A Fighters Line

I am old and worn

And have lost all my strength
Sufferings
And the history of the fight for independence
Have forced sacrifices
That know no name
Or life
From the wheelchair of the rest of my days
I, body and energy crushed
See and cannot do much
These times are too big a challenge
For the remnants of my crippled years
The net of deceit spread everywhere
Disturbs me
In the name of justice
Wake up and form ranks sons of our ancestor
Be brave
And erect a wall of people
Stand up heirs of our freedom
I have no more voice
It is you now who should speak!

Vocabulary:
1. Worn
:
2. Sufferings :
3. Independence
4. Sacrifices
:
5. Remnants
:
6. Crippled
:
7. Deceit
:
8. Disturbs
:
9. Justice
10.Ancestor
:
11.Erect
:
Meaning of Stanzas:

Stanza 1:
The poet once had become a soldier and he had suffered a lot to fight for
independence from invaders.
Stanza 2:
During that time, they fought with all of their will and as the consequences now he
is wheelchair bound due to the loss of energy and he is now old enough to only be
able to sit on the while writing this poem. After years of independent, the poet sees
that the people trying to destroy themselves by engulfing into the world full of lies.
The poet says that there is nothing much he can do as these times are too
challenging.
Stanza 3:
The poet now urges new generation to fight for their freedom. First we have to be
united regardless of our races or religions and fight for the sake of our nations
country.
Stanza 4:
The poet also claims that he cannot affect others to fight for freedom as he is old
and has no will to protect the country and it is the responsibility of the young ones
to speak out their opinions.
Setting:
In this poem, there are two settings. First is in an independent country- independent
of colonial rule and any foreign control. This is shown by the line, and the history of
the fight for independence have forced sacrifices that know no name or life. The
word history tells us that the persona is reflecting the past. The second setting is
an old man sitting on a wheelchair inside his abode- home where he sits and
ponders on the days problems. This is shown in Stanza 2 (Line 1), from the
wheelchair of the rest of my days.
Themes:
1. Patriotism.
Patriotism is one of the themes of this poem. The people in this country have made
a lot of sacrifices to fight for their freedom. They have achieved independence but
now there are other threats such as deceit. This affects the country's safety. The
persona calls on the younger generation to fight for justice and to speak up against
deceit.
2. Being courageous.
Another theme is being courageous. In the past, people made many sacrifices and
fought bravely with the country's enemies for their freedom. Now, the persona
urges the younger generation to be brave and fight against other threats in the

country. He tells them to stand up and speak with courage.

3. Unity.
In the past, people were united when they fought for independence. Now, the
persona emphasises that the younger generation who has inherited a free country
should unite to preserve their freedom. They should stand united by building a wall
of people or forming ranks irrespective of racial, religious and other social
differences. The "lines" in the poem, A Fighter's Lines refer to the persona's lines
and the lines or ranks formed for unity. We have to be united and strong as in the
saying, "United we stand, divided we fall".
Values:
1. We must be brave to uphold justice.
The persona urges the younger generation to stand up against the widespread lies
which are rampant in society today. This 'net of deceit' worries his as it can destroy
the solidarity of the people. Therefore, he urges them to stand united and uphold
justice to preserve the freedom and safety of the country.
2. We must be willing to make sacrifices to preserve our independence.
In the fight for independence, the persona and other soldiers sacrificed and risked
their lives when they fought for independence. Now, he is wheelchair-bound
because he was either crippled in the war or is now old and sick. Now, he wants the
younger generation to make sacrifices too to preserve their freedom.
3. We must be united to preserve our freedom.
The persona wants the younger generation to stand united regardless of their
differences to ensure their freedom.

Questions.

1. Who is the persona in the poem?

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2. What does the word 'history' in line 4 refer to?
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3. What kind of tone do you serve from the first two stanzas?
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4. Why does the persona feel helpless?
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5. Describe what the poet means by the last two lines in stanza 2?
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6. What does the phrase "a wall" refers to?
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7. Who is referred to by the pronoun 'you' in the last line?
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8. What message is the poet trying to spread?
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9. What disturbs the persona?
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10. Suggests TWO ways to avoid being deceived by others.
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