HE HAD SUCH QUIET EYESby

BIBSY sOENHAR

JO

BIBSY SOENHARJO

Bibsy Soenharjo was born in Jakarta on 22 November 1928. Bibsy and her siblings were homeschooled and each was encouraged to pursue their own interests. She had a particular fondness for literature and, after returning home from a four-year stay in Japan, Bibsy began writing her first prose in 1957, and then poetry in the 60s. The Literary Review, an international quarterly published by Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, USA, published her first four literary pieces in their Autumn and Spring Editions in 1967 and 1968 respectively. In 1967 also, her poem, “Jakarta, March 1967” was published in the Australian magazine Hemisphere, while ”Setelah Gerhana Bulan” (After the Eclipse of the Moon) was published in Gelanggang, an Indonesian cultural magazine now defunct.

Her poems have appeared in bilingual anthologies, with her Indonesian works translated into English, Dutch and Japanese and her English poems into Indonesian and Dutch. She continued to write prose pieces in Indonesian that appeared in Jakarta dailies under the pen name Nuspati.

Bibsy Soenharjo now lives in Jakarta with the youngest of her three sons, Haryo, his wife Sutji and their children.

Elements ofHe Had Such

Quiet Eyes

SynopsisThemes

Moral values

Tone and moodFigures of Speech

The poem is about a persona, a lady who The poem is about a persona, a lady who fell for the wrong man. She was fascinated fell for the wrong man. She was fascinated with his ‘quiet eyes’ and believed that his with his ‘quiet eyes’ and believed that his eyes showed his true emotion and feelings eyes showed his true emotion and feelings for her. The man’s eyes had the power to for her. The man’s eyes had the power to charm her and made her believe him and charm her and made her believe him and

be nice to him. be nice to him. However, the man was actually a However, the man was actually a

‘pleasure seeking man’, a flirt. As the lady ‘pleasure seeking man’, a flirt. As the lady was truly fascinated and charmed by the was truly fascinated and charmed by the man, she did not listen or did not want to man, she did not listen or did not want to listen to any advice concerning the man’s listen to any advice concerning the man’s true behaviour. In the end, she realized her true behaviour. In the end, she realized her error and was broken hearted. error and was broken hearted.

SYNOPSIS

THEMES

The importance of being wise

in making acquaintance to avoid falling into

some of the pitfalls in life.

Be respectful to the

elders and pay heed

to the advice given

MORAL VALUES

One must be wise in choosing their acquaintances and not fall prey to tricks easily.

Girls must uphold their virtue in any given situationWithout surrendering it easily.

Always pay heed to advice given by elderly as more often than not, it is usually words of advice that contribute

towards self-improvement.

TONE and MOOD

Tone

Solemn and mellow (serius dan lembut)

* This tone is marked by the use of expressions such as “be sure” and “then you’ll never”.

Mood

Regret and sadness (kesal dan sedih)

* Around the time that the girl has been deceived and became victim of the boy

POETIC DEVICES

Personification Metaphor

- An object is given a human quality

-An extended image used to describe something elseExample :

“quiet eyes”Example :

“two pools of lies”

Symbol Example :

-Eyes : symbolise the boy’s personality

EXERCISE DEXERCISE D

1.1. The woman interprets his ‘quiet eyes’ as him being The woman interprets his ‘quiet eyes’ as him being

unhappy and in need of consolation from her.unhappy and in need of consolation from her.

2.2. It is sexual pleasure with the woman.It is sexual pleasure with the woman.

3.3. She would have prevented herself from getting her She would have prevented herself from getting her

feelings hurt and so would be free from the ‘hows feelings hurt and so would be free from the ‘hows

and whys’.and whys’.

4.4. The man’s ‘quiet eyes’ is personified in the poem as The man’s ‘quiet eyes’ is personified in the poem as

a man feeling unhappy and begging for happiness.a man feeling unhappy and begging for happiness.

5.5. a) We must not be deluded by looks or appearance.a) We must not be deluded by looks or appearance.

b) We must listen to advice that is good for us.b) We must listen to advice that is good for us.