Gagana Sāmoa L7: Example 2
Example 2: Christchurch earthquake (poem)
Tagi e le fatu ma le ‘ele ‘ele
Tala ma ata ua va ‘aia i le fa ‘alavelave i Kalaiesetete
Le aai matagofie ma le tautaua i Niu Sila
Ao le taimi nei talofa ua fa ‘atāfunaina
Aso 22 o Fepuari, 12:51 i le aoauli
Ua faꞌateia Sāmoa, Toga, Palagi ma Maoli
O le a ea le uiga o le fa ‘alavelave ua tupu mai?
O se tofotofoga ea po ‘o le iuga o le lalolagi ua lata mai?
E tatau ona tatou loto tetele
Tu ‘u ese le vaivai ma le fefefe
O le Atua lo tatou talita
I taimi o fiafiaga ma taimi o faigata
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Context and text type
A poem written by a student expressing his thoughts on the Christchurch earthquake.
Text type
Poem. Productive.
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Examples showing how the student is:
Communicating information, ideas, and opinions through increasingly extended and varied texts
The writer uses emotive language to communicate his ideas and feelings about the effects of the earthquake and arouse feelings in the minds of his readers/listeners; for example:
- Tagi e le fatu ma le ‘ele ‘ele … Ua fa ‘ate ‘ia Sāmoa, Toga, Palagi ma Maoli.
He expresses his thoughts about the appearance of Christchurch before the earthquake:
- Le aai matagofie ma le tautaua i Niu Sila.
He uses date and time to communicate the idea that, for Christchurch people, the world changed in a moment:
- Aso 22 o Fepuari, 12:51 i le aoauli.
He communicates his personal belief in Christianity and in the strength and power of God:
- O le Atua lo tatou talita, I taimi o fiafiaga ma taimi o faigata.
He extends the text by developing his thoughts through three carefully arranged verses.
Beginning to explore the views of others
The writer comments that people were shocked because they were not at all prepared for the earthquake. He reinforces his message by identifying particular groups of people, naming them one by one for greater impact:
- Ua fa ‘ateia Sāmoa, Toga, Palagi ma Maoli.
He uses rhetorical questions to explore and make links to Sāmoan views of self, others, and nature:
- O le a ea le uiga o le fa ‘alavelave ua tupu mai? … O se tofotofoga ea po ‘o le iuga o le lalolagi ua lata mai?
As they read the poem, readers will construct their own meaning and explore their own views in response to the words.
Beginning to develop and share personal perspectives
The writer shares his opinion:
- E tatau ona tatou loto tetele, Tu ‘u ese le vaivai ma le fefefe, O le Atua lo tatou talita.
He expresses a personal perspective:
- Tagi e le fatu ma le ‘ele ‘ele.
He gives his personal perspective on the condition of the city, starkly contrasting how it was before with how it is now:
- Le aai matagofie ma le tautaua i Niu Sila, Ao le taimi nei talofa ua fa ‘atāfunaina.
He offers advice to the listener/reader:
- E tatau ona tatou loto tetele, Tu ‘u ese le vaivai ma le fefefe.
Beginning to justify own ideas and opinions
The poet makes reference to God and uses the metaphor of 'God as shield':
- O le Atua lo tatou talita.
Through this metaphor, he offers comfort to his readers, reassuring them that God is a refuge in times of trouble, fighting on our behalf in both good and bad times, so there is no need for fear:
- I taimi o fiafiaga ma taimi o faigata.
He uses personification to support his view, picturing the earth as weeping in its distress:
- Tagi e le fatu ma le ‘ele ‘ele.
He compares the state of the city before and after the earthquake. By constructing the text as rhyming couplets – ideal for linking ideas – he shocks his readers, depicting the stark contrasts in appearance:
- Le aai matagofie ma le tautaua i Niu Sila, Ao le taimi nei talofa ua fa ‘atāfunaina.
Beginning to support or challenge the ideas and opinions of others
The writer asks, why the earthquake?
- O le a ea le uiga o le fa ‘alavelave ua tupu mai? O se tofotofoga ea po ‘o le iuga o le lalolagi ua lata mai? In voicing these questions, the writer speaks for all those who are asking similar questions.
He uses rhetorical questions to challenge the views of others:
- O se tofotofoga ea po ‘o le iuga o le lalolagi ua lata mai? Again, he would be speaking on behalf of many who would be asking similar questions.
The writer supports Sāmoan beliefs with regard to natural disasters:
- O le Atua lo tatou talita, I taimi o fiafiaga ma taimi o faigata.
This belief will either challenge or support the reader’s beliefs. Some may find their beliefs challenged or even changed when confronted by the suffering that has resulted from the earthquake and its aftershocks.
Beginning to engage in sustained interactions and produce extended texts
The poetry format, with three stanzas of four lines paired as two rhyming couplets, produces extended text.
The writer uses metaphor, for example, 'Tagi e le fatu ma le ‘ele ‘ele'. Metaphor is a device that sustains the interaction between poet and reader by creating vivid mind pictures that invite a response.
Interpreting ways in which the target language is organised in different texts and for different purposes
The poem gives specific, detailed information, which is made more effective by the internal rhyming:
- Aso 22 o Fepuari, 12:51 i le aoauli.
The poem displays uses many features that are typically associated with the genre across languages. For example:
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Rhyming couplets:
Le aai matagofie ma le tautaua i Niu Sila
Ao le taimi nei talofa ua fa ‘atāfunaina.
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Personification:
Tagi e o le fatu ma le ‘ele ‘ele
- Construction in stanzas (in this case, of four lines).
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Internal rhyming:
Aso 22 o Fepuari, 12:51 i le aoauli.
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Rhetorical questions:
O le a ea le uiga o le fa ‘alavelave ua tupu mai?
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Metaphor:
O le Atua lo tatou talita.
The poet chooses his words carefully, aims for brevity, and arranges words for impact:
- Tagi e o le fatu ma le ‘ele ‘ele.
A poem is typically created to be spoken. Therefore, spoken features such as pronunciation, intonation, rhythm patterns, delivery speed, audibility, and stress patterns have a bearing on the overall effectiveness of the communication and must be considered.
When presented orally, poetry has a visual aspect: the reader uses body language (for example, positioning, stance, gesture, and movement) to convey or reinforce meaning, in which case, this aspect must also be considered.
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Opportunities for developing intercultural communicative competence
Students could explore how different peoples or cultures use particular styles of writing, for example, poetry or songs, to express their feelings about events. They could analyse a collection of writings on a particular topic, paying attention to language use, structure, vocabulary, content and ideas, audience appropriateness, features typical of the genre or text type, and delivery.
What are the forms and features of poetry written in gagana Sāmoa? How do these differ from those commonly found in English language poetry?
Students could compare how different countries cope with major events like the earthquake in Christchurch and the tsunami in Sāmoa. They could use their understanding of 'aganuꞌu faꞌasāmoa' to produce a brochure/manual in gagana Sāmoa on the subject of how to cope with natural disasters or events.
Last updated March 27, 2013
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