Sad I Ams – Trevor Millum
I am
the ring
from an empty Cola can
the scrapings
from an unwashed porridge pan
the severed arm
of last year’s Action Man.
I am
the envelope
on which the gum is gone
the sellotape
where you can’t find the end
the toothless stapler, springless bulldog clip
the dried-up liquid paper
that mars instead of mends
the stamped addressed reply
that you forgot
to send
I am
the battery in which no charge is left
the starter motor which remains inert
the tyre on which the tread is worn
the sparking plug which shows no sign of spark
the carburettor choked by bits of dirt
the chromium trim from which the shine has gone.
I am
a garden
overgrown with weeds
a library book
that no one ever reads
a stray
which no one thinks to feed
the piece of good advice
which no one seems to need.
| Original text | Meaning (Malay) | |
| Stanza 1 |
I am the ring from an empty Cola can the scrapings from an unwashed porridge pan the severed arm of last year’s Action Man.
|
Saya ialah Penutup dari tin Cola Sisa dari kuali leper yang belum dicuci Lengan mainan ‘Action man’ yang sudah patah |
| Stanza 2 |
I am the envelope on which the gum is gone the sellotape where you can’t find the end the toothless stapler, springless bulldog clip the dried-up liquid paper that mars instead of mends the stamped addressed reply that you forgot to send
|
Saya ialah Sampul surat yang tidak ada gam Selotep yang tidak dapat dibuka Stapler yang tidak ada isi Liquid paper yang sudah kering. yang merosakkan bukan memperbaiki Surat balas yang kamu lupa kirim |
| Stanza 3 |
I am the battery in which no charge is left the starter motor which remains inert the tyre on which the tread is worn the sparking plug which shows no sign of spark the carburettor choked by bits of dirt the chromium trim from which the shine has gone.
|
Saya ialah Bateri yang tidak lagi berfungsi Motor starter yang tidak bergerak. Tayar yang bunga sudah haus Sparking plug yang tidak ada percikan Karburetor yang dipenuhi kotoran Chromium trim yang tidak lagi bersinar. |
| Stanza 4 |
I am a garden overgrown with weeds a library book that no one ever reads a stray which no one thinks to feed the piece of good advice which no one seems to need. |
Saya ialah Taman Yang penuh dengan rumpai Buku perpustakaan Yang tidak ada orang membaca Haiwan liar Yang tiada orang ingin memberi makanan Nasihat Yang tiada orang ingin mengetahui. |
Like this content? Sign up to get FREE updates:
| Pictures to help you understand: | |
| Ring from an empty Cola can |  |
| the scrapings
from an unwashed porridge pan
|
 |
| the severed arm
of last year’s Action Man.
|
 |
| the toothless stapler |  |
| springless bulldog clip |  |
| the tyre on which the tread is worn
|
 |
| the sparking plug which shows no sign of spark
|
 |
| the carburetor choked by bits of dirt
|
 |
| the chromium trim from which the shine has gone.
|
 |
| a garden
overgrown with weeds
|
 |
| the piece of good advice
which no one seems to need. |
 |
photo credit: google
*pt3english.com does not own any of the pictures used above.
Themes:
- Rejection
The persona feels that he/she is not wanted by anyone. They compare themselves to many unwanted things like the broken action man, toothless stapler, springless bulldog clip, worn tyre, etc.
- The lack of Appreciation
People do not appreciate the things that are once useful for them. People do not try to fix their toy, they do not make the chromium trim shine again, they do not clean their garden, they do not read the books in the library. More importantly, they do not listen to other people’s advice.
Moral Values:
- We should stay positive in life.
- We should learn to appreciate the things around us.
- We should learn to listen to people’ advice.
- We should be confident to ourselves.
- We should be grateful for what we have.
I try to make things as simple as I can,
If you have any questions, drop them in the comment box below, we will get back to you asap.
Happy Learning , Happy Teaching.
28 thoughts on “Form 1 Poem: Sad I Ams – Trevor Millum | Meanings, Vocabs, Themes & Moral values|”
May I know why is i am repeated in all stanzas ?
hi Farah, you can say it is to emphasize how the persona feels about himself/herself.
Because the “I am” word referred to the object that areis being neglected and the things are referred to the persona that are being neglected
can i ask what exactly is sparkling plug
Hi Hanis,
It should be sparking plug. It was a typo.
If I’m not mistaken. It’s a device needed to start an engine. It helps to produce the electric spark for igniting the mixture of gasoline and air. If the sparking plug is burnt , the engine cannot run. You will have to replace a new sparking plug.
Hope this helps.
do u hv questions about this poem bcz i wanted to do some exercises online but i cant fine any on website ) :
Hi Jolyn,
We have some exercises on poem in our E-package,check it out here:
https://www.pt3english.com/nailthatpt3english/
what is the rhyme scheme of this poem?
I would like to ask if the question ask:
“Do you like the poem ? Why ? ”
What should I answer ??
You could write it like this:
‘Yes, it is because this poem teaches us to appreciate things around us’
This answer is very simple but it is correct
Yes,I like the poem.It is because it teach us to think positively and care about other people.
all the sentence are too general
Below are some popular questions:
What happens to the action man?
Its arm is broken
2. What is the condition of the porridge pan?
It is unwashed/dirty.
3. What happens to the envelope?
The gum is gone.
4. What does the phrase ‘toothless stapler’ mean?
The stapler has no staple.
5. What happens to the liquid paper?
It has dried up.
6. Why do you think the starter motor remains inert?
It has broken.
7. What happens if someone uses a tyre with thread that is worn?
It is dangerous and may cause accident.
8. Why do you think the garden is overgrown with weeds?
No one uses the garden anymore/No one stays there anymore.
9. What would you do if you see a hungry stray on the street?
Feed them/bring them to animal shelter.
10. Less and less people like to go to the library these days. Why?
Because people can access to a lot of things using the internet at home.
11. What is the mood of the persona?
sad/disappointed.
12. What does the person forget to send?
A stamped addressed reply/ A return letter
13. In your opinion, how can we make the chromium trim shine again?
Wash and polish it.
14. Suggest two things that can cheer the person up.
i. Share their sadness with someone.
ii. Listen to some happy music.
15. If you could give an advice to your younger self, what would that be?
Don’t give up easily when there is a challenge/ Be brave/ Help people/ Don’t be afraid to make mistakes/etc
I love English my name is adeline can you give me the sad I arms meaning in English please
*the
May I ask if the question giving is KBAT what should we answer for full marks?
Hi Sarah,
For KBAT questions, as long as you give answer that makes sense and answer to the question, it should be alright.
Grace
Where i can get a poem book if im live in penang
Hi Khairin,
checkout our E-books. You can download right away and access anywhere you like!
https://www.pt3english.com/nailthatpt3english/
If the question ask me ” what do you think Action Man is?” And ” why is the glue on the envelope gone?” How i should answer..
who’s the persona of the poem?
very use for me
Thank you for sharing this information ❤ wish me all the best for examination
What do people usually do with the scrapings
thank you
Good sharing. Informative! I hope you are okay if i use this as a reference for my students. Thankyou 🙂
sure thing!
I need some help to write a lesson plan for Sad I AMs..what is the proper way..I am non optionist..