Edwin Thumboo, acclaimed poet, is definitely a familiar name in Singapore’s poetry scene. However, what inspires him to write as beautifully as he does?
With a pleasant smile on his face and a jolly tone in his voice, Edwin Thumboo, Singapore’s most renowned poet, entered the Presentation Space, excited to share his work with a group of poetry enthusiasts. Along with a group of students, I was eager to know where this talented man draws his inspirations.
Thumboo, who is regarded as a pioneer of English literature in Singapore, is currently residing in Angsana College as an Artist-In-Residence and holds master tea sessions regularly for poetry enthusiasts to teach the art of writing poetry.
Themed “Identity”, Thumboo began his presentation by speaking of four distinctions that shaped his selfhood, namely race, learning nurture, class and family, as well as historical experience.
Thumboo chuckled as he described growing up as a mixed-race boy, then a taboo in society. Being half-Indian and half-Chinese, Thumboo was often teased with words like “half-caste” and “black devil”, garnering expressions of shock in the audience, who have grown up in a racially-harmonious Singapore. Nonetheless, his racial background accounted for his unique name and interesting appearance. His four distinctions of identity gave us an understanding of how he constructed his sense of self, and how he considered them important in making him the person he is today.
The talented poet then proceeded to give a reading of some of his poems and it was from here that the recurring theme of nationalism resonated. Without a doubt, it is Thumboo’s strong nationalistic sentiments that greatly characterize his poems. These are reflected in his poems such as “May 1954”, “Games” and “Island”. Not only are his poems full of emotions, they also take us back to a time when Singapore was merely beginning to develop. As he read them out loud full of vigor and emotion, it felt as though we were traveling in a time machine, experiencing the moments along with him and sharing his passion for seeing an independent Singapore, free from colonial rule.
What captivated the audience were the stories that he shared, from stories of being a young boy, to wartime and his university days. Thumboo stood before us not only as an award-winning poet, but a man full of color and life. We were given the privilege to look into the life of a famous poet, to understand him better and to understand the context of his beautifully written poems.
The most intriguing part of his stories was the fact that they reflected a time of which our generation merely learns through perhaps a history textbook. It was fascinating to listen to true accounts from a man who had been through those times himself, standing right in front of us, raw and open.
The biggest takeaway for the audience was, without a doubt, Thumboo’s sense of worldliness. His poems are based on his memories, experiences and true accounts of life in Singapore. This has rarely occurred to many of us, but we need not look far for inspiration in our poetry; it is already embedded deep within us, and all around us. All we have to do is dig deeper into our own identity and our memories, and bring them alive in the form of poetry.