figurative language paper

PREFACE Praise be All Mighty God Allah ,The Lord of The Sustainer of the word .May Allah show us the right Path .The Path for those who knew His favored not those who earned His Anger ,not those who go ashtray. Peace and blessing of Allah to His last messenger to humanity Muhammad saw Mercy to the Universe. And we offer our expressions of gratitude to Allah due to His Favor and charity, so we have finished writing this paper. This paper is submitted to English Department of IKIP BUDI UTOMO MALANG in partial fulfillment of assignment for POETRY subject. We enthusiastically welcome to the objective critic and constructive suggestion for the improvement of this paper. Finally, special thanks to my teacher ,Mr.Munawir ,who always gives tender affection and understanding and always encourages us to do thing like this. And hopefully ,this paper is usefulfor us ,especially all of you want to also for all want understand more about poetry analyzing using figurative language approach. Malang, 22 th January 2013 VIRA SETIA NINGRUM CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1.BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY There are many ways for human to express the ideas or situations which are happening. Those things can be expressed directly by using the communication or by the writing media. Writing is also known effective to show what someone thinks or feels. Literature can be defined as the attempt to describe human experience by means of written language. One of the way to express the ideas by writing media is literature. Literature is an imagination of fact to express human feelings. Literature helps us grow, both personally and intellectually. It provides an objective base for knowledge language understanding. It links us with the broader cultural, philosophic, and religious world of which we are a part. Literature has three main divisions, they are drama, poetry and prose. In this study I focus to going analyze of poetry. In studying poetry there are many things which are parts of poetry, they are the characteristic, the kinds, the aspects, the appreciation of poetry, figurative language or figure of speech etc. In this study I focus only to going analyze figure languange approach. Figure languange approach goes beyond the normal meaning of words. In writing a poem we use figure language to add beauty, force, and clarity to our writing. Figure language approach defined as an expression of the imagination and based on images or pictures of things seen and actions experienced. Figurative language approach are used in the passage to help imagine a region that is completely unfamiliar, for example: a place on the ocean floor where cracks in the earth’s crust release heat and lava. The rising columns of hot, mineral-stained water are described as “tornadoes of ink”. The shape of volcanic rock is made clear by a comparison to “pillow”. It is able to imagine what strange life forms look like when they are compared to familiar things like spaghetti and birch trees. Robert Frost did the same thing. Like other poets, he also uses some figure of speech in his poems such as simile, personification, symbol and others. Robert Frost was an American author in who wrote many popular poems. He uses farm as situations in much of his poetry. He might write about stepping on a rake and describe the feeling when it hit him, but he uses the incident to show life give us bruises. Robert Frost in writing a poem uses the words that easy to understand and modern poems. Figure languange approach is which one the add beauty, force and clarity in writing his poems. It is make me interested to choose the topic is figure languange approach as subject in writing this study. It is particularly the figurative language which are used in Robert Frost’s selected poems. There are many figure of speech in studying poetry. I limited the figure of speech only three kinds in this study. They are simile, personification, and symbol to going analyze in Robert Frost’s selected poems. 2.PROBLEM OF THE STUDY There are some problems which are going to analyzed in this study. They are as follows: 1.How is the figurative languange describes in Robert Frost’s selected poems? 2.What kinds of figurative language which are dominant used in Robert Frost’s selected poems? 3.Is the figurative language gives beauty, force and clarity in Robert Frost’s selected poems? 3.OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY Every study has certain purpose or objectives to be obtained and avoid deviation from what has been planned. The objectives of this study are: 1.To find out how is the figurative language approach describes in Robert Frost’s selected poems 2.To find out what kinds of figuratif language which are dominant used in Robert Frost’s selected poems. 3.To find out answer from question: Is figure language gives beauty, force and clarity in Robert Frost’s selected poems 4.SCOPE AND LIMITATION The scope of the study figurative language in Robert Frost’s selected poems in this study is limited only to find out three kinds of figurative language, they are simile, personification, and symbol which are used in the eight poems of Robert Frost. The eight selected poems are as follows: 1.“Stars” 2.“Going for Water” 3.“Hyla Brook” 4. “Tree at my Window” 5.”My November Guest” 6.“The Road Not Taken” 7.“Stopping by Woods” 8.“Neither Out Far Nor in Deep” 5.SIGNIFICANT OF STUDY The significance of this study has theoritical and practical purposes: 1.Theoritically, this study is add the vocabulary of literary study in terms of figurative language approach. Then, this study maybe uses as a literary for further study of literature. 2.Practically, this study is directed to students of literature to find out the insight of literature which is different from kinds of figurative language approach used in other approach. 6.DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS Poetry (from the Greek poiesis — ποίησις — with a broad meaning of a "making", seen also in such terms as "hemopoiesis"; more narrowly, the making of poetry) is a form of literary art which uses the aesthetic qualities of language to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place of, the prosaic ostensible meaning. Poetry consists of two basic elements, they are : lines and stanzas. Line is a poetic sentence, inform of a word, phrase, or sentence. While stanza is a set/group of lines, equivalent to a paragraph. CHAPTER II REVIEW TO THE RELATED LITERATURE 1.LITERATURE Literature (from Latin litterae (plural); letter) is the art of written work and can, in some circumstances, refer exclusively to published sources. The word literature literally means "things made from letters" and the pars pro toto term "letters" is sometimes used to signify "literature," as in the figures of speech "arts and letters" and "man of letters." Literature has been a vehicle through which man has expressed his deepest observations, most profound thinking, and firmest beliefs. While literature is a form of self-expression, it also represents a profession, with writers being well-paid, at times, to produce their works. The term literature, which originally designated all written language, is now only used to describe a variety of genres, including poetry, novels, and drama. The study of literature is included in the curricula of most, if not all, secondary schools and universities. Essential for the study of literature at any level are resources that include everything from historical interpretations of Shakespeare's works to reviews of modern writers. 2.POETRY Poetry can be defined as 'literature in a metrical form' or 'a composition forming rhythmic lines'. In short, a poem is something that follows a particular flow of rhythm and meter. Compared to prose, where there is no such restriction, and the content of the piece flows according to story, a poem may or may not have a story, but definitely has a structured method of writing. There are several elements which make up a good poem. Although it is not mandatory for a poet to use all these elements or devices, they form an important aspect of poetry. 1.RHYTHM This is the music made by the statements of the poem, which includes the syllables in the lines. The best method of understanding this is to read the poem aloud, and understand the stressed and unstressed syllables. 2.METER This is the basic structural make-up of the poem. Do the syllables match with each other? Every line in the poem must adhere to this structure. A poem is made up of blocks of lines, which convey a single strand of thought. Within those blocks, a structure of syllables which follow the rhythm has to be included. This is the meter or the metrical form of poetry. 3.STANZA Stanza in poetry is defined as a smaller unit or group of lines or a paragraph in a poem. A particular stanza has a specific meter, rhyme scheme, etc. Based on the number of lines, stanzas are named as couplet (2 lines), Tercet (3 lines), Quatrain (4 lines), Cinquain (5 lines), Sestet (6 lines), Septet (7 lines), Octave (8 lines). 4.RHYME A poem may or may not have a rhyme. When you write poetry that has rhyme, it means that the last words or sounds of the lines match with each other in some form. Rhyme is basically similar sounding words like 'cat' and 'hat', 'close' and 'shows', 'house' and 'mouse', etc. Free verse poetry, though, does not follow this system. 5.RHYME SCHEME As a continuation of rhyme, the rhyme scheme is also one of the basic elements of poetry. In simple words, it is defined as the pattern of rhyme. Either the last words of the first and second lines rhyme with each other, or the first and the third, second and the fourth and so on. It is denoted by alphabets like aabb (1st line rhyming with 2nd, 3rd with 4th); abab (1st with 3rd, 2nd with 4th); abba (1st with 4th, 2nd with 3rd), etc. 6.ALLITERATION This is also used in several poems for sound effect. Several words in the sentence may begin with the same alphabet or syllable sound. For example, in the sentence "Many minute miniature moments," the sound of the alphabet 'M' (phonetic sound /m/) is repeated in all the four words continuously. When you say those words aloud, the sound effect generated is called Alliteration. 7.STYLE Style refers to the way the poem is written. Poems are written in various styles, such as free verse, ballad, sonnet, etc., which have different meters and number of stanzas. 8.THEME Like other forms of literature, poetry has a theme of its own. Theme contains the message, point of view and idea of the poem. 9.SYMBOL Symbol represents the idea and thought of the poem. It can be an object, person, situation or action. For example, a national flag is the symbol of that nation. 10.Etc. The elements of poetry are an essential part of the structure of a good poem. Of course, it does not mean, that all poems must have all these elements. It depends entirely upon the poet, who has all these tools at his disposal to use in order to convey his ideas effectively. 3.FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE APPROACH We all use figurative language in our everyday speech, although we may be unaware we are doing so. For example, on a really cold day in winter we may try to express our shock at walking out the door into the freezing air: “ It was so cold that my breath burned in my lungs! “ or “ The snow glistened like a thousand diamonds in the sun. “ Figures of speech such as these seem to communicate our impressions more effectively than ordinary language. They appeal to the senses: sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. Poetry, even more so than the other genres of literature, employs figurative language to the best effect. Poets use literary devices as tools to create images, vivid word pictures, for the reader. Figures of speech require fewer words to express these images, and this “compact” feature lends itself especially well to poetry, where there is usually a limit to the length of a verse (line). The following are just a few of the more common literary devices : 1.SIMILE A simile is a comparison between two things which do not seem to be alike, but upon closer examination there is a basis for comparison. The words “like” or “as” are most frequently used to state the comparison, although other words such as “seems”, “than”, or “appears” can signal a simile. Some similes have become so popular that everyone is familiar with them and they become clichés - a bit worn and no longer effective in writing, although acceptable in spoken conversations. Examples : as blind as a bat as pale as a ghost as flat as a pancake 2.METAPHOR A metaphor is essentially the same as a simile, with an important difference: the comparison is implied rather than stated outright. Therfore, there are no words such as “like” or “as” to indicate that a comparison is being made. Examples : Memory is the diary that we all carry around with us. ( Note that a simile would have stated that “Memory is like a diary.....”). (Notice that it is often necessary to read more than one line of poetry at a time to get the meaning. Use the punctuation, or lack of it, to show you where ideas begins and end.example : my eyes are knots / in its bark,) 3.PERSONIFICATION When a writer give an inanimate object, something which is not alive, with life-like qualities, we call that device personification. This applies to abstract concepts also; for example, love or truth or honour may be represented as living, breathing creatures. Examples : Earth wears a green velvet dress. 4.ALLITERATION Alliteration is often called a “ sound device “ because it has more to do with the sound of words and letters than with actual mental images. Tongue-twisters are good examples of alliteration, which is the repetition of identical beginning sounds (usually consonant sounds) of words in a series. It is important to emphasize that it is the sounds that are repeated, not letters, because different letters, such as a soft “c” and an “s”, can make the same sounds. Examples : The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, The furrow followed free. The rolling rumble of rocks Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers 5.ONOMATOPOEIA This sound device is sometimes called imitative harmony. It is the use of words which actually mimic the sound they recreate: tick-tock for the sound of a clock, ding-dong for a bell. If these words are well-chosen, we can actually hear the sound as we read them aloud. Examples : Snow crunching underfoot The scratch of a match Sizzling bacon Hiss of a snake 6.HYPERBOL A great exaggeration used to emphasize a point, and is used for expressive or comic effect. A hyperbole is not to be taken literally. Example: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." We know that eating an apple every day will not keep you from ever getting sick and having to go to the doctor. 7.IDIOM Idioms are groups of words whose meaning is different from the ordinary meaning of the words. The context can help you understand what an idiom means. For example: "Put a lid on it." Our teacher tells us to put a lid on it. She's not really telling us to put a lid on something but to be quiet and pay attention. CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 1.RESEARCH DESIGN This research use a qualitative research, to analyze the out three kinds of figurative language approach, they are simile, personification, and symbol which are used in the eight poems of Robert Frost 2.SUBJECT OF RESEARCH In this research is limited only to analyze the nine poems of Robert Frost’s selected poetry. The eight selected poems are as follows: 1.“ STARS ” Stars How countlessly they congregate O'er our tumultuous snow, Which flows in shapes as tall as trees When wintry winds do blow!-- As if with keenness for our fate, Our faltering few steps on To white rest, and a place of rest Invisible at dawn,-- And yet with neither love nor hate, Those stars like some snow-white Minerva's snow-white marble eyes Without the gift of sight. 2.“ GOING FOR WATER ” Going for Water The well was dry beside the door, And so we went with pail and can Across the fields behind the house To seek the brook if still it ran; Not loth to have excuse to go, Because the autumn eve was fair (Though chill), because the fields were ours, And by the brook our woods were there. We ran as if to meet the moon That slowly dawned behind the trees, The barren boughs without the leaves, Without the birds, without the breeze. But once within the wood, we paused Like gnomes that hid us from the moon, Ready to run to hiding new With laughter when she found us soon. Each laid on other a staying hand To listen ere we dared to look, And in the hush we joined to make We heard, we knew we heard the brook. A note as from a single place, A slender tinkling fall that made Now drops that floated on the pool Like pearls, and now a silver blade. 3.“ HYLA BROOK ” Hyla Brook By June our brook's run out of song and speed. Sought for much after that, it will be found Either to have gone groping underground (And taken with it all the Hyla breed That shouted in the mist a month ago, Like ghost of sleigh-bells in a ghost of snow)-- Or flourished and come up in jewel-weed, Weak foliage that is blown upon and bent Even against the way its waters went. Its bed is left a faded paper sheet Of dead leaves stuck together by the heat-- A brook to none but who remember long. This as it will be seen is other far Than with brooks taken otherwhere in song. We love the things we love for what they are. 4.“ TREE AT MY WINDOW “ Tree at my Window Tree at my window, window tree, My sash is lowered when night comes on; But let there never be curtain drawn Between you and me. Vague dream head lifted out of the ground, And thing next most diffuse to cloud, Not all your light tongues talking aloud Could be profound. But tree, I have seen you taken and tossed, And if you have seen me when I slept, You have seen me when I was taken and swept And all but lost. That day she put our heads together, Fate had her imagination about her, Your head so much concerned with outer, Mine with inner, weather. 5.” MY NOVEMBER GUEST “ My November Guest My Sorrow, when she's here with me, Thinks these dark days of autumn rain Are beautiful as days can be; She loves the bare, the withered tree; She walks the sodden pasture lane. Her pleasure will not let me stay. She talks and I am fain to list: She's glad the birds are gone away, She's glad her simple worsted grey Is silver now with clinging mist. The desolate, deserted trees, The faded earth, the heavy sky, The beauties she so truly sees, She thinks I have no eye for these, And vexes me for reason why. Not yesterday I learned to know The love of bare November days Before the coming of the snow, But it were vain to tell her so, And they are better for her praise 6.“ THE ROAD NOT TAKEN ” The Road Not Taken Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim Because it was grassy and wanted wear, Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I marked the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. 7.“ STOPPING BY WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING ” Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound’s the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. 8.“ NEITHER OUT FAR NOR IN DEEP ” Neither Out Far Nor In Deep The people along the sand All turn and look one way. They turn their back on the land. They look at the sea all day. As long as it takes to pass A ship keeps raising its hull; The wetter ground like glass Reflects a standing gull The land may vary more; But wherever the truth may be-- The water comes ashore, And the people look at the sea. They cannot look out far. They cannot look in deep. Btu when was that ever a bar To any watch they keep? 3.DATA SOURCES The data in this research which are the selected poetry by Robert Frost were taken from the internet. This poems will be chosen as the data source because it is one of the best poems of Robert Frost and it had a lot of figurative languages, including simile, personification, and symbol which were the emphasis of this research. 4.RESEARCH INSTRUMENT Data collection methods is the way that used to collect the data obtained and base on the purposes of research. 1.Observation methods Observation method is often defined as the systematic observation and recording as a research phenomenon. Data collection technique where researchers make observations directly (without tools) for symptoms of the subject being investigated, both observations were be done in a real situation and in particular artificial situation held. The observation is not just the observations and records but inside there are objectives, tools, and systems. researcher observation methods used to obtain data to analyze the selected poetry of Robert Frost using figurative approach 2.Documentation Documentation is looking for data on variables such as things or records, transcripts, books, magazines, inscriptions meeting notes, the agenda, data from internet etc. 5.DATA COLLECTION The data were collected through a library research and from internet, which means that the data source will read repeatedly to identify the figurative language and determine their simile, personification, and symbol which are used in the eight poems of Robert Frost as well as how they were translated into Indonesian to more easy collecting the data 6.DATA ANALYSIS In this study, qualitative methods were applied. The data were recorded, classified and analyzed descriptively. Firstly, we will classify on the basis whether they are simile, personification, and classified the symbol , to describe the figurative languange in each poem. And we can translate into Indonesian previously to more easy collecting the data. Secondly, we analyze all of the poems to find out what kinds of figure of speech which are dominant used in Robert Frost’s selected poems. Thirdly, after the data were classified and analyzed , we will observe whether the data can be taken conclusion that the figurative approach can give beauty, force and clarity of the Robert Frost’s selected poems. 7.VALIDATION RESEARCH in this study, researchers used qualitative research methods to analyze the data of the eight Robert Frost’s selected poems to find any figurative language, especially simile, personification and symbols in poetry. Then to find out whether the dominant figurative language used in the poems and also observe wheather figurative language can give affects of the beauty, force and clarity in the eightof Robert Frost poems. The data in this study is taken from books and the internet can provide contribute on definitions, explanations and examples related to the literature, especially poetry. Reference Malkoc, A. Maria. On Wings of Verse (Guidance Book) Reaske, C. Russell. How ToAnalize Poetry. Department of English Harvard Unversity. (Guidance Book) http://awinlanguage.blogspot.com/2012/03/biograpical-approach-to-analyze.html (access at 22 january) http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0210124/figlandef.html (access on 22 january 2013) http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/stars-2/ (access on 23 january 2013) http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/20696 (access on 23 january 2013) http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/hyla-brook/ (access on 23 january 2013) http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/tree-at-my-window/ (access on 24 january 2013) http://allpoetry.com/poem/8469245-My_November_Guest-by-Robert_Frost (access on 24 january 2013) http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-road-not-taken/ (access on 24 january 2013) http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/171621 (access on 24 january 2013) http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/neither-out-far-nor-in-deep/ (access on 24 january 2013)