Sedition Sedition
Cecil Rajendra
Cecil Rajendra
How the poet 1. According to
introduces his subject: 2. the shorter
Outline
SACAI NOV 2021 3. Oxford Dictionary –
To see where this poet is coming 4. Sedition
He provides the 5. is: agitation
from it may be helpful to
dictionary definition of
understand his background. Let
sedition according to 6. against authority;
us delve a little into the politics
the shorter Oxford 7. conduct, speech
of Malaysia. The government is
Dictionary. 8. (or literature)
highly authoritarian and, while
9. tending to rebellion;
the country prides itself on its
10. a breach of public order.
constitution which protects civil Line 12: SACAI NOV 2021
liberties, there are many 11. According to
oppressive laws in place The meaning of the 12. Received history –
including the law of sedition phrase: It is history 13. poetry
which are open to abuse by which is widely 14. is a fist
those in power. Although there accepted to be 15. in the face
has been much opposition to it authoritative and true
by the people, successive 16. of authority;
governments have retained it. 17. pugnacious
Purpose of enjambment: 18. inflammatory;
The problem is that the law of
the country includes protections
SACAI NOV 2021 19. a tumult
20. of words/emotions;
guaranteeing certain privileges The entire stanza is one
for the indigenous Malay sentence. The
21. an insurrection
population. The sedition law is enjambment has broken it 22. in language;
vague enough to be used to up for the reader as a 23. a rage
silence criticism of this series of separate 24. against night
arrangement. But it is also fragments strikingly set 25. neatness & order;
commonly employed to quell apart as powerful
opposition in general. examples of how poetry 26. a fracture
can be seen as seditious. 27. into the establishment;
28. forever leaning
29. towards rebellion
The poet successfully demonstrates that poetry is ‘forever leaning 30. revolution et cetera –
towards rebellion SACAI NOV 2021
31. Ergo, every poem
By saying that it is a ‘fist in the face of authority’ the poet shows us how 32. is a wanton
poetry can challenge the status quo. By describing it as ‘inflammatory’ 33. act of sedition!
he points out the way that poetry can rouse up strong reactions in
people. When he claims that the ‘words/emotions’ can be an
‘insurrection in language’ he demonstrates how the strong language in
poems can make people rebel. The idea that ‘rage … against neatness
and order’ can bring about a ‘fracture into the establishment’ shows
how poetry can provoke great anger with its emotive power such that
the readers will question their established beliefs
, Title: It has the effect of giving the
truth. The definition carries no
Sedition
Cecil Rajendra figurative language or insinuation
or ambiguity: it means what it says
1. According to
2. the shorter
3. Oxford Dictionary –
It means the generally
4. Sedition
accepted version of history
5. is: agitation
that is taken as true. Both Sedition means going against
6. against authority; stanzas start with authority, being or saying things
7. conduct, speech “According to” which links that are treacherous (against the
8. (or literature) the one explanation with state); behaving in a way that
9. tending to rebellion; other, making the second undermines authority, treason.
10. a breach of public order. acquire the same meaning (The word here excludes ordinary
of “true”. crime, unless it is a crime against
11. According to the state.)
12. Received history –
13. poetry
14. is a fist
15. in the face
Short lines – The short lines, semicolons
16. of authority; extended giving alternative meaning,
17. pugnacious enjambement. Clear, and words with similar
18. inflammatory; direct language. connotations given (“fist”,
19. a tumult
20. of words/emotions; “pugnacious”,
“inflammatory,
21. an insurrection “insurrection”, “fracture”,
22. in language; Theme “rebellion”, “revolution”)
23. a rage mimic what an explanatory
Our poem is an expression
24. against night dictionary does. This, too,
25. neatness & order; of defiance at an unjust law
has the effect of giving the
and a defence of free
truth.
26. a fracture speech. But it is also a
27. into the establishment; personal declaration of
28. forever leaning Rajendra’s purpose as an
29. towards rebellion artist. He has strong
30. revolution et cetera – feelings about what poetry
should achieve. He sees too Poet:
31. Ergo, every poem much injustice around him Born 1941, in Penang
32. is a wanton to write flowery, self-
33. act of sedition! Malaysia. Educated in
centred meanderings on Singapore and Britain.
the meaning of life. His Practicing lawyer and also
Line 28
socio-political poetry is involved in free legal aid.
Repeated fricatives again tie into biting, derisive and blunt. It
“forever” links sounds in continuity tying is a call to action, a crack at
in to idea of time going on. our consciences as well as a
measure of our humanity.
It is personified as someone inclined
towards dissent, it is intuitive, natural.
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