Form 4 Lit

1. In The Midst of
Hardship
By Latiff Mohidin

2. Stanza 1
• The family returns home
early in the morning, soaked
to the skin.
• They have scratches and
wounds on their hands and
legs.
• They do not look depressed
or disturbed after what they
have just gone through.
• As we journey through life,
we may experience situations
that are painful and
challenging.
• Despite these challenges, we
should not despair.
• We should face hardships
with courage.
At dawn they returned home
their soaky clothes torn
and approached the stove
their limbs marked by scratches
their legs full of wounds
but on their brows
there was no sign of despair
Literal Meaning
Figurative Meaning

3. Stanza 2
• They have been out the
whole day and night.
• They have trudged through
the floodwater which is full
of twigs, branches and dead
animals.
• They are looking for their
son’s albino buffalo.
• However, they do not find it.
• Our journey through life may
be troubled and we may face
obstacles and tragic losses
along the way.
The whole day and night just passed
they had to brave the horrendous flood
in the water all the time
between bloated carcasses
and tiny chips of tiny barks
desperately looking for their son’s
albino buffalo that was never foundLiteral Meaning
Figurative Meaning

4. Stanza 3
• Although they have been
poor from birth and have
experienced a lot of
hardships, they have grown
up without regrets.
• They are now relaxing in the
kitchen, cracking jokes and
preparing to have a smoke.
• We may be born in to a life
of hardship, but that does
not mean that we should live
in despair.
• We should learn how to cope
with the difficulties we face,
instead of dwelling too much
on them
They were born amidst hardship
and grew up without a sigh or a
complaint
now they are in the kitchen, making
jokes while rolling their cigarette
leaves
Literal Meaning Figurative Meaning

5. Vocabulary of the Poem

6. Dawn
early in the morning:
Subuh
Eg: We must start
working at dawn.

7. • Pull apart into pieces : terkoyak
• Torn handkerchief
torn

8. Soaky : Completely wet

9. Straches- cut or sores on
limbs=kesan calar

10. Wounds-Luka

11. Brows/forehead- Dahi

12. Despair - Kecewa

13. Horrendous = terrible - dashyat

14. Bloated carcasses- diselubungi
bangkai

15. Albino buffalo=animals with unusual
genetic condition