Goh Poh Seng — Fruits Poem By

: The poet uses vivid descriptions like "ripened, resplendent fruits" and "perfect forms" to celebrate nature's bounty.

“Dragon’s eye, rambutan, mangosteen… each a syllable of a lost language.”

In the broader context of his work, "Fruits" serves as a reminder that while political structures and skylines change, the sensory experiences of the earth remain a constant anchor. To read the poem today is to take a bite out of a history that is still vibrant, sweet, and occasionally tart. fruits poem by goh poh seng

So the next time you hold a fruit, do not just eat it. Sit with it. Feel its weight. Know that you and it are both ripening toward the same earth. And then, with full awareness, take a bite.

Before examining the verses, one must understand the backdrop. Goh Poh Seng wrote during Singapore’s tumultuous post-independence years (mid-1960s to 1980s). As the nation bulldozed jungles for housing estates and traded kampungs for condominiums, Goh feared a collective amnesia. His response was not to write manifestos, but to immortalize the vanishing textures of everyday life. : The poet uses vivid descriptions like "ripened,

"Fruits" is a significant poem in Singaporean literature, as it reflects the country's multicultural identity and the experiences of growing up in a diverse society. The poem has been widely studied and anthologized, and its themes and imagery continue to resonate with readers today.

The line "Eat, my friend, before the afternoon / Unhooks the sweetness with a silver spoon" is devastating. The image of an "unhooking" suggests a surgical precision (remember, Goh was a doctor). The sweetness is not simply fading; it is being deliberately detached, removed by an invisible hand (perhaps time itself). The "silver spoon" is a fascinating choice—it evokes both the spoon used to eat a halved fruit and the silver of middle age, the tarnishing of youth. So the next time you hold a fruit, do not just eat it

: "Apple, cherry, two kinds of oriental pears, apricot and vine: green and red and both sweet."