The poem expresses the persona's feelings of guilt and longing for her beloved as she wonders if he is still playing his bamboo flute, recalling the beautiful melody. She questions this as the village has become deserted with the rice fields in poor condition. The persona feels further guilt for thinking of her love during hard times, as her people face issues like unemployment, political division, and violence.

1. Are You Still
Playing Your
Flute?
by:
Zurinah Hassan

2. Are You Still Playing Your Flute?
Are you still playing your flute?
Are you still playing the flute?
When there is hardly time for our love
In the village so quiet and deserted
I am feeling guilty
Amidst the sick rice field
To be longing for your song
While here it has become a luxury
The melody concealed in the slim
To spend time watching the rain
hollow of the bamboo
Gazing at the evening rays
Uncovered by the breath of an artist
Collecting dew drops
Composed by his fingers
Or enjoying the fragrance of flowers.
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

3. Are You Still Playing Your
Flute?
The persona
Stanza 1 questions herself if
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.
her beloved is still playing the
flute, when there is no time to
show that one cares for each
other.
Though persona feels it is
not right to yearn for his music
from the flute, the tune is deeply
attached to her affectionately.

4. Are You Still Playing Your
Flute?
Stanza persona finds that the village
2
The
Are you still playing the 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.
had been abandoned by the
villagers and the paddy fields un
attended. She recalls that,
admiring the rain, staring at the
sunray during the dusk, collecting
dew drops and enjoying the
pleasant smell of flowers and
nature had become a luxury or an
advantage that you do not find
anymore.

5. Are You Still Playing Your
Flute?
Stanza persona feels guilty for
3
The
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
yearning for the special person as
her countrymen are jobless and
willing to commit anything for a
job. They are separated by
different political views. People
whom you care for, are brutally
killed. Meanwhile the world
resembles a sickly and dying old
man.

6. WHAT THE POEM IS ABOUT
This poem is told from a first person point of view, where the persona,
reminisces her feeling of guilt, missing the beautiful melody of the
bamboo flute played by her beloved long ago.
She later questions and wonders if the flute is still being played
now, as the village is now under populated and the paddy field is
in a deplorable state. She mentions that, nowadays, relaxing and
savoring the beauty of nature is a rare luxury.
In the final stanza, she questions for the third time, whether her
beloved is still playing the flute. This time around, she admits that
she couldn’t help but on the contrary, she feels guilty to be thinking
of their love at their difficult times. The hardships portrayed here
are unemployed young men, people disunited by politics and a
‘dying’ world.

7. STANZA 1
Setting
The poem is set in a rural Malay village, which is
undergoing a change.
It is a quiet and deserted village.
The paddy fields looked barren.
Nevertheless, the “luxuries’, such as watching the rain,
gazing at the evening rays, collecting dew drops and
enjoying the fragrance of the flower, still exist in the
rural.

8. the end
Let’s answer some questions…

9. ANSWERs

11. Stanza 1
1. At whom is the question directed?
The man playing the flute/ her beloved.
2. What is the problem in the relationship between the
persona and the flautist?
There is not enough time for them to spend their time.
3. What is meant by the phrase to the depth of my heart?
Touches her soul.
4. Mention two ways in which the melody affects the
persona when she thinks of it?
- She longs for the melody.
- She feels guilty.

12. Stanza 2
1. What happened to the village?
The village becomes under populated
and the rice fields are not fertile anymore.
2. Give three pleasurable pastimes in the
countryside as mentioned in the stanza?
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Watch the setting sun
Watch the rain coming down
Collect dew drops
Smell the fragrance of the flowers

13. Stanza 3
1. What is the mood of the persona as
portrayed in the stanza?
She felt frustrated and guilty.
2. What are the problems her brothers face?
Unemployed and desperate.
3. What problems do you think her country
is facing?
Politically, the people are not united.
There are economic problems and wars
are going on.

14. Individual Exercises

15. Exercise 2
1. beauty
2. seasons
3. shining
4. blossom
5. bees
6. sways
7. yellow star
8. sight

19. Exercise 4
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
A
D
B
B
A
D
D
A
B