Meaning

Stanza 1

The persona describes her grandmother as tall and well-dressed with a kind

smile. Her smile comes from her eyes. On her deathbed, she held the persona's

small black hand in her big white hand. She was not afraid to leave the world.

Stanza 2

persona accepts that her grandmother has passed to the other world, as

all grandmothers do. Grandmother, who was of a tall stature became small,

hunched and forgetful.

Stanza 3

The persona at age three had taken a photograph with grandmother. When she

looks at the photograph, she feels grandmother's presence. To the persona, her

grandmother is still very much alive and smiling at her.

Figurative Meaning

Stanza 1

As we start off with our life, we stand tall and confident. We make sure everything is carried out properly without a flaw. We approach every situation with a smile even as we offer encouragement to others and receive support in return. When faced with an inevitable situation, we face the inevitability bravely.

Stanza 2

We can feel the onset of the inevitable as we look around and notice the signs of changes. We begin to lose our grip as things change beyond our control. We may even forget to do certain things. But, finally the situation is out of our hands and we have to let go.

Stanza 3

But sometimes there may be a memento to remind us of what we used to be.The memento helps to keep our memories alive.

Elements of the Poem

PLACE

• Britain, possibly Scotland where the poet grew up.

• In the photograph, the grandmother is wearing a white broderie anglaise shirt which is popular in         Scotland.

• The persona is most likely in his/her home as the poem reveals the thoughts of a child who is             looking at a photograph of the grandparent.

TIME

• 20th century

• The photograph is in colour and colour photography was expensive and not very common up                until the 1960s.

Persona

The persona of this poem is a child looking at a photograph of his/her grandmother and him/her. It is not clearly stated whether the child is a boy or girl. From the description 'white hand in black hand', The persona could either he of mixed parentage or adopted. The child is of reading age but the simple words used to describe the grandmother such as 'tail', 'kind', 'big', 'small' and 'awful'

indicate that the persona is not very old.

Themes

Remembering a loved one

In this poem, the persona describes the grandmother as pictured in a photograph taken when he/she was three years old. The persona describes how the grandmother looks in detail—the

clothes she wears, the way she ties her hair up in a bun and her kind smiling eyes. Then the persona recalls the changes in the grandmother's appearance and behaviour as she grew older— how her back became bent, and how she became forgetful. From the photograph, the persona goes to his/her memory of the grandparent. The grandmother is dead now but she still looks alive in the photograph.

Family relationships

The poem focuses on the relationship between a grandchild and his/her grandparent. The photograph of the two reveals the bond between them. Grandmother is holding the child's hand in hers. Even though the grandparent and the child seem to be of different ethnicity as their skin 'colour' is different, they love each other. Even though grandmother changed into a bent-over forgetful old woman, the child still remembers the grandmother as she looks in the photograph.

Life and death

The poem is also about life and death from the point of view of the aged and the very young. The grandmother knew that she would die soon but she was unafraid—'Her sharp blue eyes look her

own death in the eye' (line 7). It also gives us the impression that grandmother would fight to stay alive tor as long as possible. To the young persona, death is a fearful thing. He/She understands that death is a place old people like grandmothers go. Death is unavoidable. Death is described as an 'awful place", 'somewhere unknown, unthinkable' (lines 12-13). That is why the persona is happy that he/she has a photograph of the beloved grandmother where the grandmother lives on. The photograph defeats death. That is the significance of the title of this poem'The Living Photograph'.

Moral Values

Unconditional love

The love between the persona and the grandmother is clear in the way the child remembers the departed grandparent. This is unconditional love; it goes beyond age, race and distance. The

difference in age and race does not matter. The distance between them, now that grandmother has gone away to an 'unknown place', does not change this loving relationship.

Courage

The persona recognises the courage with which the grandmother faces the possibility of death. In the photograph, the grandmother is said to 'look her own death in the eye'. In contrast, the child is fearful of death, the 'awful place grandmothers go'.

Tone & Mood

The general tone of the poem is nostalgic as the grandchild looks

at a photograph of the grandmother and recalls the past when

the grandmother was alive. The second verse has a serious tone

with an underlying feeling of fear as the child remembers the

grandmother growing old and weak and finally dying. The poem

ends on a positive note as the persona is comforted by the picture

of the grandmother.

Language & Style

The language of the poem is simple and reflects the vocabulary of a child. Many single-syllable descriptive words are used e.g. 'flat', 'grey', 'kind', 'round', 'big', 'tall', 'small'. The lines are short and have a basic structure e.g. 'Her big hand holds mine'.

Imagery

Colour words help the reader to visualise what the persona sees in the photograph, e.g. 'white broderie anglaise shirt' (line 2); 'grey bun' (line 3), 'white hand', 'black hand' (line 6) and 'blue eyes' (line 7).

Contrast

• 'tall' and 'small'

• 'straight-back' and 'back round and hunched'

• 'white hand' and 'black hand'

• 'kind, old smile round her eyes' and 'sharp blue eyes'

SHORT STORY

TANJONG RHU - BY MINFONG HO

Synopsis

Mr T. W. Li, a successful businessman, has just lost his mother. As he mourns her death, he recalls some important events before her demise,most significantly revolving around a pair of binoculars. He had bought his mother a pair of binoculars so that she could see farther as she had cataracts. However, his mother's only concern was to see Tanjong Rhu, a place where they used to live while he was growing up. His father owned a small shipyard there before it was torn down about thirty years ago. When Mr Li finally convinced his mother to use the binoculars, he was upset that she still could not see the ships at the harbour, in front of his office. Instead, in her mind's eye, she saw Tanjong Rhu in the past, back when Mr Li was still a young boy accompanying his mother digging for crabs along the beach. He became impatient with his mother who seemed adamant to hold on to the past and had no interest in the present. He refused to listen to her stories. Back in the present, Mr Li regrets his actions as now he too longs to go back to his childhood in Tanjong Rhu. He finds that his memories are vague and there are many things that he does not remember clearly. Unfortunately, there is no one to answer his questions as the person who shares the memories with him, his mother, has passed on.

SETTING

• Published in 1986, the story is set in Singapore and the time frame goes back and forth between the     present (after the death of Ah-Ma) and the past (before the death of Ah-Ma).
• The most important location mentioned is Tanjong Rhu, a shipping port in Singapore where Mr Li
  grew up. In the present day, it is filled with tall buildings and skyscrapers. However, eighty years
 ago, Tanjong Rhu only had small shipyards where fishing boats were built. Mr Li's father owned  such a shipyard.
• Mr Li's office is located on the 18th floor above Shenton Way, a central business district in      Singapore.
• Mr Li has a big house with many rooms, a garden and a swimming pool. He first shows the      binoculars to his mother in the garden.
•An important part of the house is the altar room, where Ah-Ma performs her daily prayers.
• The hospital where Ah-Ma passes away is also mentioned in the story.

CHARACTERS

Mr T. W. Li
 • A successful businessman in the shipping sector
 • Has a happy childhood with his family in Tanjong Rhu
 • Happy family life - wife, son and daughter
 • Close relationship with his mother but does not open up to her easily
 • Modern in his ways and ideas - takes pride in his modern ways - makes sure no one is about when       he bows to show respect to his dead parents
 • Tolerant - does not interfere in his mother's traditional ways
 • Meticulous - keeps track of number of ships every day by counting them
 • Patient and respectful - waits for mother to finish prayers although he had to leave for office - does    not hurry her
 • Filial - made sure funeral of mother is done in the right way - full of customs and traditions
 • Strict and does not entertain disrespect from the young - expects daughter to respect elders
 • Regrets not talking to Ah Ma and never listening when she talked

Mr Li's mother (Ah-Ma)
• Small and thin with grey hair and a bent back
• A mother of nine, grandmother of thirty-four and great-grandmother of seventeen
• Has cataracts but does not want to have surgery to fix it
• Speaks Cantonese
• A traditional woman who still keeps chickens in the garden and practises the old Chinese                     customs and rituals
• Particular and meticulous when it comes to taking care of the altar and performing her prayers
• Yearns to see Tanjong Rhu, where she used to live years ago
• A simple woman who is content with what she has
• Seems to belong in the past as she is often lost in memories and likes to relate stories of the past

Ying
• Daughter of Mr Li and Helen
• Has an older brother at Cambridge University
• Is soon leaving for New York
• Speaks English to her father and Cantonese to her grandmother
• Loves her grandmother, whom she calls Popo, and is very close to her
• Affectionate towards her grandmother
• Takes the customs and rituals lightly and does not seem to acknowledge the importance of it
• Takes care of her grandmother at the hospital and gives her blood
• Very anxious that her grandmother is dying

Helen
• Wife of Mr Li
• Often has tea parties with her friends
• Seems to like socialising

Mr Li's father
• Used to own a shipyard where he built boats in Tanjong Rhu
• Died at the age of 53
• Upon his death, his wife offers daily prayers to him in the altar room and sometimes even talks           to him

Mr Li's son
• Unnamed in the story
• Soon to complete his studies at Cambridge University

PLOT

Exposition

Mr T. W. Li, a rich businessman stood at his office window high above Shenton
Way. Concerned about something which he could not lay his finger on he was
not ready to go home. His mother's (Ah Ma) funeral was just a day before
and everything had been done correctly. He counted the number of ships in
the harbour as was his habit with his binoculars. The binoculars reminded him
of his mother.

Conflict
He recalled he had bought them for Ah Ma and was eager to give them toher. He wanted her to use them as she did not want to undergo a cataract operation. His wife was having tea with friends in a room. Ah Ma was in the garden feeding her chickens. Speaking to her in Cantonese, he mentioned the binoculars as see-far glasses. Ah Ma was irritated as it reminded her of her refusal to have a cataract operation. Later, she mentioned her willingness to use them at his office to see Tanjong Rhu where her husband's shipyard used to be.

Climax

Next morning, Ah Ma prayed in the altar room. Then, she talked to her dead husband to inform him of her going to their son's office. Her granddaughter, Ying offered to do the praying with the joss sticks for her but she would not allow it. Mr Li ticked off Ying for criticising her grandmother for wanting to do things her way. While waiting for Ah Ma, Mf Li looked at his father's photograph and remembered their time together. When they were in his office, Mr Li pointed out the ships and the whole harbour to Ah Ma but she could not see anything. Instead, she talked about seeing their old hut, walks and crabbing on the beach. Coming back to the present, Mr Li felt nostalgic and
wanted very much to go back to the time of his childhood. He tried to recall but had very blurred memories.

Falling Action

He recalled that he tried to ask Ah Ma again. But, by then, she had become very sick and was bedridden in hospital, unable to move or talk very much. Ying helped to look after her. Knowing that her father wanted to talk to Ah Ma, she lifted her grandmother's eyelids and told her father to say something. But, Mr Li could not and scolded Ying for not being respectful. Ah Ma moved restlessly and managed to say something about the key to the altar being hidden before she drew her last breath.

Resolution

Now back in his office/ the day was becoming dark and he suddenly thought of the altar and what he had promised Ah Ma at her deathbed. This was what had been troubling him the whole day, something he had left undone. He rushed home to do that one last thing for her. He paid his respects to Ah Ma but, he could not open the drawer. He cried and told Ah Ma he saw Tanjong Rhu that day and then decided to leave well alone.

THEMES

Seeing

It tells us how the different generations view or 'see' their culture. 1 examines the relationship between a successful businessman named Mr L and his mother, and looks into the different meanings of'seeing'. Mr Li look: at material goods as sources of happiness and a better life. He buys a pair o binoculars for his mother, who has cataracts, to see clearly. Mr Li assume* his mother needs a pair of binoculars to see more clearly so that the rest of her life would be more comfortable. But his mother sees Tanjong Rhu, not literally, but metaphorically, as the place where the children had grown up.

Tradition vs modernism

•   Mr Li's mother values the importance of traditional practice. Everything must be done properly and she must 'tell' his father about visiting her son's place of work. In Chinese traditions, praying to the ancestor and the dead is important to every family.

•   Mr Li, his wife, Helen, and daughter, Ying, are moulded in modernism. Mrs Li plays host to her high society friends with her tea sessions, and Ying speaks in English with her father but in Cantonese with her grandmother.

Generation gap

A picture of a big generation gap arises, with a conservative mother who refuses to have her eyes 'cut open', a severe and slightly self-centred father who always assumes young people do not respect the elders and a naive daughter who openly shows her feelings and opinions without considering her audiences. This generation gap is a result of modernisation eating into old ways, causing each generation to misunderstand the next. It is a common situation faced by people living in rapidly growing societies.

SYNOPSIS CHAPTER 1 

                         Richard,father and Gus went hunting after the heavy snow had stopped.

They went to their hunting cabin and stayed there.On Sunday morning before sunrise, the 

three of them went down the river and found a pool where deer came to drink.They hid to 

wait for a deer to come.Richard was nervous because his father wanted him to shoot his

 first deer. A deer come to the pool and his father instructed Richard to shoot instead 

of his brother.Richard could not kill the animal and he missed the shot.Gus was angry

 and wanted to shoot the deer but Pa stopped him. Pa told them that they were 

leaving and sometimes hunters missed their shot.Richard's father asked him why

 he left the buck go  on purpose and he told him that he didn't like to kill animal and

 that he didn't like killing

 rabbit before.Pa told him that death is a part of life and that Pa also felt some grief after

 killing. Pa told Richard not to come hunting anymore if he didn't want to. Richard went

 back to the cabin and gave him some advice.Gus wanted Richard to be in sports and

 fit in with others.Richard asked Gus how he felt killing animal and Gus told him that he 

felt no remorse at all.Then,Richard knew that Pa and Gus had different feelings about 

hunting and killing animal.When their father comeback.They started walking back home 

and talked about war in europe since 1914.Gus wanted to join the army but Pa said that

 without education , you went nowhere but after school they could do whatever they

 wanted to do.That night at dinner while Pa and Gus wer talking about sports,

boxing in general,Richard went to the kitchen to help his sister

,Angie.He felt sad and pitiful that 

Angie had to stop school and stayed at home as full time farm's woman organising the 

house and helping with the farm. However Angie said that it was her duty and father

 was a difficult man because he lost two people in his life.After that,Richard went up 

to his room and he remembered the first time he went hunting with Pa, Gus and 

Grandpa.When granpa killed a deer,Richard tried his best not to cry.To take away

 the sadness,he wrote a poem.

My crayons made it white and brown,

Nature made it shy,

God made it fleet of food,

But Grandpa made it die.

Richard felt better after writing down the poem and then he kept at his poetry .

No one knew Richard wrote poetry and he did not want them to know because to

 them he already strange.

Setting

Time : The early morning, February ,War raging 1914.

Place : Tiny hunting cabin, near the pool in the forest , Prairie,Dining

 room,Kitchen.

Theme

Human vs nature

Family Relationship

Moral values

1. We must appreciate the nature by protecting in anyway possible
2. We have to accept our family members for who they are

Directed Writing

Is it good to study at home or should we stay in a hostel?

Now let us discuss the pros and cons of both :

The advantages of studying in a hostel are as follows:

• Students get self reliant and learns to look after himself or herself from an early age
• They get responsible as they have only themselves to bank on.
• They form strong team of study mates and exchange informations and ideas.
• They become adept in handling unfavourable situations .

The advantages of Home study:

• The proximity of family enhances the emotional balance
• The nourishment in form of food comes easy when you are studying from home
• The access to different mediums of information become much more handy while staying at home
• Freedom and comfort are much more while studying from home.

The disadvantages a student may face studying at hostel are manifold:

• They lack the warmth of having the family around.
• They miss out on conducive study environment.
• In absence of a good hostel coordinator a student may suffer from ill access to various mediums of information.
• Not much freedom to study at one’s whims and fancies.

The disadvantages of home study:

• The students get too much dependent on the family members for comfort and other amenities.
• They tend to take life easily.

Thus we need to strike a balance and it is basically dependent on the calibre and sincerity of the student. If the student is sincere enough, no matter from where he is studying, he is bound to do well!

Students....

DW --> Focus on Informal letter ( a letter to a friend...)...

CW ---> Bully, hobby that makes someone famous, etc

Literature ---> Novel- chapter 1

good luck