Poem: Evening Song by Leong Liew Geok

Come,my darlings, let me see

Your files and papers

please; Put them neatly on my table:

How did you fare in Assessment Three?

Off with TV; sit on either side;

Let’s first look at Chinese and Math.

I wonder if you’ve progressed –

80 for Math?

A shocking slide!

And you, my girl?

This will never do!

Chinese, only 82?

Listen, both: Peabrain! Cretin!

These are the pits –

I expect better things from you!

All this will count toward

Your final position in the standard;

Pull up your socks; shape up, or else

Demotion will be your reward.

Since overall performance is AVERAGE,

I must assign more exercises,

So you’ll improve in CA Four

To secure an A-­‐STAR percentage.

A word with your tutor may increase

A 70% stake in the subject;

Spending holidays with her, my boy,

May change your grades in Chinese.

What’s that whispering I hear?

Brain damage from too much work?

There’s mud in your cerebral cortex–

Grey matter has nothing to fear!

Never forget the fact –

There’s nothing like an early start;

Avoid Normal and Express for SAP

You brats – take that! And that!

Picture:

http://gurupembaharu.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/test-paper1.jpg

Newspaper article:

http://www.divaasia.com/article/10248

Wordles:

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/2297847/Newspaper_article_Anxious_Parents

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/2297845/Evening_Song_by_Leong_Liew_Geok_-Wordle

Reflections:

I paired this poem with the picture because both the poem and the picture addressed one main issue which is the increasing stress level with work in our society today. In the poem, the parent is depicted as a person who pushes his/her children with more work and more tuition, and expecting his/her child to work under the tremendous stress level, and not accepting his/her child’s current grades, which is at or over 80%. The picture is depicted as a lot of work done, but more is still to come. The article reflects the issue of the increase in level of education, in a more positive way, as the child said that his extra classes were “more enjoyable”.