Means To An End: An Interview with Toh Hsien Min Interview By Desmond Kon Zhicheng-Mingdé

For your reading pleasure and more information on the kind of poet Toh Hsien Min is, here is a link to an interview with Toh Hsien Min done by Desmond Kon Zhicheng-Mingdé of Prick of the Spindle, an online literary journal:

http://www.prickofthespindle.com/interviews/4.2/Kon-Min/hsienmintoh_interview.htm

- Toh Hsien Min

Credits:

Zhicheng-Mingdé, D. K. (2010). Means To An End: An Interview with Toh Hsien Min Interview By Desmond Kon Zhicheng-Mingdé. Retrieved from Prick of the Spindle: http://www.prickofthespindle.com/interviews/4.2/Kon-Min/hsienmintoh_interview.htm

A review: Iambus (1994)

Iambus was Toh hsien Min’s very first published collection of poetry. This was a little apparent to me in his work, especially because I had read his collections backwards.

His play on style was a lot simpler and most poems, shorter. It felt like a poet’s scribbles at the start of an idea, in comparison to his more polished works in later collections.

Again, the variety in subject points in his poetry made it seem as if Hsien Min had carved inspiration from just about any object or scenery. A recurring theme in this collection however, was nature. The theme was shared in poems such as ‘In the Park’, ‘Weed-Killer’ and ‘Bukit Timah and Hindhede’ where imagery of nature was profusely used.

This led me to insinuate a gentler tone throughout his poetry. Whereas in ‘Means to An End’, his latest collection, I sensed a more assertive and opinionated tone. Frankly, I liked ‘Iambus’ the least and ‘Means to An End’ the most. His opinions and personal perspective weaved in his poetry encouraged a lot more thought by the reader which made reading more engaging.

Min, T. H. (1994). Iambus. UniPress

A Review: The Enclosure of Love (2001)

In comparison to Hsien Min’s later works in ‘Means to an End’, this collection was a lot more foreign in content. Titles such as ‘The Central Railway Station in Beijing’, ‘Meeting in Trafalgar Square’ and ‘Leaving Nottingham’ tells of experiences in a foreign land and are set overseas. Having been introduced to Toh Hsien Min as a Singapore poet, it was refreshing to be exposed to his perspective of a foreign country, which made up most of the poetry in this collection.

The more “Singaporean” poems I came across in the collection were ‘Central Business District’ and ‘Queenstown’. The persona in ‘Central Business District’ describes vibrant images of the Singapore scene contrasted with ‘Queenstown’ portrayal of a grittier Singapore. Both poems however, suggest a deep appreciation and understanding of the local Singapore scene, with a fresh, young perspective.

I found most enjoyable the foreign settings found in this collection. Hsien Min’s style as he described such foreign elements was a little harder to follow, perhaps because there was less for me to relate to. The subjects of the poems were also more varied and scattered demonstrating the Hsien Min’s versatility in his poetry.

Min, T. H. (2001). The Enclosure of Love. Landmark Books Pte Ltd.

A Review: Means to An End (2008)

A glance through the content page of Hsien Min’s latest collection of poetry reveals titles of poems that were distinctly Singaporean. ‘Hungry Ghost Month’, ‘Durians’, ‘Tiong Bahru’ immediately screamed “Singapore!” as well-known symbols of our culture. Other titles such as ‘Birth of the Modern City State’ and ‘Printing Money’ hints at political and economical undertones also linked to Singapore culture.

As this is a Singaporean Studies Literature module, I zoomed in on these poems to give us a glimpse at how this Singapore poet portrays Singapore in his art.

Hsien Min’s poems portray personas that feel strongly for Singapore culture and belonging. However, while such Singaporean-ness is acknowledged, it also provides the perspective of a younger generation who has been modernized and distanced from the traditional Singapore culture. This is clear in ‘Hungry Ghost Month’, especially. As a newly introduced reader to Hsien Min’s work and Singapore literature, this provides an aspect that is fully relatable and not too foreign to comprehend. I am sure such feelings are shared among most of the younger generations in Singapore as well.

As presumed at first glance, poems such as ‘Birth of the Modern City State’ and ‘Printing Money’ did in fact, provide historical glimpses on politics and economy in Singapore. ‘Birth of the Modern City State’ showed political and structural movements in Singapore, especially the time of mass movements of Singapore citizens to HDB flats. A common remark heard in Singapore households, “ do you think I print money?” used by parents to chastise their spendthrift children is addressed in ‘Printing Money’. Such phrase and historical links distinguishes Hsien Min as a Singaporean writer, much influenced by Singaporean culture and history.

While not an avid reader of poetry, I found ‘Means to an End’ an enjoyable read. Hsien Min’s style is fluid, where his ideas are presented to be read almost like a story with long unending lines with carefully chosen language that were emblematic of cohesive themes.

Min, T. H. (2008). Means to an End. Singapoe: Landmark Books Pte Ltd.

An Analysis: Recovery

I must confess that I came upon ‘Recovery’ by accident while passing the time in class (Guiltily, I might add.), while flipping through our text, “Writing Singapore: An Historical Anthology of Singapore Literature”. While people around me discussed the complexities of a play’s composition, I suddenly found myself drawn into this simple, yet absorbing poem.

Recovery

Forgetting you, in loving someone else,

Is no less painful than the pressing wounds;

When she loves someone else, the many hells

I go through seem to know no bounds.

It is part soul, part instinct after all,

To draw the utmost pain into a trap

And sterilize the wounds with alcohol.

None of this owes to mishap.

You broke my heart so badly that the only

Way I can recover is to let

Somebody else break it some more, so lonely

Fragments are bound to none in debt:

Grind it into dust and blinding grit

(And wash away the purple stains with bleach)

So I might shape a something out of it:

An apple perhaps, or a peach.

Effectiveness at delivering its message and success at maintaining a level of emotional engagement is what I look for in poetry. ‘Recovery’ by Toh Hsien Min did just that. It was simple, engaging and touching all at the same time. It drew me in enough to compel me to explore even more of Hsien Min’s works.

In light of this being merely a blog post and not a full blown essay (or is it?) I shall attempt to keep it brief. Here are the 3 main points that I liked most about Hsien Min’s ‘Recovery’:

1. Intense pain is portrayed through simplicity of poem, in language and in form.

Hsien Min’s poem is not complicated nor is it hard to comprehend. Its form is simple with 4 lines in 4 stanzas and alternate rhyme that create a rhythm that carry the reader even more smoothly through the poem.

Its language mirrors the simplicity of its form. Ingenious is Hsien Min’s use of theme in his language to make the poem even more cohesive. The metaphorical meaning of ‘wounds’ is linked to its literal meaning and which the process of healing is described in practical medical terms. For example, ‘sterilize the wounds with alcohol’ and ‘purple stains with bleach’, are images that refer to actual medicinal practices that are applied to physical wounds. Such a theme of “medical” terms intensifies the notion of pain portrayed in the poem. While the reader might find it hard to relate or identify the emotional pain described by the persona, when linked to physical pain, the reader might be able to imagine at least some level of pain that the poem is trying to convey. The use of the theme is thus effective in conveying the important notion of pain through the poem.

2. The poem is almost existential in reflecting the human’s ability to hurt and to heal.

The subject of the poem focuses on the process of healing and ‘recovery’ after going through a heartbreak or losing somebody you care about. Hurting, then healing is a natural process of life and this is reiterated in the poem in which the pain is described to be ‘part soul’ and ‘part instinct’. Such a relation suggests such a process is innate because the soul and instinct comes from within and not caused by any external factors such as circumstance or chance and ‘mishap’.

I find it an existential concept because here, we examine the natural process of man’s existence, in which he is required to experience pain and healing. Through this poem we see the process in which one copes with the pain that comes with existence. The topics of ‘soul’ and chance that can take the form of ‘mishap(s)’ are existential concepts on their own. The ‘soul’ brings into question man’s sense of being, whereas the concept of chance questions man’s sense of being as well as the question of fate.

I say “almost” because while the persona touches on such philosophical ideas, the focus of the poem still focuses on the process of healing on the more superficial level.

3. The image of the heart, represented by apropos imagery that reflect the heart as it goes through the recovery process.

In the final stanza, I found truly beautiful, the change in imagery representing the broken heart that was going through the ‘recovery’ process. After the hurt, the ‘fragments’ of the broken heart is symbolized by ‘dust’ and ‘grit’. These images are dirty and reflect the negativity and pain of a heart broken. Out of the pain and darkness though, the image turn into ones of hope when the heart is represented by the images of an ‘apple’ and a ‘peach’. These fruits represent new life and hope as if the persona wanted to ‘shape’ his future into something sweeter and happier like the fruits.

I admire Hsien Min’s ability to seamlessly convey such intense emotions through the use of simple and uncomplicated means in his art form. I hope other readers can also enjoy his writing, as I was able to. While this poem found me by chance, it led me to discover even more of Hsien Min’s works which I also hope other readers will try to read because I have found his work thoroughly enjoyable.

Min, T. H. (2009). Recovery. In P. H.-l. Angelia Poon, Writing Singapore: An Historical Anthology of Singapore Literature (p. 590). NUS Press.

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