Mauvais
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Mauvais
2 flames in a darkened room,
1 is near, 1 is far.
Warmth drawn from both,
not quite equal, yet essential.
2 flowing streams, they join a river.
Feeding it, feeding life itself.
When the mountain falls,
A stream it blocks, a river it hurts.
A drifting seed, it's faraway,
So far to travel, never easy it is.
Changes inevitable, magic is wrought,
Seed into seedling, but a seed it still is.
Alcohol in a cup,
Fiery yet cold, burns yet cools.
Flames ignite it, hotter still it gets,
Ice chills it, colder still it will be.
Rocks and stone stand the test of time,
A monolith weathers but it's core remains.
The historian who is supposed to protect it, befriend it,
He comes and chips cruel words, with harsh strokes.
A mirror may be pretty,
But shatter it once and it'll forever be ugly.
A thousand shards reflecting your horrified looks,
A thousand regrets of a distant dream. -
Mauvais
2 flames in a darkened room,
1 is near, 1 is far.
Warmth drawn from both,
not quite equal, yet essential.
Hmm…the speaker informs us that there are two flames in a dark room. One is near and the other is far. Although both emit different degree of warmth but they are equally essential to the speaker. However there is no indication that the speaker wants us to choose between the two. Personally I interpret the flames as desires, passions, etc. He may be hinting us that there are two sides of him and he finds comfort in both of them. Clearly indicate in the last sentence ‘not quite equal, yet essential’ the speaker believes that both flames (desires) can co-exist with each other.
2 flowing streams, they join a river.
Feeding it, feeding life itself.
When the mountain falls,
A stream it blocks, a river it hurts.
Now instead of flames we have two flowing streams that join up to form a river. But a mountain falls and blocks one of the streams hurting the river. Just like the flames in stanza one, I interpret the two streams as two different ways of life. In order to have a complete self (river), it is necessary for the two streams (ways of life) to run smoothly. When one of them is block by a mountain (society’s norms, authority, external pressures) the ‘self’ is hurt. As for the nature of the rivers that is blocked, the title ‘Mauvais’ of the poem speaks for itself.
A drifting seed, it's faraway,
So far to travel, never easy it is.
Changes inevitable, magic is wrought,
Seed into seedling, but a seed it still is.
I think the speaker is comparing himself as a drifting seed here. Regardless of where he is, how far he travels and whatever changes in the society (external influences), he wishes to remain true to himself.
Alcohol in a cup,
Fiery yet cold, burns yet cools.
Flames ignite it, hotter still it gets,
Ice chills it, colder still it will be.
HmmÂ… using alcohol as an example the speaker may be trying to tell us again that it is possible for two very different things to co-exist with each other.
Rocks and stone stand the test of time,
A monolith weathers but it's core remains.
The historian who is supposed to protect it, befriend it,
He comes and chips cruel words, with harsh strokes.
This seems to be an extension of stanza three. Again the speaker is trying to emphasis the importance of being true to oneself just like the rocks and stone in found in nature. I may be too sensitive but I sense bitterness and betrayal in the last two lines. Who is this historian? Is he an ancient Greek?
A mirror may be pretty,
But shatter it once and it'll forever be ugly.
A thousand shards reflecting your horrified looks,
A thousand regrets of a distant dream.
Lastly I guess this stanza got something to so with the previous stanza. Even the pretty side (the side approve by the society) will be ugly once shattered. Once the damage is done, it may be too late to regret.
PS. By the way Ah Heng I think you got to many ‘it’ in your poem liao lah.
Take out a few will sound better. Another thing is why using numerical form instead of word? Is there any reason for it? 211 your room numbers is it? 
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oh that day when i wrote it, prob wasn't quite clear headed. er, numerical forms can be written as words no problems
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I thought your room numbers.Originally posted by HENG@:oh that day when i wrote it, prob wasn't quite clear headed. er, numerical forms can be written as words no problems -
Originally posted by DeadPoet:
the rest of it is mostly accurately interpreted... the last 2 stanzas tho, yes there was betryal n hurt... and i guess i meant to say that if u do something to hurt some and someone got hurt badly enuf, he/she will never be pretty again, even if the one who hurts shows remorse n regret.
[b]Mauvais
2 flames in a darkened room,
1 is near, 1 is far.
Warmth drawn from both,
not quite equal, yet essential.
Hmm…the speaker informs us that there are two flames in a dark room. One is near and the other is far. Although both emit different degree of warmth but they are equally essential to the speaker. However there is no indication that the speaker wants us to choose between the two. Personally I interpret the flames as desires, passions, etc. He may be hinting us that there are two sides of him and he finds comfort in both of them. Clearly indicate in the last sentence ‘not quite equal, yet essential’ the speaker believes that both flames (desires) can co-exist with each other.
hmmmm in a way the interpretation fits me. but when i wrote the poem, the meaning for the 2 flames and later on, the 2 streams, was in a very different context. They actually refer to 2 diff ppl who are very impt to me right now in my life.
2 flowing streams, they join a river.
Feeding it, feeding life itself.
When the mountain falls,
A stream it blocks, a river it hurts.
Now instead of flames we have two flowing streams that join up to form a river. But a mountain falls and blocks one of the streams hurting the river. Just like the flames in stanza one, I interpret the two streams as two different ways of life. In order to have a complete self (river), it is necessary for the two streams (ways of life) to run smoothly. When one of them is block by a mountain (society’s norms, authority, external pressures) the ‘self’ is hurt. As for the nature of the rivers that is blocked, the title ‘Mauvais’ of the poem speaks for itself.
as above
A drifting seed, it's faraway,
So far to travel, never easy it is.
Changes inevitable, magic is wrought,
Seed into seedling, but a seed it still is.
I think the speaker is comparing himself as a drifting seed here. Regardless of where he is, how far he travels and whatever changes in the society (external influences), he wishes to remain true to himself.
Alcohol in a cup,
Fiery yet cold, burns yet cools.
Flames ignite it, hotter still it gets,
Ice chills it, colder still it will be.
HmmÂ… using alcohol as an example the speaker may be trying to tell us again that it is possible for two very different things to co-exist with each other.
Rocks and stone stand the test of time,
A monolith weathers but it's core remains.
The historian who is supposed to protect it, befriend it,
He comes and chips cruel words, with harsh strokes.
This seems to be an extension of stanza three. Again the speaker is trying to emphasis the importance of being true to oneself just like the rocks and stone in found in nature. I may be too sensitive but I sense bitterness and betrayal in the last two lines. Who is this historian? Is he an ancient Greek?
A mirror may be pretty,
But shatter it once and it'll forever be ugly.
A thousand shards reflecting your horrified looks,
A thousand regrets of a distant dream.
Lastly I guess this stanza got something to so with the previous stanza. Even the pretty side (the side approve by the society) will be ugly once shattered. Once the damage is done, it may be too late to regret.
PS. By the way Ah Heng I think you got to many ‘it’ in your poem liao lah. Take out a few will sound better. Another thing is why using numerical form instead of word? Is there any reason for it? 211 your room numbers is it?
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er... no.Originally posted by DeadPoet:I thought your room numbers. 
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So disappointed.Originally posted by HENG@:er... no. 
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why? i can always give u a kiss if u want.Originally posted by DeadPoet:So disappointed. 
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wah @heng u can be a poet leh
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gee thanx. im just average. DP is the true master.Originally posted by hyuga23:wah @heng u can be a poet leh -
Originally posted by HENG@:gee thanx. im just average. DP is the true master.
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Alcohol in a cup,
Fiery yet cold, burns yet cools.
Flames ignite it, hotter still it gets,
Ice chills it, colder still it will be.
Ohh man..its onli 10 in the morning and reading
this I'm already waiting for happy hours...
sometimes poetry just hurts
nice one Heng
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Originally posted by DeadPoet:
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happy hour liao right?Originally posted by LeftBallBigger:Alcohol in a cup,
Fiery yet cold, burns yet cools.
Flames ignite it, hotter still it gets,
Ice chills it, colder still it will be.
Ohh man..its onli 10 in the morning and reading
this I'm already waiting for happy hours...
sometimes poetry just hurts
nice one Heng