Lesson4: Theme: Gambling

In relation to Paper, the title refers to the protagonist's, Tay Soon, grave. It is significant of gambling, as it tells of how addictive it is. At first, Tay Soon and Yee Lian have a dream house. When they turned to stock marketing, they earned alot of money their hopes of getting their dream house is raised. However, they started losing money but they still continued to gamble. In the end, the family went bankrupt and Tay Soon died. His mother arranged for a paper coffin to keep him, the model exactly as he described the dream house.

I feel that Paul is responsible for his own death. he pressed himself too hard for money. He did not even stop when Bassett and his uncle told him to stop. He kept on rocking to try to get a answer of which horse is winning. In the end while trying to find the winning horse, he rocked himself to death thus I feel that it is his fault.

Lesson 3: Analyzing and composing poems

The Son is in Secondary School by Affran Sa’at
My badge has a Latin motto
Hope for the future
The future is hope
Or something

At times black crows try to interrupt
When we sing the National Anthem

It is difficult to maintain
The whiteness of my shoes
Especially on Wednesdays

I must admit there is something quite special
About the bare thighs of hardworking scouts
The Malay chauffeurs
Who wait for my schoolmates
Sit on the car park kerb
Telling jokes to one another
Seven to the power of five is unreasonable

On Chinese New Year
Mrs Lee dressed up
In a sarong kebaya
And sang Bengawan Solo

The capital of Singapore is Singapore

My best friend did a heroic thing once
Shaded all A’sFor his Chinese Language
Multiple-choice paper

In our annual yearbook
There is a photograph of me
Pushing a wheelchair and smiling
They caught me
At the exact moment

When my eyes were actually closed

This poem tells about how he never understood his school's motto although he was there for 6 years. He also shares his good memories. The author is also trying to say that he did not cherish his primary school days and is feeling rather sad.

The School by Joel Lee:
The forgotten cupboard
Once carried tons of books

The forgotten table
once unblemished

The forgotten alley
once echoing our laughter

oh how much have changed!