KINTA UTARA DISTRICT

LITERATURE IN ENGLISH
FORM 1

Graphic Novel
20,000 League under the Sea

Poem
News Break
Sad I Ams

Short Story
Fairs Fair

PANEL OF WRITERS
PN.FAUZIA BT. MOHD SULTAN
GURU CEMERLANG BAHASA INGGERIS
SMK KG. PASIR PUTIH
PN.AISHAH BT. MOHD HAMDAN
GURU CEMERLANG BAHASA INGGERIS
SMK RAJA PEREMPUAN BAINUN
PN. NOOR AZIRA BT. MAT NOR
GURU BAHASA INGGERIS
SMK TASEK DAMAI
EN. MOHANA RAM MURUGIAH
GURU CEMERLANG BAHASA INGGERIS
SMK PEREMPUAN METHODIST, IPOH
PN. JAYANTHI KARUPPAN
SISC+ PPD KINTA UTARA
PN.VIJAYALACHEMY A/P SUBRAMANIAM
SISC+ PPD KINTA UTARA
EN.JOEL JAACOB A/L M.K JAACOB
SISC+ PPD KINTA UTARA
PN. JULIANA BT. SHAHARUM
SISC+ PPD KINTA UTARA
PN. MARY STELLA A/P SANTHANASAMY
SISC+ PPD KINTA UTARA
PN. CHEAH YET THANG
SISC+ PPD KINTA UTARA
PANEL OF EDITORS
PN. CHEAH YET THANG
PN. JAYANTHI KARUPPAN
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
EN.MOHANA RAM MURUGIAH

- Table of Contents -

Graphic Novel
20,000 Leagues under the Sea

Page 1

Poetry
News Break

Page 19

Sad I Ams

Page 27

Short Story
Fairs Fair

Page 44

Graphic Novel

20,000 Leagues under the Sea

Author

Jules Gabriel Verne

French writer
referred to as the founding father of science fiction
born on 8th February 1828 in Nantes, France
father, Pierre Verne is a lawyer and mother, Sophie is from a military family
oldest of five children
studied law
married Honorine de Viance in 1857
very interested in travels, geography and engineering
died in 1905
other books Around the World in Eighty Days and Journey To The Center of The Earth

Synopsis
This story is about a strange sea monster that is said to be attacking ships at sea and destroying
them. Professor Arronax is invited to head a mission to seek and destroy this creature. He
accepts the invitation and takes his manservant, Conseil along. Once he is aboard the Abraham
Lincoln, Aronnax has the company of Ned Land, a very skillful harpooner. After three months
at sea, they were almost giving up on the mission when Ned Land spotted the monster. Only
after harpooning he realizes that it is a machine. The monster rams the ship and Aronnax is
thrown overboard. Conseil jumps in to save him and the three of them end up on the deck of
the Nautilus. They meet Captain Nemo who is very hospitable but tells them they can never
leave the Nautilus. The Professor agrees because of his curiosity and thirst for knowledge.
Then their voyage begins. They hunt in the Forest of Crespo Island. They are attacked by
cannibals during one of their expeditions. They travel the Indian Ocean and visit the pearl
fisheries. Here Captain Nemo saves a pearl diver from a shark and then has to be saved himself
by Ned. Captain Nemo then shows them the Vigo Bay, where he gets his gold from old
wrecked ships filled with treasure. According to Captain Nemo, he uses the treasure to help
oppressed people fight for their freedom. The Professor is also taken to see the lost city of
Atlantis after which they set for the South Pole. They encounter some problems there but
Captain Nemos determination helps them get through it. While sailing north of England, the
Nautilus is attacked by an unknown ship but Captain Nemo sinks the ship. Professor Aronnax
is horrified and decides to escape. Finally they manage to get into a boat to escape.
Unfortunately the Nautilus is caught in the Maelstrom, a deadly whirlpool. Professor Aronnax,
Ned Land and Conseil end up in a fishermans cottage. The fate of the Nautilus and its crew
remains unknown.
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Settings

from 1866 to 1868

on Nautilus, a submarine vessel designed by Captain Nemo
other settings are Island of New Guinea, Ceylon, Arabian Sea, Vigo Bay, South Pole,
Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean and Red Sea

Point of View

first person point of view

story told through the observations and experience of the narrator

Exposition

Rising Action

Climax

Falling Action

Resolution

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Plot
Three men go on a mission aboard the Abraham Lincoln to
search for a mysterious sea creature that causes havoc at sea.
Two huge waves caused by the strange monster causes a crash
and throws them overboard and they end up on the Nautilus.
The men go through many different events while travelling on
the Nautilus.
Each event shows a different side of Captain Nemo.
Nonetheless they make several attempts to escape.

The climax of the story is the major turning point that decides
the outcome of the plot.
In this story, the turning point is when the Professor decides
that they must escape.
This decision is made after the incident where the ship is
trapped in a kind of ice tunnel.
A warship fires at the submarine and Captain Nemo retaliates
by attacking it back.
The ship sinks before Professor Aronnaxs eyes and they all
decide its time to escape from the ship.
Ned comes up with a plan.
When the opportunity to escape comes finally, they escape in a
boat thats bolted to the Nautilus.
Nautilus is caught in the Maelstrom.
Fortunately they are saved but no one knows what happens to
the Nautilus.

20,000 Leagues under the Sea

Graphic Novel

Captain Nemo
antagonist
commander of Nautilus
formerly an engineer
scientific genius
designed the Nautilus himself
mysterious man easily angered yet has
a lot of self-control

Professor Aronnax
narrator
forty-year-old former medical doctor
turned scientist and lecturer at the
museum of Paris
expert on undersea life
heads an expedition aboard the America
Frigate Abraham Lincoln
mission is to track and get rid of the
mysterious sea monster
in the beginning, his curiosity on the
wonders of the sea overtook his desire
for freedom but after the accident at the
South Pole, he wanted to escape

Characters
Conseil

Professors manservant
very loyal
doesnt ask questions
brave and selfless
dives into the sea to save the Professor
when he falls in

Ned Land
very skillful in harpooning
known as the prince of harpooners
loses temper easily
saves Aronnax from drowning
saves Captain Nemo from the shark
very bold
attempts to escape from the Nautilus
several times

Minor Character

Captain Farragut
Style
Captain of the Abraham Lincoln
Its a very straightforward book. Writer uses simple language and allows much to the
imagination of the readers.

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20,000 Leagues under the Sea

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Language

Nemo ( Allegory)
Nemo is a very appropriate name for
someone as mysterious as Captain
Nemo. It is Latin for no one. Captain
Nemo doesnt want anyone to know his
existence; therefore Nemo tells the
story of a man who is no one and has
no ties with the outer world.

Mans Quest for

Exploration

Freedom

Man Versus
Nature

The Nautilus ( Symbol)

The submarine is a symbol of strength
and power, Captain Nemo considers
himself a very powerful man. The fact
that he built the Nautilus and
considers it invincible symbolizes his
own power and strength.

Themes
The main theme in this novel is mankinds need for exploration and
adventure. Professor Aronnax accepts the invitation to join the mission
because of his curiosity and the need to explore the truth behind the
mysterious sea monster. Captain Nemo takes the Nautilus to strange places
where no man would dare to venture into. For example, a coral cemetery,
pearl fisheries, Arabian tunnel, lost city of Atlantis and even the South
Pole. He travels under and on the surface of the sea because of his interest
for adventure and to explore new places.
Captain Nemo may be a free man but his freedom is only within Nautilus.
On the other hand, Professor Annorax, Ned Land and Conseil too enjoy the
similar kind of freedom. They are free to roam the Nautilus and explore the
undersea world but they cant leave the Nautilus. They are all prisoners
within the freedom of the Nautilus. In the beginning, Arronaxs curiosity to
see the real wonders of the ocean makes him give up the idea of leaving the
ship. Later, he realizes nothing is worth his freedom and attempts to escape
the Nautilus. As for Ned Land, he has always wanted to leave the ship.
Although Captain Nemo feels he has defied nature with his powerful
creation, many events show that he is still under the forces of nature. The
shark attack and the whirlpool events are clear examples of nature being
more powerful. Nemo builds the submarine to create his own world.
However, it is obvious that he still depends on the nature for his food. Even
the electricity needed to run his submarine comes from the processed sea
water.

Moral Values
We must not play god
We must respect and appreciate nature
We must respect everyones need for freedom We must abide by the law

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20,000 Leagues under the Sea

Graphic Novel
Activity 1

Choose the most suitable characteristics for each character. Provide textual evidence for each trait.

Character
Professor
Arronax

Captain Nemo

Ned Land

Conseil

Characteristics

Textual Evidence

a.

a.

b.

b.

a.

a.

b.

b.

c.

c.

d.

d.

a.

a.

b.

b.

c.

c.

a.

a.

b.

b.

courageous

bold

calm

short-tempered

determined

selfless

kind

scientific genius

good
harpooning
skills

loyal

curious

courageous

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Activity 2

Complete the story wheel in simple words. The beginning has been done for you.

Professor Aronnax gets an

invitation to head an
expedition to seek and
destroy a strange sea
monster

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20,000 Leagues under the Sea

Activity 3
Choose any one event that you are reading in the story. Write 5 sentences about it. Rewrite the
sentences in a paragraph using appropriate sentence connectors. Write the setting of the event in the
speech bubble.

________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

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Activity 4
Rewrite these dialogues into indirect speech. Use the characters name.

No, but its my duty to serve

you.

1.

I am not a civilised man. I have broken all

ties with the civilised world on land. I dont
obey its rules. I make my own rules

2.

But sir, dont you think that this

wealth doesnt belong to you, it belongs
to the men from other countries.

3.

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20,000 Leagues under the Sea

Perhaps we can signal them, and

maybe then they will understand

that we are friends.

4.

The captain must have put

something in our food to make
us sleepy.

5.

Oh no! Run fast! Fast! We are

being attacked by the savages.

6.

It will never happen, as you have

stumbled on a secret, which the world
should never know! So, I cant permit
you to go back.

7.

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20,000 Leagues under the Sea

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Our chance has come! I went up on

deck and made out some land about
twenty miles to the east. Meet us
near the boat at ten tonight!

8.

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20,000 Leagues under the Sea

Activity 5
Write the cause and the effect of the event stated.
CAUSE

EFFECT

1.
a chain of ice mountains

2.

3.

Professor Aronnax felt drowsy, Ned

and Conseil fell into a deep sleep.

Ned hits the creature with the

harpoon and there is a terrible
crash

4. An enormous iceberg turned over

5.

6.

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Captain Nemo rams the warship

from below where it is not
protected.

The bolts broke and the boat was

thrown in

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20,000 Leagues under the Sea

Activity 6

COMPARE
CONTRAST
Compare and contrast the two characters
below.AND
Write
in the space provided.

Professor Aronnax

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Captain Nemo

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20,000 Leagues under the Sea

Activity 7

STORY BINGO

WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR EACH GROUP?

A- MARKERS
B- QUESTIONS
C- 4 NUMBER BOARDS
D- NUMBERED TILES (1-32)

HOW DO YOU PLAY THE GAME?

Put the numbered tiles in a pouch.

Each member of the group takes turn to pick a number and tells her/his number out aloud.

Whoever has the number on her/his board will answer the question for that number.

Upon getting the answer right he/she will place a marker over that number on the number
board.

Anyone who completes all the numbers on her/his number board will shout Twenty
Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and becomes the winner.

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A. MARKERS

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20,000 Leagues under the Sea

B. QUESTIONS
1. How many children does Captain Nemo have?
2. What is the whirlpool called?
3. When was the sea monster first sighted?
4. What was the Professors first guess about the giant creature?
5. Who is Professor Aronnaxs manservant?
6. Whats the name of the ship for the expedition?
7. What is the name of the submarine?
8. What is the alphabet engraved on all the crockery?
9. What is Ned Lands nickname?
10. Where was the underwater forest?
11. Which animal is shot in the underwater forest?
12. What kind of people lived on the island of New Guinea?
13. What happened to Ned and Conseil after eating the food served in the cell?
14. What is Ceylon famous for?
15. What was the East Indian diver looking for?
16. What attacked the East Indian diver?
17. What was the weapon Captain Nemo had with him when he tried to save the diver?
18. How did Ned save Captain Nemo from the shark?
19. Where is the graveyard of the old wrecked ships that were filled with treasure?
20. What is the name of the ruined crumbled town underwater?
21. Where was the ice tunnel?
22. Who said that after coming into Nautilus one is not allowed to leave it?
23. What did Professor Aronnax take with him just before he escaped from the Nautilus?
24. How did the three men plan to escape?
25. Why did Professor Aronnax want to leave Nautilus?
26. Where did the professor regain consciousness?
27. How was the Nautilus powered?
28. Food for the Nautilus crew comes from the .
29. Why did the Ned and Conseil run for their lives off the New Guinea Island?
30. Who did not join in the underwater land hunting trip?
31. How long did they have before the oxygen supply was depleted?
32. What animal was caught and roasted at the New Guinea Island?

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20,000 Leagues under the Sea

C. NUMBER BOARDS

27

29

14

28

23

11

31

21

18

17

19

20

10

13

30

22

24

15

32

25

26

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16

12

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Graphic Novel

D. NUMBERED TILES

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

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Activity 8

Fill in the sections with events from the novel to show the different parts of the story.
CLIMAX

RISING ACTION

EXPOSITION

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FALLING ACTION

RESOLUTION

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NEWS BREAK

POETRY

What is a poem?
A poem is a piece of writing that usually has figurative
language and that is written in separate lines that often have a
repeated rhythm and sometimes rhyme.

The Author
Maxwell Edgar Fatchen or Max Fatchen (3 August
1920 14 October 2012) was an Australian journalist
and children's writer. Fatchen spent his childhood on
an Adelaide Plains farm at Angle Vale. He learned to
drive a team of Clydesdale horses and did part of his High
School studies at home, driving his horse and buggy in
once a week to Gawler High School to get his papers
corrected. Later he entered journalism as a copy boy and
after five years in the Australian Army and Royal
Australian Air Force during World War II became a
journalist with The News and later The Advertiser.. He
wrote 20 books; his novels appear in seven countries and
his poetry throughout the English-speaking world. He
wrote for children in the primary school group. Three of
his books have received commendation in the Children's
Book of the Year Award. He was made a Member of
the Order of Australia in 1980, the Advance Australia
Award for literature in 1991, the Walkley Award for
journalism in 1996 the Primary English Teaching
Associations Award for children's poetry in 1996 and the
SA Great Award for Literature in 1999 and the
2003 Centenary of Federation Medal for service to the
community in journalism, poetry and writing for children.
He died on 14 October 2012 in his sleep.
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Born

3 September 1920
Adelaide, South
Australia

Died

14 October
2012 (aged 92)
Gawler, South Australia

Occupation

Author

Nationality

Australian

Notable
awards

Walkley Award (1996)

Spouse

Jean Wohlers (m. 1942)

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POETRY

NEWS BREAK

Explanation of Stanzas
The mother is surprised that her child
STANZA 1
suddenly comes back home and kisses her.
Now why so loving, darling,
The child has even offered to help his/her
And why the sudden kiss?
mother to do house chores.
Youd help me with some little jobs?
For goodness sake, whats this?

It is the first time that the mother could see

that her child comes back home from
school wearing school uniform which is
still neat and clean, and with clean face.
She/He even saves her/his pocket money
which is given to buy lunch.

Being an active child, he/she always drops

his/her school books once entering the
house. He/She does not even care to check
the homework given by the teachers, in
fact prefers to do his/her own activities.
But on that day, the child comes back
home from school with a good manner.
Putting his/her books nicely and becomes
so good and nice.

The mother, being surprised, could not

believe that is her child because he/she acts
totally different from before. No jumping
and playing here and there. The mother
even asks her child to come closer to her to
really understand the changing of his/her
behavior.

The changing in his/her behavior is so

obvious that the mother thought that it
might be because of an incident that gives
her child that great impact. It is not long
after that, that the mother realizes that her
child suddenly becomes well-mannered
because he/she brings back his/her school
report!

STANZA 2
Your face is clean for once, dear.
Your clothes without a crease.
You saved your luncheon money?
Will wonders never cease?

STANZA 3
No dropping of your school books,
No shrieking, childish treble.
Today you are a lamb, love,
Where yesterday a rebel.

STANZA 4
But surely youre some stranger,
No rage or hullabaloo.
Come closer, let me look, dear,
Can this be REALLY you?

STANZA 5
Now were you struck by lightning
Or were you stunned at sport?
Ah now I see the reason.
Youve brought your school report!

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POETRY

NEWS BREAK
Synopsis

The persona is surprised that her child suddenly came back home and kissed her. The
child has even offered to help the persona to do household chores. It was the first time
that the persona could see that her child came back home from school wearing school
uniform which was still neat and clean, and with clean face. She/He even saved his/her
pocket money which was given to buy lunch. Being an active child, he/she always
dropped his/her school books once entered the house. He/She did not even care to check
the homework given by the teachers; in fact he/she preferred to do his/her own activities.
But on that day, the child came back home from school with a good manner. Putting
his/her books nicely and became so good and nice. The persona, being surprised, could
not believe that was her child because he/she acted totally different from before. No
jumping and playing here and there. The persona even asked her child to come closer to
her to really understand the changing of his/her behaviour. The change in his/her
behaviour was so obvious that the persona thought that it might be because of an incident
that gave the child a great impact. It was not long after that, that the persona realized that
the child suddenly became well-mannered because he/she brought back his/her school
report.

Themes
Setting
Point of View
Moral Values/Message
Tone/Mood
Imagery
Rhetoric question
Metaphor

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Having ulterior motives.

Being honest to your parents.
Parents should be mindful of their childrens behaviour.
Inside a house, where a child comes back from school and
the persona is waiting for the child to come back as usual.
First person point of view. The persona is observing the
child from her perspective.
Being honest to the parents.
Funny, Happy
No rage or hullabaloo
For goodness sake, whats this?
Today you are a lamb, love.

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NEWS BREAK

POETRY
Activity 1

Pair work. Write the meaning of the sentences based on what you understand from the stanza that
you have studied.
STANZA

MEANING

Now why so loving, darling,

And why the sudden kiss?
Youd help me with some little jobs?
For goodness sake, whats this?
STANZA

MEANING

Your face is clean for once, dear.

Your clothes without a crease.
You saved your luncheon money?
Will wonders never cease?
STANZA

MEANING

No dropping of your school books,

No shrieking, childish treble.
Today you are a lamb, love,
Where yesterday a rebel.

STANZA

MEANING

But surely youre some stranger,

No rage or hullabaloo.
Come closer, let me look, dear,
Can this be REALLY you?

STANZA

MEANING

Now were you struck by lightning

Or were you stunned at sport?
Ah now I see the reason.
Youve brought your school report!
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POETRY

NEWS BREAK

Activity 2

Fill in the blanks with appropriate words or expression from the poem.
The child reaches home and he hugs and kisses the persona (1) ________. The child
offers to help her with (2) _________. She is taken aback and wonders to herself,
reason
no rage or hullabaloo
stunnedwhats this? The child looks like aschool
books
(3)__________,
different
person, as the childs face is clean
for goodness sake
without a crease
for once and clothes are (4) __________. The child has saved his/her luncheon money. Looking
lovingly
shrieking
at the child with a puzzled look, she marvels that the child does not drop his/her (5)
some little jobs
school report
__________ and displays a quiet behaviour, there is no (6) __________ as the child was a lamb
compared to the day before when he/she was a rebel. The persona is sure the person standing in
front of her showing (7) __________ must be a stranger. She looks at the child closely and
thinks he/she might be having concussion or is (8) __________. Ah then she sees the
(9) _________, the child has brought back his/her (10) __________. As she says, wonders will
never cease.

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reason

no rage or hullabaloo

stunned

school books

for goodness sake

without a crease

lovingly

shrieking

some little jobs

school report

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POETRY

NEWS BREAK

Activity 3
Based on the poem News Break by Max Fatchen, answer the following questions.

1. In stanza 1, what act did the child do that surprises the persona?

2. In stanza 2, what do you think the child usually uses the money for?

3. In stanza 3, why did the persona use the word lamb to describe her child?

4. In stanza 4, why did the persona think that her child is a stranger?

5. In stanza 5, why did the school report have totally transformed the child into someone else?

6. If you were to show your school report to your parents, how would you behave? Why?

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NEWS BREAK

Activity 4

Fill in the blanks with the moral values you have learned from the poem .

____________
__________

_______________

NEWS BREAK

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POETRY

NEWS BREAK

Activity 5

Fill in the bubbles with adjectives from the poem which can describe the child.

ADJECTIVES

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POETRY

SAD I AMS

By: Trevor Millum

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POETRY

SAD I AMS

Trevor Millum has published several books of poetry for children including Warning Too Much
Schooling Can Damage Your Health, A Stegosaurus is for Life and other animal poems and, in
collaboration with Bernard Young, Double Talk.
His poems also appear in many childrens anthologies. Trevor has also published many short
stories and one novel The Curious Case of Dr. Mann. Trevor co-edited Psychopoetica for many
years and is the resident poet on the Teach it website.
In addition to raising money through sonnet-writing marathons, he writes educational materials,
books and articles on ICT, creativity and English.

The poem is about the feeling of sadness. The title itself foreshadows a profound sense of
sadness felt by the persona and this is emphasized by the word Ams, which is
deliberately used to depict the plural form.
Every now and then we may experience sadness. In this poem, the poet wants us to
experience the idea of sadness through the eyes and images of the things we may
neglect or discard in our lives. The poet invites us to think about their feelings as
neglected, overused, damaged or discarded items. He draws inspirations from these
forgotten or unusable items to help us relate to the subject of sadness and the plight of
inanimate things. What would they say if they are given a voice? How do we feel if we
are neglected or unwanted? These are the questions that the poet wants us to think about
when reading this poem.

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SAD I AMS

POETRY

STANZA

MEANING

The persona is feeling sad. He associates his feelings to discarded

items like the ring pull of an empty Cola can, the scrapings of an
unwashed porridge pan and the severed arm of an Action Man.
These items are regarded as unimportant and because of that they
are thrown away. The persona laments on this feeling of neglect.

The personas sense of sadness and helplessness are represented by

the objects like the envelope on which the gum is gone, the
Sellotape where its end cannot be found, the stapler without
staples, the bulldog clip without a spring, the dried-up liquid paper
that makes more mess and the stamped addressed reply which is
never sent. These objects are considered insignificant, as they are
unable to function as they should be.

The persona feels worthless. He connects himself to things like the

battery with no charge left, the starter motor which does not move,
the tyre which is worn out, the spark plug which does not give
spark, the dirty carburettor which is filled with dirt and the
chromium trim which does not shine. These things are worthless as
they do not function anymore and their shelf life has expired.

The persona feels neglected. His feeling is comparable to the

unattended garden that is full of weeds, the unread and untouched
library books, the abandoned and hungry stray and the piece of
good advice that no one ever listens to. These items are left
unnoticed as no one bothers to pay attention to them. The persona
feels dejected over such treatment.

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POETRY

Time
Place :

SAD I AMS

The present
in a trash bin, in a kitchen, in an eatery, in a playroom, in a living hall, in a study room,
in an office, in a pencil case, on the study table, in the school, in a school bag, in a
drawer, in a car workshop, in a garden, in the library, on a street, in the mind

The persona is a person who is overwhelmed by sadness. He is either a person who is dejected,
neglected, forgotten, unwanted or even unloved. He desired to be useful, attractive and loved again.

The poem is written in the first person point of view

Sadness and desolation

Perception of worthlessness
Nostalgic and regretful when people neglected or rejected him.

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POETRY

1.

Dealing with Sadness.

2.

The experience of sadness by the persona in the poem is projected through the
objects, which are thrown away, neglected, rejected, overlooked or abandoned by
people.
It is natural for human to feel sad at times for various reasons. However, it is
important not to be consumed by sadness and let it ruin our lives. We need to control
this emotion and to allow happiness to flow in.

Neglect, Abandonment and Rejection.

3.

SAD I AMS

All objects should be treated with care, love and respect.

There are people who are careless and indifferent towards things. They casually
throw away old and unwanted things without caring about the people or the
environment.
The old, weak, infirm and disabled are sometimes neglected by the society. These
less fortunate people may be voiceless or not loud enough to be heard but they have
feelings too. They want to be cared and be a part of a living, thriving and vibrant
society.

The Importance of Recycling

We should open our eyes and see the potentials in all things.
Some of the humble, old, unused and unwanted things can be reused or recycled into
something new and useful.
With a little creativity, we can create wonderful things, which could be in different
forms and be sold.
Objects, which are lifeless and lack lustre, can be brought to life again and be turned
into something productive and valuable.
By practicing the 3R Concept : Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, we are giving nature a
helping hand in preserving our environment.

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POETRY

1.

Show Love, Compassion and Kindness towards Others.

2.

Humans and animals must be treated with dignity and respect

They must not be thoughtlessly discarded.

We Must Think Positively

5.

All the items mentioned in the poem are neglected by their owners. However, many do
not realise that they have not utilise the items to its potential. The items are still be of
value if we really give a thought about it.

Be More Sensitive and Respect the Feelings of Others

4.

We must be kind and compassionate to others

Everything in this world has some use and purpose. They served us according to their
nature and make. So, treat them with love, compassion and kindness when it is old, hurt or
less attractive.

Cherish The Things That You Have and Make Good Use of Them.

3.

SAD I AMS

We must think positively at all times.

We must not have doubts about our self-worthiness when we get neglected or rejected by
others.

Be Vigilant and Creative in Recycling Efforts

In order to save the environment, it is important for use to find ways to reduce, reuse and
recycle goods.

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SAD I AMS

POETRY

Form & Structure:

Free verse, written in four stanzas.

Inconsistent rhyming pattern.
Varying line lengths.
Repetition of I am.

Literary Devices:

Metaphor
Comparing himself to those neglected or discarded items to highlight the element of
sadness.

Personification
The neglected or abandoned objects are given human characteristics and feelings.

Imagery
The poet uses visual images to paint pictures in our minds as we read the poem.

Irony
- The irony of a piece of good advice that would normally be taken heed is ignored and
neglected.
- The irony of having a battery without power
- The irony of having books in the library but no one reads them.

Alliteration
Some words in the sentences begin with the same consonant sound or letter.

Rhythm
The rhythm is created by using the repetitive words of I am.

Rhyme
End rhyme is used in the poem.
For eg. -

can pan
weeds reads
feed - need

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POETRY

SAD I AMS

ACTIVITY 1: Finding Synonym

The word search below contains the synonyms for the word sad. Find all the hidden words in this
word search. You can use a highlighter to identify them or circle the words as the sample given.

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POETRY

SAD I AMS

ACTIVITY 2: Dealing with Emotions

We experience various emotions every day. Complete the tasks below and ponder about how you deal with
this particular emotion.
1. Draw a sad face.

2. What kind of a feeling is

sadness?
Comfortable

Uncomfortable

Neutral

3.

What are three things that make you feel sad?

i)

___________________________________________________

ii)

___________________________________________________

iii) ___________________________________________________

4. Think of the time when you felt sad.

i)

How did it feel in your body?

________________________________________________

ii)

What thoughts did you have?

________________________________________________

iii) What did you do at that time?

________________________________________________

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POETRY

SAD I AMS

5. What are the things you could try to make you feel happy or less sad?

i)

__________________________________________________

ii)

__________________________________________________

iii)

__________________________________________________

iv)

__________________________________________________

v)

__________________________________________________

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POETRY

SAD I AMS

ACTIVITY 3: A Tell-tale
E MODULE BY
JJ SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS] Sad I Ams
Fill in the blanks with the words found in the poem. You can fill in more than one word in each blank space.
Use the pictures given to guide you.

ET 3

persona
in theinpoem
aboutRefer
his feelings
of pictures
sadness andgiven.
being
nks with theThe
words
found
the talks
poem.
to the
neglected. He expresses these feelings by comparing himself to several
things found at home. The metal (1) from a drink can and food (2)

an unwashed porridge pan are usually discarded, as

ersona in the
poem tellsfrom
of his
feelings of sadness and being neglected. To
they do not serve any purpose. Broken parts of last years
e feelings, he
compares himself
several
(3)..........................
are usuallyto
thrown
out too.things found in the home. The

from a drink can and food (2) ..

ashed porridge pan are usually discarded. Broken parts of discarded last

..

The (4) ........................ will be useful if it could be sealed with gum. Other stationery items
such as, sticky tape, (5)....................... equipped with staples, (6) ........................ clip and
liquid paper are only worth keeping if there are serviceable.

(3) are usually thrown out too. Only (4) ...

with gum are

useful. Sticky tape, a toothless (5) .......................
,
The same idea applies to parts of a car. The (7) .......................... must be well-charged and the
starter motor must be workable in order for the car to run well. A lifeless sparking plug, a
choked (8) ...................... and a dull chromium trim will make the car lose its value.

clip and liquid paper are popular items in our

stationary aids. However, they are useful if they are serviceable. The same

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s of a car. The (7) ..

must be well-charged
er motor workable for the car to work well. A lifeless sparking plug, a choked

POETRY

SAD I AMS

The persona feels worthless and unwanted like an unkempt (9) ................ , an untouched
library book and an unfed (10) .................. on the street or an unheeded piece of good advice.

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POETRY

ACTIVITY 5:

SAD I AMS

Enrichment Lets Get Creative

Trevor Millum has wonderfully expressed the persona feelings through a poem. Let us write an I am poem
to express a different emotion using the template below. You could refer to the sample I Am Poem prepared
by a student your age.

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POETRY

SAD I AMS

Sample I Am Poem :

I Am Poem
I am frightened.
I wonder what these people are thinking.
I hear people shouting at me.
I see soldiers beside me.
I want this to end.

I am terrified.
I pretend I am already in heaven.
I feel blood and sweat on my face.
I touch the painful wound
I worry that I may not survive.

I cry thinking about my family back home.

I am scared.
I understand I have to die.
I say, Father, forgive these people.
I dream I am not here.
I try to understand people who hate me.
I hope that I can make it through.
I am horrified.

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POETRY

SAD I AMS

ACTIVITY 6: Question Time.

Answer the following questions.
1.

Who is the persona in the poem?

____________________________________________________________

2.

Give one word to describe the personas feeling.

_____________________________________________________________

3.

What do the items mentioned in the first stanza have in common?

____________________________________________________________

4.

How can one empty a Cola can?

____________________________________________________________

5.

What could have caused the arm of an action figure to be severed?

Give two possible reasons.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

6.

Where do you normally find all the items mentioned in stanza 2?

_____________________________________________________________

7.

What would you do to the toothless stapler, springless bulldog clip and
dried up liquid paper?
_____________________________________________________________

8.

What does the phrase mars instead of mends mean?

_____________________________________________________________

9.

Who might have required the stamped addressed reply?

_____________________________________________________________

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POETRY

10.

SAD I AMS

Suggest two possible solutions to prevent the tip of our liquid paper pen from drying up very
quickly.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

11.

Stanza 3 mentions several parts of a car. List 5 of them.

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

12.

What is the meaning of the word inert?

____________________________________________________________

13.

What happens to a car if the sparking plug shows no sign of spark?

____________________________________________________________

14.

Describe the look of a car when the shine of its chromium trim has gone?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

15.

What kind of harm might we encounter when we drive a car with worn tyres?
Suggest two types of harm.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

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POETRY

16.

SAD I AMS

In stanza 4, why do you think the garden is overgrown with weeds?

_____________________________________________________________

17.

Give one word to describe a person who feeds a stray cat.

_____________________________________________________________

18.

How would you respond to a good piece of advice?

_____________________________________________________________

19.

Why do you think people choose not to read books? Give two reasons.
______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

20.

The persona in this poem appears to be lamenting and feels downcast. Suggest two
ways to lighten up his spirit.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

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SHORT STORY

FAIRS FAIR

This is a story of friendship and determination of 3 good friends Lee, Sam

and Raj. One day, Raj announces that a fair has come to town and his father
has agreed to take the three of them to the fair. This brings so much
excitement to the three children as they really want to go on a few rides and
eat away candy floss. Unfortunately, Lee is the only who does not get the
permission from his mother to go to the fair as she doesnt have any money to
give him. Therefore, the 3 friends start thinking of plans and ways to make
money to help Lee. The children get themselves into doing a few jobs only
resulting to more troubles and not earning anything. However, luck rolls
along as the children come across a purse on the ground. As much as Lee is
excited over the unexpected stepped on cash, he is honest enough to return to
the rightful owner which in the end rewards him with 5 pounds. They are able
to enjoy themselves at the fair.

The setting of a short story is the time and place in which it happens. Authors often use descriptions
of landscape, scenery, buildings, seasons or weather to provide a strong sense of setting. In the story
Fairs Fair, it is set in a neighbourhood in a city.

In literature, when we study the characters, we need to know their beliefs /hopes /dreams /ideals
/values /morals /fears /strengths /weaknesses /vices /virtues and talents. Below are the characters in
Fairs Fair :
Main Characters

: Lee , Sam and Raj

Protagonist

: Lee

Minor Characters

: Sams dad, Mrs Green, little girl

at the park, the woman .

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SHORT STORY

FAIRS FAIR

The themes revolve around the central idea or belief in the story which include the authors attitude
towards those ideas. In Fairs Fair, the themes found are:
Value of friendship
The characters in this story portray true friendship as they stick by one another to
help Lee to earn money for the fair. Being best friends, Sam and Raj want Lee to be
with them at the fair no matter what and they keep on supporting him to earn money.
They too help him to look for jobs and advise him not to give up. The value of
friendship is clearly seen throughout the short story.
Strong determination to achieve success
The 3 friends are very determined to earn some money for the fair. Even though
they face problems along the way, for example, when Lee has to give the one pound he
earns to the little girl, he still tries to think of ways to make money. His friends stand
with him and they too do not give up easily. In the end, the three children are rewarded
with their patience and determination
The importance of being honest
Lee, Sam and Raj try their best to earn money for the fair. In spite of their efforts,
they still fail to get the money they hope for, due to so many problems and unforeseen
circumstances. However, luck rolls along when a woman drops her purse on the
ground and the children happen to see it. Lee feels it is not right to take the money
from the purse and returns the purse. He is rewarded for his honesty and this teaches
us that honesty is the best policy.
Being Resourceful
Another theme in this story is to be resourceful . The 3 children put on their thinking
caps in their efforts to make money. They look for means and ways and even approach
the adults to give them jobs. This is very positive as when we need something badly
we cannot be depending on others much but rather our own will and determination to
solve the problem.

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SHORT STORY

FAIRS FAIR

1. Do not give up easily in the face of problems.

2. Honesty is the best policy
3. Being loyal and helpful to friends.

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SHORT STORY

FAIRS FAIR

ACTIVITY 1

LETS WARM UP

STARTER ACTIVITY
Before students start reading Chapter 1, teacher may begin with a warm up activity to get students
excited about the short story.

Answer the following questions.

1. Where can you see all these rides?
2. Which is your favourite ride?
3. List / talk about two other activities you can do at a fun fair.
a)
b)
4. How much do you think you have to pay for each ride?

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SHORT STORY

ACTIVITY 2

FAIRS FAIR

THE PLOT

Using a flow chart, complete the plot of the story by choosing the correct description to each picture
from the box below.
EXPOSITION

RISING ACTION

EXPOSITION

RISING ACTION

RISING ACTION
RISING ACTION

Mrs

CLIMAX

FALLING ACTION

FALLING ACTION

RISING ACTION

RESOLUTION

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SHORT STORY

FAIRS FAIR

Lee was disappointed but his friends told him that they would help him to get
some money by doing a few jobs such as washing cars and walking the dog.

The children were very excited and talked about trying the ghost train, the big
wheel and eating candy floss

When all hopes to get money seemed lost, Lee, Sam and Raj saw a purse fell
off a womans shopping bag.

The children were given the first job to wash Sams fathers car but they
made a mess and were scolded instead.

Mrs. Green gave them a job that was to walk her dog and the children
accepted gladly.

Unfortunately when Lee asked his mothers permission, she couldnt let him
go because she had no money to give him for the fair.

However the dog misbehaved and ran off with a ball which belonged to a girl
in the park. Mrs. Green paid Lee a pound but Lee had to give the money to
the girl when she came to complain that the dog caused her ball to be flat.

Lee was delighted when the woman rewarded him with 5 pounds. Now he
can go to the fair!

Raj went to see his friends Sam and Lee to tell them that a fair had come to
town and his father had agreed to take them.

As much as Lee wanted to keep the money to himself, he ran after the woman
to return her purse.

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SHORT STORY

FAIRS FAIR

ACTIVITY 3
CHARACTERS & CHARACTERISTICS
Using the bubble map below, write out the character traits of Lee.

LEE

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SHORT STORY

FAIRS FAIR

ACTIVITY 4

Using the character traits listed in the bubble map, write about Lee.

Hi! My name is Sam. I have a good friend. His name is Lee. You see, there is a
wonderful fair in town and we would like to go to the fair. Unfortunately, Lee
doesnt have any money. I want to write a post on my Instagram account to
advertise about Lee so that he is able to get jobs. Hes a great guy. Can u help me
describe what kind of a person he is and the jobs that he can do?

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SHORT STORY

ACTIVITY 5

FAIRS FAIR

IDENTIFYING THEMES

There are a few themes found in this short story. What are the THEMES in Fairs Fair? Each
picture represents a theme. Write your answers in the box below.

THEMES

WHAT CHARACTERS SAY AND DO THAT REFLECT THE THEME

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SHORT STORY

ACTIVITY 6

FAIRS FAIR

MOVIE REVIEW ( THEME )

The themes in Fairs Fair are strong determination, value of friendship and honesty is the best
policy. These themes can also be found in many movies. Write an email to a friend on a movie you
have just watched and tell him/her the message from the movie. Encourage your friend to watch it
as well. Use the pictures below to help you. You can also write about other movies which reflect
the same theme.

Paanandrew@gmail.com

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SHORT STORY

FAIRS FAIR

ACTIVITY 7

MORAL VALUE

In Chapter 3 Lee, Sam and Raj saw a purse fell out of a womans shopping bag.

You could keep it, said Raj

Then you could have a really good time at the fair, said Sam
Now, do you agree with Sam and Raj? If you disagree, give two reasons to support your answer. In
the empty speech bubble at the bottom, give your own advice to Lee on what do you think he should
do.

REASON 1

REASON 2

B. What is your advice to Lee?

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SHORT STORY

FAIRS FAIR

ACTIVITY 8

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY

EXTENSION ACTIVITY
The idiom A Penny saved is a penny earned means that it is wise to save your money. Lee did a
few jobs to earn money. What about you? List down the things that you would like to save up for
and give reasons.
Im saving up for

Reasons

1)
2)
3)
4)

Based on your wish-list above, list down in the tree map below ways to save up your money.

HOW

WHY

Eg. Bring food and

drinks to school

To save up on lunch
money at school

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