ARE YOU STILL PLAYING YOUR FLUTE

Are you still playing your flute?
When there is hardly time for our love
I am feeling guilty
To be longing for your song
The melody concealed in the slim hollow of the
bamboo
Uncovered by the breath of an artist
Composed by his fingers
Blown by the wind
To the depth of my heart
Are you still playing your flute?
The more it disturbs my conscience
to be thinking of you
in the hazard of you
my younger brothers unemployed and desperate
my people disunited by politics
my friend slaughtered mercilessly
this world is too old and bleeding

Are you still playing your flute?

In the village so quiet and deserted
Amidst the sick rice field
While here it has become a luxury
To spend time watching the rain
Gazing at the evening rays
Collecting dew drops
Or enjoying the fragrance of flowers

1 Which lines in stanza 1 tell you that the flautist plays the flute beautifully?

2 In the second stanza, what does the word deserted mean?

3 In the second stanza, why are the rice fields deserted?

4 In your own words, explain the meaning of the last stanza.

5 From stanza 1, what does the persona want to hear?

6 In stanza 2, what does the word here refer to?

7 In stanza 3, why does the persona feel guilty for thinking about her beloved?

8 Suggest two things you would do to stop the world from bleeding.
i
ii

9 How is the rice field?

10 State two activities that are considered luxuries.

i
ii

11 Why do you think the personas conscience is disturbed? Give reasons for your answer.
12 What musical instrument is the poets friend playing?

13 Describe the quiet and deserted village.

14 Who feels guilty?

15 Why do you think the persona says it is a luxury to spend time watching rain? Give reasons for your
answer.

16 Why does the persona ask if the flute player is still playing his flute?

17 How does she feel about his music?

18 Write down the line which shows that the persona thinks highly of his music.

19 In your own words, what kind of a person do you think is the flute player?

20 Have you been involved in a similar passion over any interest or hobby? Provide explanation.

21 Identify two words used to describe the village.

i
ii

22 What has happened to the village?

23 In stanza 2, what does the words here refers to?

24 In your own words, what would you enjoy doing for pleasure?

25 Why does the poet feel guilty?

26 Why do think the poet is surprised that the flautist is still playing his flute? Give reasons for your
answer.

27 Which phrase in stanza 1 implies how much the music affected the poet?

28 What does the poet mean by using the words concealed and uncovered to describe the music?

28 What could the poem be about?

 29 Describe ONE emotion the poet is feeling in the first stanza.
Guilty / nostalgic

30 What does the phrase, slim hollow of the bamboo refer to?
The flute

31 Describe a significant memory that you have. Explain briefly why it is significant to you.

32 Based on stanza 2, where do you think the persona is?

In the city

33 Based on stanza 2, in the first line, what do you think the persona is feeling?
A sense of doubt / unsure / puzzled

34 Based on stanza 1, which line reveals the intensity of the personas feelings?
To be longing for your song

35 Based on stanza1, how does the persona feel about the flautist?
Longing / pining/yearning/passionate / love

36 Based on stanza 1, which line (s) reveal (s) that the persona is struggling with her feelings?
Where there is hardly time for our love

37 Based on stanza 1, describe the personas mood.

Sombre / solemn / Sad

38 What is so distinctive about the melody from the flute?

It touches the depth of her heart

39 Why is the rice field described as sick?

It has been neglected so it is no longer productive and fertile.

44 What is the meaning of the metaphor slaughtered mercilessly?

People are no longer tolerant of each other and people are being killed cruelly.

45 What kind of feeling is expressed by the persona in the poem?

A sense of sadness, hopelessness, despair and misery

46 Why does the persona feel guilty?

To be longing for the flautists song.
47 Why is the personas conscience disturbed?
She is worried about the present situation in her nation which is facing a crisis.

48 In your opinion, does the persona feel depressed about this world? Give your reasons.
Yes,..

49 Based on stanza 2, how would you describe the person who seems to be very interested in his flute?
Idle / unaffected by the crisis / carefree / in his own world

50 Write the two words that relate to how a flute is played?

 Breath and fingers____________________________________________________________
51 What do you think the persona feels about the other persons obsession with playing the flute? Using your
own words, give a reason to support your answer.

52 What is the main theme in the stanza above?

Upholding values, appreciating simple pleasures of life, accepting changes in life

53 Write two words that are related to the condition of the village.
Quiet and deserted

54 Where do you think the persona is? Using your own words, give a reason to support your answer.
In the city because .

55 Who is playing the flute?

The flautist in the village / The personas love

56 Why does the persona feel guilty?

To be longing for the flautists song

57 Where does the melody originate from?

The bamboo / The slim hollow of the bamboo

58 Which two lines best describe how a flute is played?

Uncovered by the breath of an artist & composed by his fingers

59 Which word would you use to describe the personas village? Name one.
Quiet / deserted

60 What does the persona mean by the sick rice field?

The paddy fields are neglected so they are barren and unproductive.

61 What are the evening rays referred to?

Sunset
62 Write two activities that are considered a luxury by the persona.
Spend time watching the rain / gazing at the evening rays
Collecting dew drops/ Enjoying the fragrance of flowers

63 Why is the person still thinking of her beloved?

She has feelings for him. / She still loves him.

64 Write two problems faced by the persona as mentioned in the stanza above.
Her brothers are unemployed and desperate / Her people are disunited by politics / Her friend is
slaughtered mercilessly

65 What is the tone used? Give a reason for your answer.

Sad / Hopelessness / Despair / Anxious

66 Where do you think the persona is likely to be?

In the city / town

67 Where is the flautist playing his flute?

In the village

68 What does the flute represent?

Tradition
 69 Why is the phrase, Are you still playing your flute?, repeated three times in the poem? Using your own
words, give reasons to support your answer.
To reinforce the emotion (wondering/puzzled) behind the question and create a dramatic effect

70 In stanza 1, what poetic device does the first line above refer to?
Rhetorical question
71 In stanza 1, what does line 2 tell us about the relationship between the persona and the flautist?
They loved each other when they were together.
72 What is the persona guilty about?
To be longing for the flautists song.
73 The poet used certain words to indicate where the melody is:
i. What are these words?
Concealed in the slim hollow of the bamboo

ii. Do you think they are suitable? Why?

Yes, because the flute is played by blowing into hollow of the bamboo and melody is created by the fingers.

74 In stanza 1, why does the persona feel guilty listening to music of the flautist?
She is very busy and also her nation is undergoing a crisis.

75 Why is enjoying the fragrance of flowers regarded as a luxury by the persona in stanza 2?
In the city, one can be very busy in the rat race that they have no time to even appreciate the flowers growing
around them.

76 Give one problem the nation is undergoing.

Political crisis / Economical crisis / Disharmony

77 Explain in your own words why the persona feels her world is too old and bleeding.
The world is changing for the worst and non-renewable resources cannot be replenished.

78 What do you think the flute represents?

Tradition

79 What do you think the phrase, the world is too old and bleedingrepresents?
The world is changing for the worst and non-renewable resources cannot be replenished.

80 Suggest a reason why the persona cannot forget the music from the flute?
The music must have been beautiful and special that it has embedded in her heart.

81 Do you think the persona has made the right decision in leaving the village? Give a reason.
Yes,
No, .

82 What is it like in the village?

Quiet and empty

83 What does the word sick imply about the rice field?
Barren / Unproductive / Infertile / Neglected
84 What are the luxuries mentioned by the poet? State two of them.
Spend time watching the rain / gazing at the evening rays
Collecting dew drops/ Enjoying the fragrance of flowers

85 Do you like to live in the village? Give reasons to your answer.

Yes,
No, ..
 86 In the last stanza, what is the personas feeling when she remembers the flautist?
Guilty / Remorseful /

87 Why is there disunity among the citizens of the country?

They lack tolerance and understanding.

88 What happened to the personas friend?

Killed cruelly

89 What do you think the last line of the stanza mean?

The world is changing for the worst.

2010 Are You Still Playing Your Flute

2011 In The Midst Of Hardship

2012 Nature

2013 He Had Such Quiet Eyes

2014 In The Midst Of Hardship

2015 ?????????????????????????