The poem "Fruits" is a free-verse poem, consisting of four stanzas. The poem begins with a simple yet powerful image:
Today, the is taught in Singaporean secondary schools and universities. It is often paired with Arthur Yap’s "Fruitcake" or Edwin Thumboo’s "Ulysses by the Merlion" to explore the Singaporean identity. fruits poem by goh poh seng
In an age of globalized supermarkets and year-round strawberries, we have forgotten what it means to wait for a fruit to ripen. Goh Poh Seng’s “Fruits” restores that temporality. It reminds us that desire is shaped by absence, that pleasure is sharpened by decay, and that the simplest act—eating a piece of fruit—is a meditation on mortality. The poem "Fruits" is a free-verse poem, consisting
We spend so much of our lives rushing toward the finish line, obsessed with the result, the harvest, the "arrival." But in his meditative poem Fruits , Goh Poh Seng offers a necessary correction to our modern anxiety. He reminds us that the most substantial things in life are not manufactured; they are grown. In an age of globalized supermarkets and year-round
The final section of the poem deals with the interaction between the observer, the fruits, and the beggars. The act of buying fruit is juxtaposed with the act of witnessing poverty. The fruit is described as "sweet to the taste," providing physical nourishment
, Goh uses the ripeness of fruit as a metaphor for "miraculous completeness"—a state of being that offers a buffer against the unpredictability of life. Review: Harvesting Joy in Uncertain Times