IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

SYNOPSIS (OVERALL)
In this poem, the poet tells of the situation of a farmer and his family. They come back at dawn after
being out in the floodwater for a day and night. They are looking for their albino buffalo. They come
back wet and hurt but they do not show any despair. They have been born into a life of hardship and
have never complained. Now, they are in the kitchen and they joke and talk while preparing to relax
with a smoke.
SYNOPSIS (ACCORDING TO STANZA)
STANZA 1
They returned home at dawn and headed for the stove. Their clothes were soaking wet and tattered.
Their bodies were covered with scratches and wounds. Yet, they did not display any signs of being
worried.
STANZA 2
They were out in the flood the whole day and night. They were surrounded by dead animals and parts
of trees that had been destroyed by the flood. They searched desperately for their sons albino buffalo
but were unable to find it.
STANZA 3
They were born into poverty and difficulty, but they do not complain about their suffer. Instead, they
sit in the kitchen, cracking jokes while smoking cigarettes.
SETTING
The setting of the poem is in the house.
THEMES
Stoicism in life
Family love
Acceptance of way of life

MORAL VALUES
We should learn to accept problems in life with a positive outlook.
We must attempt to face and solve problems.
Failure is part of growing up.
Do not despair in the face of failure.

TONE, MOOD, ATMOSPHERE

Understanding and sympathetic
Dismal
Acceptance of situation

POINT OF VIEW
Third person pint of view.
LANGUAGE & STYLE
Language is simple and easy to understand.
The style is simple with no rhyming scheme.

POETIC DEVICES
Imagery Gives picture of poets thoughts e.g soaky clothes torn and legs full of wounds
Alliteration e.g. but on their brows
Symbols e.g. horrendous flood and bloating carcasses
Diction e.g. stove and brows

SYNOPSIS (OVERALL)
This poem is about a family who faces hardship whereby their sons albino buffalo is nowhere to be
found. A flood occurs and they go out to find the buffalo. They reach home early in the morning
without the buffalo and yet there is no sign of despair in them. Meanwhile, they can still crack jokes
and roll the cigarettes.
SYNOPSIS (ACCORDING TO STANZA)
STANZA 1
They returned home at day break and headed for the stove. This is probably because they were hungry.
However, I have also received some feedbacks saying that they went straight to the stove to dry
themselves as they were drenched with the flood water. Their clothes were soaking wet and tattered.
Their bodies were covered with scratches and wounds. Yet, they did not display any signs of being
worried.
STANZA 2
They were out in the flood the whole day and night. They were surrounded by dead animals and parts
of trees that had been destroyed by the flood. We know that the animals were already dead because of

the phrase bloated carcasses. They searched desperately for their sons albino buffalo but were
unable to find it.
STANZA 3
They were born into poverty and difficulty, but they do not complain about their suffer. Instead, they
sit in the kitchen, cracking jokes while smoking cigarettes. This shows that they face difficulties all the
time and this time there is no different. They have inner strength that makes them strong to face any
hardship poses to them.
SETTING
The setting of the poem is in the house.
THEMES
Being resilience when facing hardship
Family love
Acceptance of way of life
MORAL VALUES
We should learn to accept problems in life with a positive outlook.
We must attempt to face and solve problem.
Facing hardship is part and parcel of life.
If we face a problem, do not feel despair.

TONE, MOOD, ATMOSPHERE

Understanding and sympathetic
Acceptance of situation

In stanza 1, which lines indicate the suffering that the people endure while out in the rain?
their limbs marked by scratches
In stanza 1, why did the people approach the stove?
They are wet and cold.
In Stanza 2, who had to brave the horrendous flood?
The father and the mother
In your opinion, what might happen to the albino buffalo?

It drowned in the flood.

How long did the heavy downpour occur?
The whole day and night
From the poem, what hardship did the villagers had to face?
Flood
What is the couple's attitude towards the problems they face in life?
They are resilient in facing challenges in life.
In your opinion, why did the boy love the albino buffalo so much?
A child has unconditional love and he doesn't care much about its strange look.