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What is significant or meaningful about the topic?

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What is significant or meaningful about the topic?

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The topic; Fair Youth suggests the life of a teenager, someone that is young and the word 'fair' suggests a balanced life, that is led by the youth. This poem might be about the life of a young teen that goes through a so called satisfying life.

The choices of words in Arthur Yap's poem suggest a rebellious life of a typical teenager. This can be seen from the phrase "they go to discos and dance the floor away" This suggests that the teenagers, although under age, the teenager still went to a club, as the word 'discos' suggest.

Arthur Yap also suggests that what you do will come back to you. Also known as Karma. This can be seen from the phrase "youth can be, wondrously, fair"

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The poem is about a teenager enjoying his life. However, although life seems to be enjoyable at times, there might be unexpected events that befall a person, such as having AIDS. AIDS is a disease in which there is a severe loss of the body's cellular immunity, greatly lowering the resistance to infection and malignancy. Hence, although the teenager seems to have a happy life, his background might be unexpectedly tainted.

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Link of 'Expansion' to Singapore's society

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Link of 'Expansion' to Singapore's society

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'Expansion' represents Singapore's need to constantly grow and improve for the better good of the community.

The first phrase that shows this connection is 'the skyline of houses grows with the sky'. A 'skyline of houses' suggests a long line of high rise buildings, much like the HDBs and other buildings in Singapore, that stretch across the sky. This suggests that Singapore's population is very big. By growing 'with the sky', it suggests that those already tall buildings are multiplying themselves in number and height ti chase the sky that is infinitely big. This further shows that Singapore's population is not only big, but also growing rapidly. Hence this phrase suggests that Singapore constantly builds more and more high rise buildings for the populants in Singapore, showing a need to further develop the country.

Another connection is the phrase 'one urban expansion has to lean on another or they die'. 'Urban expansion' is the act of adding more facilities to a community to adapt to its invrease in populants and the increase in demands, such as building a new school and building more houses. By saying that it has to 'lean on another', it means to constantly urbanise the area. This suggests that if even one of the many projects of hrban expansions in Singapore ceased, all the others that are scheduled to be made based on that urban expansion plan will be ruined, or 'dead'. This is because it has no continuation, and does not have a pillar that the future urbanisations to come can lean on, which in this case is the present urban expansions. Therefore, this phrase suggests that urban expansion has to be continued diligently for the growing population, showing Singapore constant need to grow for the good of the community.

Lastly, the phrase ' I cannot chew the month to days' suggests that Singapore is a very fast paced country. As the author is unable to breaj down 'month to days', this suggests that the author sees his life in Singapore in big chunks and not as individual days because the days pass by too fast. This suggests that Singapore has made people who work indulge in their work for so long that they lose track of time. This shows Singapore's attempt of making the country grow through hardwork and dedication in their work for Singapore's well- being.

All in all, out of all the aspects of Singapore that this poem could have been compared to, i feel that Singapore's need to constabky grow is most relevant to this poem, 'expansion'. Thank you.

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I feel that the skies is constanly changing

overtime although it is raining or sunny. Thus

it describes something about the sky and the sun

expanding.

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I expect a big sunrise. The peom

describes something about the sun

setting as the set is changed differently

in the skies, thus i feel that the skies

does not make any difference even though

rain or shine.

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What is significant or meaningful about this topic?

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What is significant or meaningful about this topic?

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This poem, expansion, describes the changing of days and how time so calls 'expands' to complete a day, to eventually weeks, months and years. The sentence "i cannot chew the month to days masticate the days to hours each to each saying, out of context, i die. ". This shows that the writer views the changing days as a sign that death is rawing near. This suggests his negative thoughts towards every single new day that comes.

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In this poem, i learn that transition of

generation can affect the way young people live especially towards their adulthood times. Thus teenagers will be influenced easily and casuing unacceptable behaviours. Also, AIDS can affect how teenagers live as they lives can be greatly changed.

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Judging from the title, I thought this poem will be about something that is growing in size. However, it is not only about the growth.

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From the title, i expected to be reading a poem about something growing bigger or in other words; expanding. However, this extract does not seem to show any of that. This poem shows the view of the setting sun, the different changing atmospheres of the skies. I feel that this poem is very intricate and although the skies are constantly changing, it will always stay the same.

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This poem is about the description of the sky through Arthur Yap's viewpoint. He relates his life and associates the changing of days. There are times whhen he feels dark like night while some days he feels as bright as day.

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no stretch of darkened sky
would show a patch of red
a patch of sunset

where the sun will not stay
after dark
the skyline of houses
grows with the sky
and who can tell
what is this completion;
i cannot chew the month to days
masticate the days to hours
and line the hours each to each
saying, out of context, i die.
where once a single day
was a day and a night
it is now the amoeba of day
of night,
the line of sponge houses
soaks in the sky
as the sponge sky
seeps into the houses.
where once houses hung from sky
they now are clutches.
so one urban expansion
has to lean on another
or they die

while the tree of night grows and grows

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The leading causes of morbidity and mortality among youth and adults are due to certain health-risk behaviors. These behaviors are often established during youth and extend into adulthood. Since the risk behaviors in adulthood and youth are interrelated, problems in adulthood are preventable by influencing youth behavior.

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I feel that globalization and transnational flows have had tangible effects on sexual relations, identities, and subjectivities. In the wake of an increasingly globalized world order under waning Western dominance, within ideologies of modernity, civilization, and programs for social improvement, discourses on population control, 'safe sex', and 'sexual rights'. AIDS is definitely a disadvantageous disease and is probably caused by the inconsiderate acts of teenagers and not being able to control their sexual urges.

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Through this poem, I have learnt that youth is the stage of constructing the self-concept. The self-concept of youth is usually influenced by several variables such as peers, gender, lifestyle, and culture. It is the time of a person's life in which they make choices which will affect their future. As a result, adolescents experience a significant shift from the simple, and global self-descriptions typical of young children. As children, they defined themselves by physical traits whereas as adolescents, they define themselves based on their values, thoughts, and opinions.

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Fair Youth is a poem written by Arthur Yap during his days. This poem shows a teenager that is enjoying his life but although he is contempt, he still faces challenges in his life, just like anyone else. This poem shows the teenage boy going through anguish, joy and ignorance.

Fair Youth shows the boy going through anguish. This can be seen from " Then, one grew quiet and taciturn, a pallor creamed his tan." This suggests that the boy was experiencing remorse as he was 'inclined to silence' and had an 'unhealthy pale appearance'. The teenage boy could not feel joy although the others "swam the brilliant afternoon to a fatigue" as he had AIDS. Hence, his conditon left him to feel sorrow and anguish.

Secondly, the boy is seen to be going through joy.  This can be seen from "Always cheerful, the sun doesn't set in their face.". This suggests that the teenage and his friends did not heed the time of day at all and had fun whenever they wanted. They could feel joy as they had fun a any time of day and was not affacted by fatigue as 'the sun doesn't set in their face'. Therefore, the teenage boy and his friens feel joy.

Lastly, the boy shows ignorance. This can be seen from "When one broke a leg, the other didn't fuss.". This shows that the teenag boys were ignorant of each other's health and carried on living, 'never peccant'. The phrase 'never peccant' suggests that the teenage boys did not feel any guilt of whtever they had done, enjoying their life. Although their friends are injured, they turned a blind eye and did not even offer help. Hence, the teenage boys and his friends show ignorance between them, despite being together.

In conclusion, the teenage boy shows anguish, joy and ignorance i this poem. This therefore shows that although there are many pleasant things in life, the unfortunate situations will bite your rear unnoticed.  As the title 'Fair Youth' indicates, The teenage boys's life that seems to be fun and rebellious will in the end be made 'fair'.

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Nullify; To deprive something of value

Weaning: To redraw from some object

Peccant: Guilty of a moral offence

Taciturn: Inclined to silence

Averred: to assert with confidence

Anagolous: having analogy; corresponding in some particular

Mitigate: make (something bad) less severe, serious, or painful.

Pallor: an unhealthy pale appearance.

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they are handsome. perhaps had there been
a different set of good looks in any of them,
s/he would have stood out. the analogous looks
of one seem to nullify those of the others:
the beauty of flowers, the distinctive marks
of one, faithfully duplicated in the others,
are mutual-cancelling.

they go to the beach each day with water bottles
from which they seem to be weaning
in an everlasting stream. they have their mores
and, these, like traffic lights, are obeyed.
they go to discos and dance the floor away.
always cheerful, the sun doesn't set in their face,
nor does the dark dim the glow of tanned skin.

never peccant, they live the day.
when one broke a leg, the others didn't fuss.
he hobble-crutched alongside. another,
after a motor-bike accident, was named horrors,
a variation of his own.
youth, comfortable with itself, is.

then, one grew quiet and taciturn. a pallor
creamed his tan. the others swam the brilliant
afternoon to a fatigue. on the sand,
the loner averred in anguish:
i have AIDS.

life, upside-down —
a schedule was set up.
and help was everyone
in singular intent to mitigate.
sometimes unsure, sometimes salving;
someone erred, someone saving.
all the time, unwavering.

youth can be, wondrously, fair.

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The 2000s was a decade of the Gregorian calendar that began on January 1, 2000, and ended on December 31, 2009. Globalisation was made due to the growth of the Internet as it allowed communication between many in the world. The Global Financial Crisis in the late 2000s has shown that the economic growth in the 2000s had enviromental consequences as well as vulnerable and dwindling energy resources.

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The 1960s was a decade that began on 1 January 1960 and ended on 31 December 1969. The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called the Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends around the globe.

Known in both scholarship and popular culture, the sixties is a term used by historians, journalists, and other objective academics; in some cases nostalgically to describe the counterculture and revolution in social norms about clothing, music, drugs, dress, sexuality, formalities, and schooling; and in others pejoratively to denounce the decade as one of irresponsible excess, flamboyance, and decay of social order.

The decade was also labeled the Swinging Sixties because of the fall or relaxation of social taboos especially relating to racism and sexism that occurred during this time.

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The Coffin is Too Big for the Hole by Kuo Pao Kun

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The Coffin is Too Big for the Hole by Kuo Pao Kun

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The Coffin Is Too Big For The Hole was drafted in 1984 and was staged in English and Mandarin in 1985. Neo Swee Lin (below), playing as the protagonist in a 2001 production of The Coffin is Too Big for the Hole at the Drama Festival in 1985.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Yap

http://www.qlrs.com/poem.asp?id=75

http://www.nus.edu.sg/nuspress/subjects/lit/978-9971-69-653-5.html

http://www.sistic.com.sg/events/kuo0515

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuo_Pao_Kun

https://www.google.com.sg/url?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960s

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Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral by Kuo Pao Kun  

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Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral by Kuo Pao Kun  

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Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral is a powerful work of Kuo Pao Kun that demonstrates castration and politics. It is a recount of the legacy of Admiral Zheng He, the legendary eunuch responsible for China's most extensive maritime expeditions in the 15th century. Parallels are drawn between the power struggles of court eunuchs by using the metaphor of castration, It shows how modern beings survive in the highly competitive and industrious society by making many sacrifices in their lives.

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no stretch of darkened sky
would show a patch of red
a patch of sunset

where the sun will not stay
after dark
the skyline of houses
grows with the sky
and who can tell
what is this completion;
i cannot chew the month to days
masticate the days to hours
and line the hours each to each
saying, out of context, i die.
where once a single day
was a day and a night
it is now the amoeba of dayof night,
the line of sponge houses
soaks in the sky
as the sponge sky
seeps into the houses.
where once houses hung from sky
they now are clutches.
so one urban expansion
has to lean on another
or they die
while the tree of night grows and grows

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The Collected Poems of Arthur Yap that was published in 2013 collects Arthur Yap's poems including his "vignettes" and other poems in a single volume.

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Kuo Pao Kun, a playwright, theatre director, and arts activist was born in 1939 in China and passed away on 10 September 2002 in Singapore. He received note worthy awards such as Cultural Medallion in 1989, Culture Award, JJCI, Singapore in 1992, ASEAN Cultural Award (Performing Arts) in 1993, Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1996 and Excellence for Singapore Award in 2002. His most admirable works were "The Coffin is Too Big for the Hole" as well as "Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral".

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Arthur Yap Chioh Hiong was a poet and a Pedagogue.

He was born in 1943 in Singapore and passed away

at the age of 63 in 19 June 2006. Arthur Yap received

notable awards such as poetry award by the National

Book Development Council of Singapore in 1976 and

Cultural Medallion for Literature by South-East Asian

Write Award, Bangkok in 1983.