The analysis of imagery, figurative language, and them in modern english poetry
THE ANALYSES OF IMAGERY, FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE,
AND THEME IN MODERN ENGLISH POETRY
A PAPER
Submitted to the Faculty of Adab and Humanities
In a Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For The Degree of Strata I (S 1)
By
PUTRAFAJAR
ｎｉｾＮＱＰＲ ＶＰＲＴＶＰＵ
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF ADAB AND HUMANITIES
SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY
JAKARTA
2007
APPROVAL SHEET OF THE ADVl[SOR
THE ANALYSES OF IMAGERY, FIGURATIVKLANGUAGE,
AND THEME IN MODERN ENGLISH POETRY
A PAPER
Submitted to the Faculty of Adab and Humanities
In a Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For The Degree of Strata I (S I)
By
PUTRAFAJAR
102026024605
ｎｉｾＮ
Advisor:
ｲ-'ｾ
------
InayatuI Chusna, 8.8., M.Hum.
NIP. 150331 233
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF ADAB AND HUMANITIES
SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY
JAKARTA
2007
APPROVAL SHEET OF THE EXAMINATllON BOARD
A Paper entitled "The Analyses of Imagery, FigUl'ative Language, and
Theme in Modern English Poetry" was examined by The Examination Board of
Faculty of Adab and Humanities, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University
Jakarta, on Tuesday, March 06, 2007. This Paper has been accepted as a Partial
Fulfillment of the Requiremeuts for acquiring the Degree of Strata I (S 1) in English
Department.
Jakarta, March 06, 2007
THE EXAMINATION BOARD:
-I;;'!:J
Chief,
Drs. ASllp Saefuddin, M.Pd.
NIP. 150261902
DR. M.
khan M.Pd.
NIE 0299 480
MEMBERS:
Examiner I,
Examiner II,
ｃｴＮｖｾ
nini Masitah, S.S., M.Hum.
NIP. 150317724
\
ｾ
Drs. H. Abdul Hamid, M.Ed.
NIP. 150 181 922
ｉａｾ
Inayatul Chusna, S.S., M.Hum.
NIP. 150331233
This Paper is dedicated to my Mother:
Ibunda Dra. Nurfahdriana,
and to my Father:
Ayahanda Drs. Asril Djoni, M.Si.
"thank you for being my inspirations"
- Putra Fajar,
2007 -
In endless rain I've been walking
Like a poet feeling pain
Trying to find the answers
Tlying to hide the tears
But it was just a circle
That never ends
Am I wrong to be hurt?
Am r wrong to fee! plIin?
Am I wrong to be in the rain?
Am I wrong to wish the night won't end?
Am I wrong to cry?
But I know, It's not wrong to sing The Last Song
Cause forever fades
I see red
I see blue
But the silver lining gradually takes over
When the morning begins
I'll be in the next chapter
- X Japan"The Last Song"
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Praise be to Allah,
Lord of the Universe. And Peace and Prayers be upon His final Prophet and
Messenger, Muhammad.
First, the writer would like to give thanks to his pan:nts: Dra. Nurfahdriana
(mother), and Drs. Asril Djoni, M.Si. (father). Thank you for supporting the writer,
and always give everything in the writer's life.
The writer is deeply grateful to his advisor, Mrs. Inayatul Chusna, M.Hum.,
for the great contributions, and helps the writer in finishing this paper. Thanks for all
that she has given to the writer, and may Allah SWT bless her and her family.
Moreover, the writer wishes to say gratitude to these following persons:
I. DR. H. Abdul Chaer, M.A., the Dean of Faculty of Adab and Humanities,
SyarifHidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta.
2. DR. M. Farkhan, M.Pd., the Head of Department of English Literature.
3. Drs. Asep Saefuddin, M.Pd., the Secretary of Department of English
Literature.
4. All lecturers in Department of English Literature: who had taught arld
educated the writer during his study at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic
University Jakarta.
5. To the writer's good friends at Department of English Literature,
especially: Junaedi, S.S (Omponk), Tatang Suryana (Nana-choy), Yaman
(Q-mhoy), Ahmad Muzamil (Samil); Sandi Adrian (Bule), Ikhsan
Wahyudi (I-can), Agus SaefuITohman (Ustad Agus), Mustika Dendi
(Sinyo), and to all of the writer's iiiends who cannot be mentioned one by
one for giving spirit and motivation.
6. To all the writer's inspirational musicians: Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page),
Nirvana (Kllli Cobain), U2 (Mr. Bono), Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage,
Ranlmstein, Dream Theater, Metallica, Helloween, Joe Satriani, Rage
Against The Machine, X Japan, Luna Sea, Ｌｬ･ｩｃＭｮﾷｾ｣ｲａＧｌ
and Dewa 19
(Dhani-Jenggot). Thank you for the music, spirit and motivation that they
all give to the writer during the regression and the writer's boring time.
May Allah SWT bless us all, and finally, the writer is sure that this paper is
far from being perfect. Honestly, the writer hopes iliat ally suggestioll or criticism can
enrich this paper more scientifically.
Jakarta, January 2007
PutraPajar
ABSTRAK
Putra Fajar. "The An:l!yses of Imagery, Figurative Language and Theme in
Modern English Poetry". Strata I (S 1). Jurusan Bahasa dan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas
Adab dan Hl1111aniora, Universitas Islanl Negeri SyarifHidayatullah Jakarta, 2007.
Peneliti membahas mengenai tiga puisi Inggris moderen pada awal dan pertengahan
abad ke-dua puluh. Puisi-puisi tersebut antara lain adalah: "The Lake Isle of
bmi.\ji'ee" oleh William Butler Yeats, "Fern Hill" oleh Dylan Thomas, dan "The
Horses" oleh Edwin Muir. Dalam penelitian ini, pl:neliti ml:nggunakan pendekatan
kualitatif, yaitu analisa mengenai unsur-unsur intrinsik yang diglmakan oleh seorang
penyair untuk membuat penafsiran yang lebih sederhana, dan mempunyai
pemahaman yang baik dalanl memaharni arti dari sebuah puisi. Penulis juga
membatasi penelitian ini dengan menganalisa Ul1sur imajinasi, penggunaan gaya
bahasa, dan tema yang ada didalam puisi-puisi tersebut. Untuk memahami puisi
seeara mendalarn, penulis menggunakan metode deskriptif analisis. Dari analisa
imajinasi dan gaya bahasa didalarn penelitian ini, peneliti menemukan tema dari "The
Lake Isle of Innisfree" adalah "melepaskan did dari rutinitas kehidupan urban di
perkotaan, dan kembali ke alarn yang membuat hidup seseorang terasa darnai dan
lebih berarti". Kemudian tema dari "Fern Hill" adalah "peIjalal1an kehidupan seorang
manusia dari sejak masa keeil, menjadi dewasa, dan akhirnya tua, selia realisasi dari
kematian yang seeara keseluruhan di representasikan oleh penyair melalui simbolsimbol alam". Dan tema dari "The Horses" adalah "kembali pada alam dan kepada
kehidupan awal mal1usia yang mumi dan sederhana".
ABSTRACT
Putra Fajar. "The Analyses of Imagery, Figurative Language and Theme in
Modern English Poetry". Strata I (S I) Degree. English Department, Faculty of
Adab and Humanities, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakmta, 2007.
The researcher discusses three-modern English poetry in early and the middle of 2010
century. The poems and poets are as follows: "The Lake Isle ofInnisfree" by William
Butler Yeats, "Fern Hill" by Dylan Thomas, and "The Horses" by Edwin Muir. [n
this research the writer uses the qualitative approach, which lmalyzes about intrinsic
elements that used by a poet to make an easier interpretation and have good
understanding about the meaning of the poems. The writer also limited the research
on analyzing imagery and figurative language, and the theme of the poem. To analyze
the data, the writer uses the descriptive analysis technique. From the analysis of
imagery, figurative language ai1d theme, the writer fuund that the theme of "The Lake
Isle of Innisfree" is about "escaping from the rush of modem living in the city and
longing for the living in the village that closes to nature". The theme of "Fern Hill" is
represents "the definite-movement of human life from childhood to adulthood, until
the realization of his mortality, which represented by the symbols of nature". And the
thcme of "The Horses" is "retum to nature and to a simple and innocent way of
human life".
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
APPROVAL SHEET OF THE ADVISOR
APPROVAL SHEET OF THE EXAMINATION BOARD
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
1
ABSTRACT
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
v
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION
I
A. Background of The Research
I
B. Focus of The Study...
7
C. Research Question
,....................
7
D. Significance of The Research
7
E. Research Methodology
7
1. Objective of The Research
7
2 The Method of The Research
8
3. Tec1mique of Data Analysis
8
4. InstIument of The Research
8
5. Unit Analysis
8
6. Place And Time
9
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
10
A. Romantic Poetry
.
13
B. Modem Poetry
.
14
C. Imagery
..
15
D. Figurative Language
..
16
1. Simile
.
17
2. Metaphor
.
18
.
18
3. Personification
,
4. Symbol
19
5. Metonymy
19
6. Allegory
20
7. Paradox
... -
-
E. Theme
CHAPTER III: THE ANALYSIS OF POEMS
.
20
21
22
A. The Lake Isle ofInnisfree
22
1. Analysis ofImagery
23
2. Analysis of Figurative Language
26
3. Analysis of Theme
28
B. Fern Hill
30
1. Analysis of Imagery
32
2. Analysis of Figurative Language
34
3. Analysis of Theme
40
C. The Horses
42
1. Analysis ofImagery
43
2. Analysis of Figurative Language
47
3. Analysis of Theme
53
CHAPTER IV: CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
55
A. Conclusion
55
B. Suggestion
56
BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDIX
A. Tahle of Imagery
B. Table of Figurative Language
C. Table of Theme .
58
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Researeh
Poetry can have many definitions and forms. It can be philosophical,
emotional, or sentimental. It can paint pictures, in a descripti ve mode, or tell stories,
in a narrative one. Poetry can also be satirical, funny, political, or just informative. A
definition that underscores the distinctiveness of poetry from other kinds of literary
work might be: poetry is a language in which every word choice, sound, pause, and
image is significant. It is significant because every element points toward or stands
together for further relationship among and beyond themselves.
As a unique media of communication, poetry is created in a brief and
concentrated foml of language. Its elements are figures, and poetry itself is a
language of figures, which each component can potentiaJly open toward new
meanings, levels, dimensions, or connections. Poetry does this through an intricate
pattern of words, and it offers language as highly organized as language can be. No
word is idle or accidental; each word has a specific place within an overarching
pattern. Together they create meaningful and beautiful designs of words.
ages. Each text on poetry's stanza holds its own values £lad cultures. Poetry has
grown and developed from time to time, and brought
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in literary work,
which are imaginative expressions, expressive and naturalistic by entirely. This
achievement is a continued-process, from thoughts, values, and the ideas from the
periods before.
As one of literary genre, poetry is also influenced by movements, which
become a role model or trend in literary world at that time. Even, this factor beeomes
a model of the literary work in a specific period and represents the characteristic of
the literary work itself. 2 In fact, literary movement has grown and developed in
Europe. From all of the movements existed, they essentially based on Realism and
Expressionism. The other movements, which based on mind thinking and life
orientation, is like Materialism and Idealism. Moreover, literary movements that
closer to Realism is Impressionism, Naturalism, and Detemlinism. On the other side,
literary movements, which are closer to Expressionism, are Romantieism,
Symbolism, Idealism, Surrealism, and Mysticism. Some of those literary movements
that we have recognized and become the role model of many poets whether in
I Laurence Perrine and Thomas R.A.R.P.. Sound and Sense: An Introduction 10 Poetl)' Eight Edition.
Orlando: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1992. p. 3.
2 Adapted from: Zainuddin Fananie, Te/aah Sas/ra. Surakarta: MUhammadiyah University Press, 2000.
p.48.
3
Indonesia, or in other countries are Romanticism, Romantic-Idealism, RomanticRealism, Expressionism, Naturalism, and Imagism.
Romanticism is a literary movement that based on feeling expression and
imagination. To describe these mentioned, a poet always explains the reality of life
into the most beautiful forn1 of language and words. The aim of this movement is to
make the readers could be touched by the lyric or by words emotionally. Therefore,
the poet usually arranges every existing distortion and conflicts dramatically and
completely.3 For example, a beautiful girl character is always described as perfect as
possible, without any handicaps. It has to be perfect. The same thing is also viewed
on the natural beauty themes, or even a possible sorrow, which are usually described
in details. A Romantic poet usually thinks how to touch the readers emotionally. At
the end, the readers will be drown into the lyric that has naITated by the poet.
Romantic poetry is a kind ofliterary movement that is distinguished by enthusiasm to
life and simple way of living, and natural view. attention to the original belief, the
spontaneity in mind and acts and also mind expression. 4
Meanwhile, modcrnism in poctry that had come by the end of 19 th century and
early 20'h century represented the result of the literary development from the previous
periods. Of course, the development of modem poetry CaImot be separated from the
influence of mind concept, figures of speech and theme aspects, which have existed
in the previous movements. Among the modernist, there are so many movements,
] Ibid, p. 49 - 50.
, Adapted from: Panuti Sudjiman. Kallllls ISIilah Saslra. Jakarta: PT Gramedia, 1984. p. 65 - 66.
4
such as Imagism, pioneered by Ezra Pound, also T.S. Eliot with his Metaphysics
poem, and other movement like Realism, and Naturalism. English poets of the early
twentieth century declined to follow the examples of Yeats and Pound, and yet were
also dissatisfied by much late Victorian verse. Some looked further back to the
Romantics for a mode of literary survival. 5 Therefore, Modernism is a movement in
the literary world and art that attempt to determine the relationship of past time and
looking for new fonns in expression. 6
Even though the Romantic pattern does not appear entirely in the modern
poetry, there are some of modern poets who try to return to the beauty and natural
themes. These themes represent the characteristic of the Romantic poetry. Among
them, are Willianl Butler Yeats, Dylan Thomas, and Edwin Muir. Those Romantic
characteristics appeared on their poem. The poems are as follows: "The Lake Isle of
Innisfree" by William Butler Yeats, "Fern Hill" by Dylan Thomas, and "The
Horses" by Edwin Muir that according to tlle writer have the aspects of
Romanticism.
One of those modem poets whom the writer researched is Willianl Butler
Yeats. In 1899 Yeats published "The Wind Among The Reeds", a book of poems
which was the culminating of the early symbolist manner. 7 He created a hierarchy of
symbols and moods attendant upon them. The four elements, which he found in stars,
See: Richards Elmann and Robert O'Clair. A10dern Poems: An Introduction To Poetry. New York:
W. W. Norton & Company, 1976. p. 491.
6 Ibid., p. 50.
7 Richards Elmann and Robert O'Clair, op.cit" p. 488.
5
5
sea, winds, and woods, become aspects of feeling; bird and beast alike were
expressing the human passion. From those elements, showed the existence of the
Romantic characteristics, in which had a beauty and natural themes that represented
into the specific symbols.
Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea, Wales, and educated at Swansea
Granmlar School. He was "discovered" as a poet in 1933 through a poetry contest in
a popular newspaper. The following year his Eighteen Poems caused considerable
excitement because of the strange violence of their imagery and their powerfully
suggestive obscurity. It looked as through a new kind of strength and Romantic
picturesqueness had been restored to English poetry after the deliberately muted tones
of Eliot and his followers. 8 Thomas did not, however, turns out to be the founder of a
Neo-Romantic movement, though some early critics took him to be so. As his poetry
became better known, and after he had clarified the somewhat clotted imagery of his
early style in his later voltmles: The Map of Love (1939), Death and Entrances
(1946), and Collected Poems (1953), it became clear that Thomas was an extremely
"craftmanlike" poem, and not the shouting rhapsodist that some had taken him to be.
His images were most carefully ordered in a patterned sequence, arid his major theme
was the unity of all life, the continuing process of life, death, and new life which
linked the generations to each other. 9
8 M. H. Abrams, eLa!., The Norton Anthology ofEnglish Literature Third Edition. New York; W. W.
Norton & Company Inc., 1974. p. 236 I-2362.
9 Ibid
6
The other poet, Edwin Muir (1887 - 1959) was always fascinated by time, by
links between generations, by the modern meaning of ancient myths, and by the
question of identity and change. These interests provide the themes of almost all his
poetry. Even though if he had few themes, the grave precision of his language, the
translucent quality of his imagery, the supple, unforced rhythms, and the delicacy of
observation and of sensibility that underlies all this, combine to make poetry of
remarkable individuality and power. 10
Referring to the explanation above, and by the attention to these dynamic
development in literary world especially poetry in the early of 20 th century, also with
the return of the aspects of Romanticism into these modern English poetry, the writer
is interested in analyzing those poems. The analysis in this research focused on the
analysis of the intrinsic elements of poetry, they are imagery, figurative language, and
the theme of the selected poems. Then, the title of this paper is "The Analysis of
Imagery, Figurative Language, and Theme in Modern English Poetry".
10
M. H. Abrams. et.al., ibid., p. 2315.
7
B. Focus of the Study
The research is focused on the analysis of the intrinsic elements of poetry,
they are imagery, figurative language, and theme of each poem.
C. Research Question
The question of the research is:
What types of imagery, figurative language and theme are utilized in the
poems of "The Lake Isle ofInnisjree" by William Butler Yeats, "Fern Hill" by Dylan
Thomas, and "The Horses" by Edwin Muir?
D. Significance of the Research
In this research, the writer have the expectation that the readers can analyzc
the literary work especially poetry, from various aspect, context and those figurative
language, without forgetting and leaving the aesthetic and emotional values that
contained on it's stanza. The writer also hopes that tlus research can give any
significance and infonnation to the readers, especially those who enjoy, understand,
and appreciate the romantic poetry, whether in English Department or in common
people, to enrich the English literature study.
E. Research Methodology
1. The Objective of the Research
The objective of the research is:
To find the types of imagery, figurative language, and the theme in "The Lake
Isle ofInnisfree" by William Butler Yeats, "Fern Hill" by Dylan Thomas, and "The
Horses" by Edwin Muir.
8
2. The Method of the Research
Every researcher insists to use a methodology in the sdentific researches. The
attempt to identifY and describe significant qualities in several poetries must be based
on the research principles in which results of the research can be justified and
regarded as an achievement in scientific atmosphere.
This research uses method of qualitative description, which concems with the
imagery, figurative language and the themes of the three poems selected.
3. Technique of Data Analysis
In this research, the writer uses the qualitative analysis technique, through
textual approach, which based on those intrinsic aspects of poetry, namely: the
imagery, figurative language and the theme of three selected poems.
4. Instrument of the Research
The researcher himself is the instrument of this research. The Data, which
related to the three selected poems, will be obtained by scanning and tabulation.
5. Unit of Analysis
The unit of analysis of the research is three-modem poetry in early and the
middle of 20 th century. The poems, and poets, are as follows: "The Lake Isle of
Innisji-ee" by William Butler Yeats, "Fern Hill" by Dylan Thomas, and "The
Horses" by Edwin Muir.
9
6. Place and Time
This research took place in the Library of Department of English Literature
Faculty of Adab & Humanities, American Corner, and The Center Library of Syarif
Hidayatullah State Islamic University. The research was also taken place in several
libraries such as: the British Council Library, and the Library of the Cultural Science
Department, The University of Indonesia. The writer started doing this research from
January 02, 2006 until February 06, 2007.
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL FRAMEWOH.K
A. Romantic Poetry
Romanticism is a literary movement that lasted from around years 1750 to
about 1870 in Europe. Characterized by the reliance on the imagination, subjectivity
of approach. freedom of thought expression. and idealization of nature, the term
Romantic first appeared in 18th-century. It originally meant "romance-like", which
resembles the fanciful character of medieval romances. Romantic literature and
poetry is strong in many of the European Countries. Although the adjective
"Romantic" derives ultimately from the word that gIves us the expreSSIon "the
romance languages", it came to mean more than a language. It means also the quality
and preoccupations of literature written in those languages, especially "romances"
and stories. By the seventeenth century in English, the word "Romantic" had come to
mean anything from imaginative or fietitious, to fabulous or downright extravagant.
The use of term "Romantic" for the poetry of this period has folded the meanings
· d'It. 11
beh111
The Romantic period see also a shift in religious ideas. It was the first period
in English literature when many writers failed to find Christianity satisfying.
Although it was in the period a pronounced streak of rationalistic atheism, influenced
II Pat Rogers. et.al.. The 04o!'d Illustrated HistoJ)' o/English Literatu!'e. New York: Oxford
University Press Inc., 1987. p. 275.
11
by the writers of the French enlightenment, there is noticeable among the Romantic
poets a search for a spiritual reality.12 According to John Keats,13 in the search tor a
spiritual truth, the Romantic poets like used two faculties, which rationalism had
tended to discredit: feelings and imagination. The imagination in the Romantic period
was raised from being simply the faculty for creating fictions, pleasing perhaps, but
not necessarily true, to a method of apprehending and communicating truth. The
result was that thc searching for the spiritual truth bccame one in which the poet
played a greater role than before. The imagination, the peculiar gift of the poet, was
now enlisted in man's most important endeavor. 14
According to Margaret Drabble, Romanticism concerned with: the emotion,
imagination, individuality and a certain sense of opposition to what had gone before
which namely, the enlightenment of the late l71h and 18111 centuries with its espousal
of reason as the key to all understanding. Already it should be clear that there is some
common ground here. One problem, however, is that none of these terms can be
pinned down by a simple definition, because they are all suqject partly to culturally
fon11cd value systems, and partly to the slipperiness of language itself. IS
Moreover, the French Romantic poet named Charles Baudelaire (1821 1867), made the vital point that "Romanticism is precisely situated neither in choice
Ibid" p.277.
John Keats is the English poet, one ofthe most gifted of the 19th century and an influential figure in
the Romanic Movement. (from David Stevens. et.al., Romanticism. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 2004. p. Il.)
,.\ Pat Rogers. et. ai, op.cit" p.27S.
15 David Stevens. et.a!.. 0p.cil.
12
13
12
of subject, nor in exact truth, but in a way of feeling."
16
If the poetry of the
Romantics has tended to have a special place in the hearts of readers, it is because
those poems which are most clearly Romantic, are those, which particularly defy
explication and are in the supreme sense of "poetic". Romantic poetry pushes
experience to the utmost point, where there is no direct reference to the ordinary.
world. 17
The Romantic Movement purposes to seek a formal freedom, ll1creases
emotional effect, and use of ancient and folk sources
ｲｄｾｴ
poetry. In addition,
Romanticism emphasizes the creative expression of the individual and the need to
find and fonnulate new forms of expression. Romantic Poetry stresses strong
emotion, which now might include fear, wonder, and horror as aesthetic experiences
the individual imagination as a critical authority. There is a strong element of natural
inevitability in its ideas, stressing the importance of "nature" in literature and art. The
birth of English Romanticism is often connected to the publication in 1798 of
Wordsworth and Coleridge's "Lyrical Ballads".
The early Romantics try hard to understand the world through imagination,
not reason, and they distrust the world set out for them by Church and State. To these
hateful figures in the later nineteenth century, they add conmlerce and science,
16 In order to understand this "wtry offeeling" more profoundly, it is necessary to examine in some
detail the contextual factors at work. As a guiding principle, Marilyn Butler's insight rings true: "No
form is confined 10 a single political message. Evelylhing lurns on how il is used, and on how the
public al a given lime is ready 10 read it". (from: Romanlics, Rebels and Reactionaries. 1981), and the
reading must be in the fuliest, snggestive sense of the word: not only in the reading of printed text, but
also in the ways we might "read" a situation, or "read" someone's character. (ibid, p. 17.)
17 Pat Rogers. et. aI., op.cit., p.309.
13
creating a split in the point of view that pushes Romanticism into extreme positions,
such as Symbolism (rarefied symbols), Surrealism (irrational), and Dadaism (antisociety).
B. Modern Poetry
Modemism is a movement in the literary world and art, which attempt to find
out the relationship of past time and look for new fOlIDs in expression. IS Most serious
poetry today is still Modernist. Modemism in literature is not easily summarized, but
the key elements are experimentation, anti-realism, individualism and a stress on the
cerebral rather than emotive aspects. Modemism is a complex and diverse movement.
From Symbolism, it took allusiveness in style and an interest in rarefied mental
states. From Realism, it borrowed an urban setting, and a willingness to break taboos.
And from Romanticism came an artist-centered view, and retreat into irrationalism
and hallucinations.
19
Modernism in poetry is also an enterprise of the mind in which many poets,
over several generations and indifferent countries, sought to change most of the
assumptions about what poets write and what poetry does. The best known of these
writers were W. B. Yeats, Ezra Pound, and T. S. Eliot. Then followed by: Dylan
Thomas and Edwin Muir in the middle of twentieth century. Despite the English
poets of the early twentieth century declined to follow the examples of Yeats and
Pound, and yet were also dissatisfied by much late Victorian verse. Some of them
18
Adapted from: Pan uti Sudjiman., op.cil., p. 50.
19
Retrieved from http://www.poelrymagic.co.uk.html. accessed on January 21,2006.
14
looked further back to the Romantics for a mode of literary sllrvival. 20 The Modernist
had no wish to imitate the nineteenth-century poets, and to some extent rcacted
against them. Yet, paradoxically, any search for the origins of Modernism leads back
to Romanticism, that combination of literary and philosophical attitudes, which
dominated Europcan and American literature for most of the nineteenth-century.
21
Unlike the earlier literary movements, Romanticism provided an opporttmity for a
fuller and more diversified expression of oneself, for more various relations between
the poet and society. An element of subversion is probably presented in all great
poets. But in the early nineteenth-century, after the American and French
Revolutions, individuality rather than obedience to authority came to be seen as
positive, rather than antisocial or eccentric, and the guerrilla poets-outcast, victim,
misfit, radical, solitary, became a literary and popular model.
Additionally, Modernist poetry disavowed the traditional aesthetic claims of
Romantic poetry's later phase and no longer sought "beauty" as the highest
achievement of poetry. With this abandonment of the sublime came a turn away from
pastoral poetry and an attempt to focus poetry on urban, mechanical, and industrial
settings. The new heroes would not be swains laboring in the fields, but office
workers struggling across London Bridge, and the new settings would not be
20 See: Richards Elmann and Robert O'Clair, op.cir., p. 491.
" Ibid., p. 486.
15
"Romantic chasms deep and wide", but vacant lots, smoked over cities, and
subways.22
Modernism is a movement in the literary world and art that attempt to find out
the relationship of past time and looking for new f61111S in expression. Modern poetry
represents a great change of our mentality and a quick and 'vast extension of our
imaginative experience. "Nature" now lives for the poet as an independent presence,
a greater or equal power places side by side with nature or embracing and dominating
"nature" existence. Even, the objective vision and interpretation of "nature" has
develops, where it continues at all the older poetic method, strong and simply
beautifi.I1 or telling effects that satisfied an earlier imagination.
Modernism evolved by various routes. From Symboli:,m, it took allusiveness
in style and an interest in rarefied mental states. From Realism, it borrowed
an. urban
setting, alld a willingness to break taboos. And from Romanticism came an artistcentered view, and retreat into irrationalism and hallucinations?3
C. Imagery
Imagery maybe defined as the representation through language of sense
experience. Poetry appeals directly to our sense, of course through its music and
rhythms, which we actually hear when it is read aloud. But indirectly it appeals to our
sense through imagery, the representation to the imagination ofsense expel'ience.
" Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/modernist poetry in english html,
accessed on January 21,2006.
23 Retrieved from http://www.textete.comiaspects/a-modernism.html.
accessed on January 21,2006.
16
An image is a language used in such a way as to help us to see, hear, feel,
think about or generally understand more clearly or vividly what is being said or the
impression that the writer wishes to convey24 The word Image perhaps most often
suggests a mental picture, something sense in the mind's eye. Therefore, visual
imagery is the kind of imagery that occurs most frequently in poetry. But an image
may also represent a sound (auditory imagery); a smell (olfactory imagery); a taste
(gustatory imagery); touch, such as hardness, softness, wetness, or heat and cold
(tactile imagery); an internal sensation, such as ,hunger, thirst, fatigue, or nausea
(organic imagery); or movement or tension in the muscles. or joints (kinesthetic
imagery).25
Imagery usually calls a mental picture in a poem, where the readers can
expcrience what the poem says. Essentially the true "meaning" of a poem lies in the
total effect that it has upon the readers. Very often that effect stimulate a response
which is not just a reaction to what the poet has to say, but which draws on the
readers' own intellectual and emotional experience. Imagery can be of central
importance in creating this response within thc readers. 26
D. Figurative Language
Figurative Language or Figure of Speech is a word or group of words used to
give particular emphasis to an idea or sentiment. The special emphasis is typically
24 Steven Croft and Hellen Cross, Literature, Criticism, and Style. OXford: Oxford University Press,
2000. p. 56.
" Laurence Perrine and Thomas R.A.R.P.,op.cit., p. 49.
26 Steven Croft and Hellen Cross, op. cit., p. 56.
17
accomplished by the user's conscious deviation from the strict literal sense of a word,
or from the more commonly used form of word order or Sentence construction.
"Figure of speech is any way of saying something other than the ordinary way", 27
and we can say more by these figurative statement rather than by literal statement.
Figure of speech offers another way of adding extra dimension to language. A
number of the more widely used figure of speech, such as:
1. Simile
Simile is specific comparison by means of the words "like" or "as" between
two kinds of ideas or objects. Like a metaphor, simile also compares two different
things, but it uses a connective word. Simile is a figure of speech in which an explicit
comparison is made between two things essentially unlike. The comparison is made
explicit by the uses of some words or phrases as "like, as, than, similar to, resembles,
or seems.,,28 There are some examples of simile:
"How like a marriage is the season of clouds". (James Merrill)
"Seems he a dove? His feathers are but borrowed". (Shakespeare)29
In the line above, Merrill compares explicitly "the season of e1oud" to "a marriage",
while Shakespeare compares someone ("he") to "a dove". Merrill makes a similarity
between the seasons of clouds Witll a marriage, by comparing them. A marriage can
Laurence Perrine and Thomas R.A.R.P., op.cit., p. 61.
Ibid
29 Barnet ct.a!., An Introductivn to Literature. United States of America: Little Brown and Company
Inc., 1961. p. 66.
27
28
be happy, sad, even an anger, as same as the clouds of the season, it can be bright,
dark and cold, depend on the seasons.
2. Metaphor
Metaphor is the use of a word or phrase denoting one kind of idea or object in
place of another word or phrase for the purpose of suggesting a likeness between the
two. According to Barnet, a metaphor asserts the identity, without a connective such
as "like" or a verb such as "appears", of terms that are literally incompatible. 3D While
according to Perrine, metaphor is a figure of speech in which a comparison is made
between two things essentially unalike. 31 In someway metaphor is like a simile in that
it to create a comparison. "Often the metaphor actually describes the subject being the
thing to which it is compared.,,32 These definitions explain that metaphor is figure of
speech comparing two different things directly without using a connective word such
as "like, as, as if, similar to", for example: "'A dirty dog stole my money", the word
dirty dog means someone who stole the money, not really a dog.
3. Personification
Personification is a representation of inanimate objects or abstract ideas as
living beings. Personification is a type of metaphor in which distinct human qualities,
e,g., honesty, emotion, volition, etc., are attributed to animal, object 01' idea. 33 This
definition is similar to Perrine explanation that personification consists in giving tlle
30
Ibid" p. 63.
Laurence Perrine and Thomas R.A.R.P., op.cit., p, til.
Steven Croft and Hellen Cross, op.cil., p. 56.
33 Anonymous, The Poetic ofRobert Frost. Retrieved from:
httD://WWW.frostfriends.orgifigurative.hlml, p. 2. accessed on January 21, 2006,
31
32
19
attribute of human being to an animal, an object or a concept. It is really a subtype of
metaphor, an implied comparison in which the figurative term of the comparison is
always a human being. 34 Personification occurs when a poet attributes an inanimate
object or abstract idea with human qualities or actions. For example, in "Stopping By
Woods On A Snowy Evening", Robert Frost personifies the horse: "my little horse
must think it queer".35 Personifications differ in the degree to which they ask the
readers actually to visualize the literal term in human form. 36
4. Symbol
Symbol is thing that could be an object, person, situation or action, which
stands for something else more abstract. For exanlple, our flag is the symbol of our
country. According to Laurence Perrine in a literature, a symbol may be defined as
something that means more than what it is. 37 "The Road Not Taken" by Robert frost,
for instance, it symbolizes the choice in human life, such the choice of carrier and
profession.
5. Metonymy
Metonymy is a figure of speech that uses a concept closely related to the thing
actually meant. As writer said before, the substitution makes the analogy more vivid
and meaningful. Many metonymies and synecdoche, of course, like many metaphor,
so much of the language that they no longer strikes us as figurative, this is the case
Laurence Perrine and Thomas R.A.R.P., op.cit., p. 64.
Anonymous, The Poetic ofRobert Frost. op.cit.
36 Laurence Perrine and Thomas R.A.R.P., op.cit.
37 Ibid, p. 80.
34
35
20
with: "redhead" for red headed person, "hands" for manual workers, "highbrow" for a
sophisticate, "tongues" for language, and "a boiling kettle" for the water in the
kettle. 3s
6. Allegory
Allegory is a narration or description that has a second meaning beneath the
surface. Although the surface story or description may have its own interest, the
poet's major interest is in the ulterior meaning. Allegory defined sometimes as an
extended metaphor and as a series of related symbols. In allegory there is usually a
one-to-one conespondence between the details and one single set of ulterior
meamngs.
The exanlples of allegorical is when pharaoh in the bible, for instance, has a
dream in which seven fat kine are devoured by seven lean kine, story does not really
become significant until Joseph interprets its allegorical meaning: that Egypt is to
enjoy seven years off fruitfulness and prosperity followed by seven years offamine. 39
7. Paradox
Paradox is a statement or sentiment that appears contradictory to common
sense yet is true in fact. Examples of paradox are "mobilization for peace" and "a
well-known secret agent". According to PelTine, a paradox is an apparent
contradiction that is nevertheless somehow true. It may be either a situation or a
statement from the speaker. The value of paradox is its shock value, for example:
"Laurence Perrine and Thomas R.A.R.P., op.cit., p. 100.
39 Ibid, p. 88.
21
when Alexander Pope wrote that a literary critic of his time would "damn with faint
praise," he was using a verbal paradox, for "how can a man damn by praising?,,4o
E. Thcmc
Theme is the critical idea of literary work41 . According to Pickering, theme is
also used sometimes to refer to the basic issue, problem, or subject with which the
work is concerncd. 42 In literary tenn, theme is the central idea or insight that unifies
the total work, it is also the main point an author wishes to make about his subject.
The readers also will be understand the main point of the poem if he or she known the
theme of the poem. Theme is what is made of the topic. It is the comment on the topic
that is implied in the process of the story43.
To get the theme of the poem, explication and some analysis of some
fundan1ental elements of poetry are very valuable. The ideas, issues, and elements of
poetry find theme. To find the theme of the poem we cannot avoid the elements
above.
Laurence Perrine and Thomas R.A.R.P.. ibid
Ibid., p. 23.
42 James H. Pickering and Jeffrey D. Hoeper. Concise Companion/o Literature. New York: Macmillan
Publishing, 1981. p. 61.
43 Cleanth Brooks and Rohert Penn Warren, Vilderstanding Fiction. New York, 1943. p. 412.
40
4\
CHAPTER III
THE ANALYSIS OF POEMS
To make a better literary competence in this research, the writer chooses the
descriptive objective approach, which describes and analyzes about the intrinsic
elements that used by a poet to make an easier interpretation and have good
understanding about the meaning of the poem. This research focused on the analysis
of the intrinsic elements of poetry. The writer also limited the research by analyzing
the imagery, figurative language, and the theme of each poem. These analyses help
the writer to understand the complicated language that used ineachp()em.
A. "The Lake Isle of Innisfree"
Written by: William Butler Yeats (1893)
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, ofclay and 'wattles made:
Nine bean-rows willI have there, a hive for the honeybee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
And I shall have some peace there. for peace comes dropping slow,
Droppingji-om the veils ofthe morning to where the cricket sings.
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening/illl ofthe linnel's wings.
I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake waleI' lapping with low sounds by the shore,
While I stand on the rvadway, vrvn the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep hearl's core.
5
10
23
"The Lake Isle of Irmisfree" is an interesting poem illat written by William
Butler Yeats in 1893. Yeats is one of the most influential poets of the twentieth
century among T.S. Elliot, Ezra Pounds, and the other poets. His well-known poem:
"The Lake Isle ofInnisfree", is related to a person who lives in the city, but longing
for living in the village, and be close to nature.
1. Analysis of Imagery
The images such visual or auditory imagery, are a mixture of poetic
descriptions of a realistic things such a beautiful plaee or tmth to live the images and
gives effect to the readers, whether a visual or auditory. As in the first stanza, the
speaker wants to go to a peaceful place, the speaker imagines building a small cabin
of "clay" and "wattles made" on the little island of lImisfree. Then, the speaker
dreanls about "living on beans and honey". There he will have "nine bean-rows" and
"a bee-hive", and "live alone" in the glade loud with the sOlmd of bees as the beeloud glade. Speaker seems wants to get away from his people or his society. He tells
those imageries to the readers as in the first stanza:
1 will arise and go now, and go to lnnisji'ee,
And a small cabin build there, ofclay and wattles made:
Nine bean-rows will! have there, a hive for the honeybee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
In the second stanza, the speaker imagines finding harmony on the island. He
has "peace" there and lives alone, and he describes that "peace" is "dropping" from
the veils of morning to where the cricket sings. The speaker describes the atmosphere
24
well, by imagining peace dropping from the moming sky. The readers know it when
speaker says:
And J shall have some peace there. fiJr peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping/i'om the veils I!fthe morning to where the cricket sings.
5
In the.third stanza, the speaker's thoughts and action in tins poem through
visual imagery develop more. First, the speaker brings out the visual imagery of the
colorful and beautiful sky at different parts of the day to the readers imagination, as
he says in 7 - 8th line:
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And eveningfull ofthe linnet's wings.
Then, in the last stanza, he states his decision to leave the "pavements grey" in
the city. The simple imagery of the quiet life of the speaker viewed in the early
stanza, as he describes each of its qualities. He tries to bring the readers into his ideal
fantasy, until the last line shocks the readers, when the speaker back into the reality of
his uninteresting urban lives, as in line II:
While J stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey
From here, readers can presume why the speaker chooses the word "grey". The
speaker used "the grey pavement" to symbolize the emptiness and unpleasant
situation which he feels in the city, as same as the "grey" color itself which is
unattractive. The image of the grey pavements of the city streets is more real than
many of the other images. First, because the speaker uses the future tense such as
"will" IUld "shall" in early stanza in this poem, then suddenly changes in the last part
25
of the stanza when speaker uses word "While I stand" whieh is present tense one.
Second, the speaker also uses contrast especially between the colorful images of the
island and the dull image of the city. For these reasons, speaker obsesses with the
sound oflake water and thoughts that he has to leave the city.
Moreover, when speaker uses words "Bee-loud", "cricket sings", "Linnet's
wings", and "water lapping", he tries to bring the auditory imagination to the nature.
So that, the readers can imagine and hears the sound of bee:, and seeing them buzz
around a field. The speaker also uses "I hear" twice. This word-choice emphasizes
that the auditory imagery as a main image in this poem. When the speaker says: "I
hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore" (line: 10), he makes Innisfree
scems more peaceful and calm. The sound of water flowing usually perceived as
peaceful also brings the readers imagination to the peaceful beauty of water flowing
over rocks.
In the last stanza, readers know that the speaker is in the city. He admits that
he has a deep need to live in a beautiful place whieh encircled by the sound of water.
The speaker then hears his heart yearning for an idea to go there, which he hears
within himself. As in the last lines:
1 hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
10
While 1 stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
1hear it in the deep heart's core.
From overall imageries found in this poem, they are essentially based on two
contrasting images that are the different atmosphere between the city and the
Innisfree. For example, the colors "purple" and "grey" show this contrasting point.
26
The village (Innisfree) is bright and musical while the city is dreary and gloomy. The
readers can see this difference if they contrast "lake water lapping" on the island
(line: I), to the "roadway" in the city where there is no peace (line: II).
2. Analysis of Figurative Language
The speaker's words are simple. However, their meanings are more complex.
He uses figurative language, such as:
a. Metaphor
Metaphor is kind of figure of speech in which a comparison is made between
two things essentially unlike. Metaphor is use of a word or phrase denoting one kind
of idea or object in place of another word or phrase, for suggesting a likeness between
the two. According to Barnet, a metaphor asserts the identity, without a connective
such as "like" or a verb such as "appears", of terms which are literally incompatible. 44
In this poem, the speaker uses metaphor in comparing and contrasting. For
example, "the morning" does not literally or really have "veil". This word suggests
"mists" in the sky. Then, word "peace" and "drop" also do not have a physical sense.
The word "dropping" therefore, is also a metaphor when it uses with word "peace".
Then, when the speaker in the poem says: "And evening full of the linnet's
wings" (line 8), this means that the sky is not literally means full of linnet's wings.
By reading more into it, readers can understand that the speaker's meaning is the
"birds' wings".
44
Barnet. et.al., 1961. op.cit., p. 63.
27
Moreover, in the last stanza, when speaker says, "I hear it in the deep heart's
core", this is also a metaphor because the ear does not really connect to the heart. It is
a way to emphasize the deep and the spiritual feelings of the speaker himself.
b. Symbol
Symbol is a figure of speech, which has meaning more than what it is.
Symbols appear in the poem when the speaker uses the color representation to build
the peaceful atmosphere of Innisfree, then it compares with the grey atmosphere in
the city: "There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow" (line: 7), and
"While 1 sland on Ihe roadway, or on the pavements grey" (line: II). The word
"purple" and "grey" which used by the speaker, show the contrasting-element. The
speaker uses "purple:' as a symbol of the softness and the musical atmosphere in
Innisfree. While "grey" symbolizes the dreary and the tmattractive atmosphere of the
city.
d. Personification
Personification occurs when the speaker attributes an inanimate object,
concept, or an abstract idea with human qualities or with hum:m action. In this poem,
the speaker used personification by attributes:
1 hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore (line: 10)
In the line above, the speaker tries to personify the sOlmd of wave in the lake by using
word "lapping" which means to hit, and obviously, this is one: of the human actions.
In addition, word "lapping" also gives an auditory effect, because the readers can
easily imagine the sound of water in lake
28
From all of figurative language that found in this poem, "The Lake Isle of
Innisfree" contains various figurative language such metaphor, symbol, synecdoche,
and personification, in which each of those figurative language represents both sides
of the village and the city. The speaker try to make the readers believe and sure about
the beauty of natural world around the Innisfree, by making some companson,
analogies, symbols, and personification of every things or parts of it.
3. Analysis of Theme
It is important for the readers to get theme as the central idea of poem, before
understanding the message from speaker through his poem, To get the ideas that
supported the theme of this poem, the writer tries to make some description.
As it has discussed in previous discussion, the persona (the speaker) in "The
Lake Isle ofInnisfree" wants to get out of the city and go to some peaceful place. The
speaker loves Innisfree because he can get away from his city and return to natural
world. the speaker also found this runaway as a new alternative way to unfold his
boring life. For him, the perfect place to be free and have peaee must be Innisfree. In
addition, this takes the readers' imagination to an is
AND THEME IN MODERN ENGLISH POETRY
A PAPER
Submitted to the Faculty of Adab and Humanities
In a Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For The Degree of Strata I (S 1)
By
PUTRAFAJAR
ｎｉｾＮＱＰＲ ＶＰＲＴＶＰＵ
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF ADAB AND HUMANITIES
SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY
JAKARTA
2007
APPROVAL SHEET OF THE ADVl[SOR
THE ANALYSES OF IMAGERY, FIGURATIVKLANGUAGE,
AND THEME IN MODERN ENGLISH POETRY
A PAPER
Submitted to the Faculty of Adab and Humanities
In a Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For The Degree of Strata I (S I)
By
PUTRAFAJAR
102026024605
ｎｉｾＮ
Advisor:
ｲ-'ｾ
------
InayatuI Chusna, 8.8., M.Hum.
NIP. 150331 233
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF ADAB AND HUMANITIES
SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY
JAKARTA
2007
APPROVAL SHEET OF THE EXAMINATllON BOARD
A Paper entitled "The Analyses of Imagery, FigUl'ative Language, and
Theme in Modern English Poetry" was examined by The Examination Board of
Faculty of Adab and Humanities, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University
Jakarta, on Tuesday, March 06, 2007. This Paper has been accepted as a Partial
Fulfillment of the Requiremeuts for acquiring the Degree of Strata I (S 1) in English
Department.
Jakarta, March 06, 2007
THE EXAMINATION BOARD:
-I;;'!:J
Chief,
Drs. ASllp Saefuddin, M.Pd.
NIP. 150261902
DR. M.
khan M.Pd.
NIE 0299 480
MEMBERS:
Examiner I,
Examiner II,
ｃｴＮｖｾ
nini Masitah, S.S., M.Hum.
NIP. 150317724
\
ｾ
Drs. H. Abdul Hamid, M.Ed.
NIP. 150 181 922
ｉａｾ
Inayatul Chusna, S.S., M.Hum.
NIP. 150331233
This Paper is dedicated to my Mother:
Ibunda Dra. Nurfahdriana,
and to my Father:
Ayahanda Drs. Asril Djoni, M.Si.
"thank you for being my inspirations"
- Putra Fajar,
2007 -
In endless rain I've been walking
Like a poet feeling pain
Trying to find the answers
Tlying to hide the tears
But it was just a circle
That never ends
Am I wrong to be hurt?
Am r wrong to fee! plIin?
Am I wrong to be in the rain?
Am I wrong to wish the night won't end?
Am I wrong to cry?
But I know, It's not wrong to sing The Last Song
Cause forever fades
I see red
I see blue
But the silver lining gradually takes over
When the morning begins
I'll be in the next chapter
- X Japan"The Last Song"
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Praise be to Allah,
Lord of the Universe. And Peace and Prayers be upon His final Prophet and
Messenger, Muhammad.
First, the writer would like to give thanks to his pan:nts: Dra. Nurfahdriana
(mother), and Drs. Asril Djoni, M.Si. (father). Thank you for supporting the writer,
and always give everything in the writer's life.
The writer is deeply grateful to his advisor, Mrs. Inayatul Chusna, M.Hum.,
for the great contributions, and helps the writer in finishing this paper. Thanks for all
that she has given to the writer, and may Allah SWT bless her and her family.
Moreover, the writer wishes to say gratitude to these following persons:
I. DR. H. Abdul Chaer, M.A., the Dean of Faculty of Adab and Humanities,
SyarifHidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta.
2. DR. M. Farkhan, M.Pd., the Head of Department of English Literature.
3. Drs. Asep Saefuddin, M.Pd., the Secretary of Department of English
Literature.
4. All lecturers in Department of English Literature: who had taught arld
educated the writer during his study at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic
University Jakarta.
5. To the writer's good friends at Department of English Literature,
especially: Junaedi, S.S (Omponk), Tatang Suryana (Nana-choy), Yaman
(Q-mhoy), Ahmad Muzamil (Samil); Sandi Adrian (Bule), Ikhsan
Wahyudi (I-can), Agus SaefuITohman (Ustad Agus), Mustika Dendi
(Sinyo), and to all of the writer's iiiends who cannot be mentioned one by
one for giving spirit and motivation.
6. To all the writer's inspirational musicians: Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page),
Nirvana (Kllli Cobain), U2 (Mr. Bono), Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage,
Ranlmstein, Dream Theater, Metallica, Helloween, Joe Satriani, Rage
Against The Machine, X Japan, Luna Sea, Ｌｬ･ｩｃＭｮﾷｾ｣ｲａＧｌ
and Dewa 19
(Dhani-Jenggot). Thank you for the music, spirit and motivation that they
all give to the writer during the regression and the writer's boring time.
May Allah SWT bless us all, and finally, the writer is sure that this paper is
far from being perfect. Honestly, the writer hopes iliat ally suggestioll or criticism can
enrich this paper more scientifically.
Jakarta, January 2007
PutraPajar
ABSTRAK
Putra Fajar. "The An:l!yses of Imagery, Figurative Language and Theme in
Modern English Poetry". Strata I (S 1). Jurusan Bahasa dan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas
Adab dan Hl1111aniora, Universitas Islanl Negeri SyarifHidayatullah Jakarta, 2007.
Peneliti membahas mengenai tiga puisi Inggris moderen pada awal dan pertengahan
abad ke-dua puluh. Puisi-puisi tersebut antara lain adalah: "The Lake Isle of
bmi.\ji'ee" oleh William Butler Yeats, "Fern Hill" oleh Dylan Thomas, dan "The
Horses" oleh Edwin Muir. Dalam penelitian ini, pl:neliti ml:nggunakan pendekatan
kualitatif, yaitu analisa mengenai unsur-unsur intrinsik yang diglmakan oleh seorang
penyair untuk membuat penafsiran yang lebih sederhana, dan mempunyai
pemahaman yang baik dalanl memaharni arti dari sebuah puisi. Penulis juga
membatasi penelitian ini dengan menganalisa Ul1sur imajinasi, penggunaan gaya
bahasa, dan tema yang ada didalam puisi-puisi tersebut. Untuk memahami puisi
seeara mendalarn, penulis menggunakan metode deskriptif analisis. Dari analisa
imajinasi dan gaya bahasa didalarn penelitian ini, peneliti menemukan tema dari "The
Lake Isle of Innisfree" adalah "melepaskan did dari rutinitas kehidupan urban di
perkotaan, dan kembali ke alarn yang membuat hidup seseorang terasa darnai dan
lebih berarti". Kemudian tema dari "Fern Hill" adalah "peIjalal1an kehidupan seorang
manusia dari sejak masa keeil, menjadi dewasa, dan akhirnya tua, selia realisasi dari
kematian yang seeara keseluruhan di representasikan oleh penyair melalui simbolsimbol alam". Dan tema dari "The Horses" adalah "kembali pada alam dan kepada
kehidupan awal mal1usia yang mumi dan sederhana".
ABSTRACT
Putra Fajar. "The Analyses of Imagery, Figurative Language and Theme in
Modern English Poetry". Strata I (S I) Degree. English Department, Faculty of
Adab and Humanities, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakmta, 2007.
The researcher discusses three-modern English poetry in early and the middle of 2010
century. The poems and poets are as follows: "The Lake Isle ofInnisfree" by William
Butler Yeats, "Fern Hill" by Dylan Thomas, and "The Horses" by Edwin Muir. [n
this research the writer uses the qualitative approach, which lmalyzes about intrinsic
elements that used by a poet to make an easier interpretation and have good
understanding about the meaning of the poems. The writer also limited the research
on analyzing imagery and figurative language, and the theme of the poem. To analyze
the data, the writer uses the descriptive analysis technique. From the analysis of
imagery, figurative language ai1d theme, the writer fuund that the theme of "The Lake
Isle of Innisfree" is about "escaping from the rush of modem living in the city and
longing for the living in the village that closes to nature". The theme of "Fern Hill" is
represents "the definite-movement of human life from childhood to adulthood, until
the realization of his mortality, which represented by the symbols of nature". And the
thcme of "The Horses" is "retum to nature and to a simple and innocent way of
human life".
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
APPROVAL SHEET OF THE ADVISOR
APPROVAL SHEET OF THE EXAMINATION BOARD
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
1
ABSTRACT
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
v
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION
I
A. Background of The Research
I
B. Focus of The Study...
7
C. Research Question
,....................
7
D. Significance of The Research
7
E. Research Methodology
7
1. Objective of The Research
7
2 The Method of The Research
8
3. Tec1mique of Data Analysis
8
4. InstIument of The Research
8
5. Unit Analysis
8
6. Place And Time
9
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
10
A. Romantic Poetry
.
13
B. Modem Poetry
.
14
C. Imagery
..
15
D. Figurative Language
..
16
1. Simile
.
17
2. Metaphor
.
18
.
18
3. Personification
,
4. Symbol
19
5. Metonymy
19
6. Allegory
20
7. Paradox
... -
-
E. Theme
CHAPTER III: THE ANALYSIS OF POEMS
.
20
21
22
A. The Lake Isle ofInnisfree
22
1. Analysis ofImagery
23
2. Analysis of Figurative Language
26
3. Analysis of Theme
28
B. Fern Hill
30
1. Analysis of Imagery
32
2. Analysis of Figurative Language
34
3. Analysis of Theme
40
C. The Horses
42
1. Analysis ofImagery
43
2. Analysis of Figurative Language
47
3. Analysis of Theme
53
CHAPTER IV: CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
55
A. Conclusion
55
B. Suggestion
56
BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDIX
A. Tahle of Imagery
B. Table of Figurative Language
C. Table of Theme .
58
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Researeh
Poetry can have many definitions and forms. It can be philosophical,
emotional, or sentimental. It can paint pictures, in a descripti ve mode, or tell stories,
in a narrative one. Poetry can also be satirical, funny, political, or just informative. A
definition that underscores the distinctiveness of poetry from other kinds of literary
work might be: poetry is a language in which every word choice, sound, pause, and
image is significant. It is significant because every element points toward or stands
together for further relationship among and beyond themselves.
As a unique media of communication, poetry is created in a brief and
concentrated foml of language. Its elements are figures, and poetry itself is a
language of figures, which each component can potentiaJly open toward new
meanings, levels, dimensions, or connections. Poetry does this through an intricate
pattern of words, and it offers language as highly organized as language can be. No
word is idle or accidental; each word has a specific place within an overarching
pattern. Together they create meaningful and beautiful designs of words.
ages. Each text on poetry's stanza holds its own values £lad cultures. Poetry has
grown and developed from time to time, and brought
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in literary work,
which are imaginative expressions, expressive and naturalistic by entirely. This
achievement is a continued-process, from thoughts, values, and the ideas from the
periods before.
As one of literary genre, poetry is also influenced by movements, which
become a role model or trend in literary world at that time. Even, this factor beeomes
a model of the literary work in a specific period and represents the characteristic of
the literary work itself. 2 In fact, literary movement has grown and developed in
Europe. From all of the movements existed, they essentially based on Realism and
Expressionism. The other movements, which based on mind thinking and life
orientation, is like Materialism and Idealism. Moreover, literary movements that
closer to Realism is Impressionism, Naturalism, and Detemlinism. On the other side,
literary movements, which are closer to Expressionism, are Romantieism,
Symbolism, Idealism, Surrealism, and Mysticism. Some of those literary movements
that we have recognized and become the role model of many poets whether in
I Laurence Perrine and Thomas R.A.R.P.. Sound and Sense: An Introduction 10 Poetl)' Eight Edition.
Orlando: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1992. p. 3.
2 Adapted from: Zainuddin Fananie, Te/aah Sas/ra. Surakarta: MUhammadiyah University Press, 2000.
p.48.
3
Indonesia, or in other countries are Romanticism, Romantic-Idealism, RomanticRealism, Expressionism, Naturalism, and Imagism.
Romanticism is a literary movement that based on feeling expression and
imagination. To describe these mentioned, a poet always explains the reality of life
into the most beautiful forn1 of language and words. The aim of this movement is to
make the readers could be touched by the lyric or by words emotionally. Therefore,
the poet usually arranges every existing distortion and conflicts dramatically and
completely.3 For example, a beautiful girl character is always described as perfect as
possible, without any handicaps. It has to be perfect. The same thing is also viewed
on the natural beauty themes, or even a possible sorrow, which are usually described
in details. A Romantic poet usually thinks how to touch the readers emotionally. At
the end, the readers will be drown into the lyric that has naITated by the poet.
Romantic poetry is a kind ofliterary movement that is distinguished by enthusiasm to
life and simple way of living, and natural view. attention to the original belief, the
spontaneity in mind and acts and also mind expression. 4
Meanwhile, modcrnism in poctry that had come by the end of 19 th century and
early 20'h century represented the result of the literary development from the previous
periods. Of course, the development of modem poetry CaImot be separated from the
influence of mind concept, figures of speech and theme aspects, which have existed
in the previous movements. Among the modernist, there are so many movements,
] Ibid, p. 49 - 50.
, Adapted from: Panuti Sudjiman. Kallllls ISIilah Saslra. Jakarta: PT Gramedia, 1984. p. 65 - 66.
4
such as Imagism, pioneered by Ezra Pound, also T.S. Eliot with his Metaphysics
poem, and other movement like Realism, and Naturalism. English poets of the early
twentieth century declined to follow the examples of Yeats and Pound, and yet were
also dissatisfied by much late Victorian verse. Some looked further back to the
Romantics for a mode of literary survival. 5 Therefore, Modernism is a movement in
the literary world and art that attempt to determine the relationship of past time and
looking for new fonns in expression. 6
Even though the Romantic pattern does not appear entirely in the modern
poetry, there are some of modern poets who try to return to the beauty and natural
themes. These themes represent the characteristic of the Romantic poetry. Among
them, are Willianl Butler Yeats, Dylan Thomas, and Edwin Muir. Those Romantic
characteristics appeared on their poem. The poems are as follows: "The Lake Isle of
Innisfree" by William Butler Yeats, "Fern Hill" by Dylan Thomas, and "The
Horses" by Edwin Muir that according to tlle writer have the aspects of
Romanticism.
One of those modem poets whom the writer researched is Willianl Butler
Yeats. In 1899 Yeats published "The Wind Among The Reeds", a book of poems
which was the culminating of the early symbolist manner. 7 He created a hierarchy of
symbols and moods attendant upon them. The four elements, which he found in stars,
See: Richards Elmann and Robert O'Clair. A10dern Poems: An Introduction To Poetry. New York:
W. W. Norton & Company, 1976. p. 491.
6 Ibid., p. 50.
7 Richards Elmann and Robert O'Clair, op.cit" p. 488.
5
5
sea, winds, and woods, become aspects of feeling; bird and beast alike were
expressing the human passion. From those elements, showed the existence of the
Romantic characteristics, in which had a beauty and natural themes that represented
into the specific symbols.
Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea, Wales, and educated at Swansea
Granmlar School. He was "discovered" as a poet in 1933 through a poetry contest in
a popular newspaper. The following year his Eighteen Poems caused considerable
excitement because of the strange violence of their imagery and their powerfully
suggestive obscurity. It looked as through a new kind of strength and Romantic
picturesqueness had been restored to English poetry after the deliberately muted tones
of Eliot and his followers. 8 Thomas did not, however, turns out to be the founder of a
Neo-Romantic movement, though some early critics took him to be so. As his poetry
became better known, and after he had clarified the somewhat clotted imagery of his
early style in his later voltmles: The Map of Love (1939), Death and Entrances
(1946), and Collected Poems (1953), it became clear that Thomas was an extremely
"craftmanlike" poem, and not the shouting rhapsodist that some had taken him to be.
His images were most carefully ordered in a patterned sequence, arid his major theme
was the unity of all life, the continuing process of life, death, and new life which
linked the generations to each other. 9
8 M. H. Abrams, eLa!., The Norton Anthology ofEnglish Literature Third Edition. New York; W. W.
Norton & Company Inc., 1974. p. 236 I-2362.
9 Ibid
6
The other poet, Edwin Muir (1887 - 1959) was always fascinated by time, by
links between generations, by the modern meaning of ancient myths, and by the
question of identity and change. These interests provide the themes of almost all his
poetry. Even though if he had few themes, the grave precision of his language, the
translucent quality of his imagery, the supple, unforced rhythms, and the delicacy of
observation and of sensibility that underlies all this, combine to make poetry of
remarkable individuality and power. 10
Referring to the explanation above, and by the attention to these dynamic
development in literary world especially poetry in the early of 20 th century, also with
the return of the aspects of Romanticism into these modern English poetry, the writer
is interested in analyzing those poems. The analysis in this research focused on the
analysis of the intrinsic elements of poetry, they are imagery, figurative language, and
the theme of the selected poems. Then, the title of this paper is "The Analysis of
Imagery, Figurative Language, and Theme in Modern English Poetry".
10
M. H. Abrams. et.al., ibid., p. 2315.
7
B. Focus of the Study
The research is focused on the analysis of the intrinsic elements of poetry,
they are imagery, figurative language, and theme of each poem.
C. Research Question
The question of the research is:
What types of imagery, figurative language and theme are utilized in the
poems of "The Lake Isle ofInnisjree" by William Butler Yeats, "Fern Hill" by Dylan
Thomas, and "The Horses" by Edwin Muir?
D. Significance of the Research
In this research, the writer have the expectation that the readers can analyzc
the literary work especially poetry, from various aspect, context and those figurative
language, without forgetting and leaving the aesthetic and emotional values that
contained on it's stanza. The writer also hopes that tlus research can give any
significance and infonnation to the readers, especially those who enjoy, understand,
and appreciate the romantic poetry, whether in English Department or in common
people, to enrich the English literature study.
E. Research Methodology
1. The Objective of the Research
The objective of the research is:
To find the types of imagery, figurative language, and the theme in "The Lake
Isle ofInnisfree" by William Butler Yeats, "Fern Hill" by Dylan Thomas, and "The
Horses" by Edwin Muir.
8
2. The Method of the Research
Every researcher insists to use a methodology in the sdentific researches. The
attempt to identifY and describe significant qualities in several poetries must be based
on the research principles in which results of the research can be justified and
regarded as an achievement in scientific atmosphere.
This research uses method of qualitative description, which concems with the
imagery, figurative language and the themes of the three poems selected.
3. Technique of Data Analysis
In this research, the writer uses the qualitative analysis technique, through
textual approach, which based on those intrinsic aspects of poetry, namely: the
imagery, figurative language and the theme of three selected poems.
4. Instrument of the Research
The researcher himself is the instrument of this research. The Data, which
related to the three selected poems, will be obtained by scanning and tabulation.
5. Unit of Analysis
The unit of analysis of the research is three-modem poetry in early and the
middle of 20 th century. The poems, and poets, are as follows: "The Lake Isle of
Innisji-ee" by William Butler Yeats, "Fern Hill" by Dylan Thomas, and "The
Horses" by Edwin Muir.
9
6. Place and Time
This research took place in the Library of Department of English Literature
Faculty of Adab & Humanities, American Corner, and The Center Library of Syarif
Hidayatullah State Islamic University. The research was also taken place in several
libraries such as: the British Council Library, and the Library of the Cultural Science
Department, The University of Indonesia. The writer started doing this research from
January 02, 2006 until February 06, 2007.
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL FRAMEWOH.K
A. Romantic Poetry
Romanticism is a literary movement that lasted from around years 1750 to
about 1870 in Europe. Characterized by the reliance on the imagination, subjectivity
of approach. freedom of thought expression. and idealization of nature, the term
Romantic first appeared in 18th-century. It originally meant "romance-like", which
resembles the fanciful character of medieval romances. Romantic literature and
poetry is strong in many of the European Countries. Although the adjective
"Romantic" derives ultimately from the word that gIves us the expreSSIon "the
romance languages", it came to mean more than a language. It means also the quality
and preoccupations of literature written in those languages, especially "romances"
and stories. By the seventeenth century in English, the word "Romantic" had come to
mean anything from imaginative or fietitious, to fabulous or downright extravagant.
The use of term "Romantic" for the poetry of this period has folded the meanings
· d'It. 11
beh111
The Romantic period see also a shift in religious ideas. It was the first period
in English literature when many writers failed to find Christianity satisfying.
Although it was in the period a pronounced streak of rationalistic atheism, influenced
II Pat Rogers. et.al.. The 04o!'d Illustrated HistoJ)' o/English Literatu!'e. New York: Oxford
University Press Inc., 1987. p. 275.
11
by the writers of the French enlightenment, there is noticeable among the Romantic
poets a search for a spiritual reality.12 According to John Keats,13 in the search tor a
spiritual truth, the Romantic poets like used two faculties, which rationalism had
tended to discredit: feelings and imagination. The imagination in the Romantic period
was raised from being simply the faculty for creating fictions, pleasing perhaps, but
not necessarily true, to a method of apprehending and communicating truth. The
result was that thc searching for the spiritual truth bccame one in which the poet
played a greater role than before. The imagination, the peculiar gift of the poet, was
now enlisted in man's most important endeavor. 14
According to Margaret Drabble, Romanticism concerned with: the emotion,
imagination, individuality and a certain sense of opposition to what had gone before
which namely, the enlightenment of the late l71h and 18111 centuries with its espousal
of reason as the key to all understanding. Already it should be clear that there is some
common ground here. One problem, however, is that none of these terms can be
pinned down by a simple definition, because they are all suqject partly to culturally
fon11cd value systems, and partly to the slipperiness of language itself. IS
Moreover, the French Romantic poet named Charles Baudelaire (1821 1867), made the vital point that "Romanticism is precisely situated neither in choice
Ibid" p.277.
John Keats is the English poet, one ofthe most gifted of the 19th century and an influential figure in
the Romanic Movement. (from David Stevens. et.al., Romanticism. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 2004. p. Il.)
,.\ Pat Rogers. et. ai, op.cit" p.27S.
15 David Stevens. et.a!.. 0p.cil.
12
13
12
of subject, nor in exact truth, but in a way of feeling."
16
If the poetry of the
Romantics has tended to have a special place in the hearts of readers, it is because
those poems which are most clearly Romantic, are those, which particularly defy
explication and are in the supreme sense of "poetic". Romantic poetry pushes
experience to the utmost point, where there is no direct reference to the ordinary.
world. 17
The Romantic Movement purposes to seek a formal freedom, ll1creases
emotional effect, and use of ancient and folk sources
ｲｄｾｴ
poetry. In addition,
Romanticism emphasizes the creative expression of the individual and the need to
find and fonnulate new forms of expression. Romantic Poetry stresses strong
emotion, which now might include fear, wonder, and horror as aesthetic experiences
the individual imagination as a critical authority. There is a strong element of natural
inevitability in its ideas, stressing the importance of "nature" in literature and art. The
birth of English Romanticism is often connected to the publication in 1798 of
Wordsworth and Coleridge's "Lyrical Ballads".
The early Romantics try hard to understand the world through imagination,
not reason, and they distrust the world set out for them by Church and State. To these
hateful figures in the later nineteenth century, they add conmlerce and science,
16 In order to understand this "wtry offeeling" more profoundly, it is necessary to examine in some
detail the contextual factors at work. As a guiding principle, Marilyn Butler's insight rings true: "No
form is confined 10 a single political message. Evelylhing lurns on how il is used, and on how the
public al a given lime is ready 10 read it". (from: Romanlics, Rebels and Reactionaries. 1981), and the
reading must be in the fuliest, snggestive sense of the word: not only in the reading of printed text, but
also in the ways we might "read" a situation, or "read" someone's character. (ibid, p. 17.)
17 Pat Rogers. et. aI., op.cit., p.309.
13
creating a split in the point of view that pushes Romanticism into extreme positions,
such as Symbolism (rarefied symbols), Surrealism (irrational), and Dadaism (antisociety).
B. Modern Poetry
Modemism is a movement in the literary world and art, which attempt to find
out the relationship of past time and look for new fOlIDs in expression. IS Most serious
poetry today is still Modernist. Modemism in literature is not easily summarized, but
the key elements are experimentation, anti-realism, individualism and a stress on the
cerebral rather than emotive aspects. Modemism is a complex and diverse movement.
From Symbolism, it took allusiveness in style and an interest in rarefied mental
states. From Realism, it borrowed an urban setting, and a willingness to break taboos.
And from Romanticism came an artist-centered view, and retreat into irrationalism
and hallucinations.
19
Modernism in poetry is also an enterprise of the mind in which many poets,
over several generations and indifferent countries, sought to change most of the
assumptions about what poets write and what poetry does. The best known of these
writers were W. B. Yeats, Ezra Pound, and T. S. Eliot. Then followed by: Dylan
Thomas and Edwin Muir in the middle of twentieth century. Despite the English
poets of the early twentieth century declined to follow the examples of Yeats and
Pound, and yet were also dissatisfied by much late Victorian verse. Some of them
18
Adapted from: Pan uti Sudjiman., op.cil., p. 50.
19
Retrieved from http://www.poelrymagic.co.uk.html. accessed on January 21,2006.
14
looked further back to the Romantics for a mode of literary sllrvival. 20 The Modernist
had no wish to imitate the nineteenth-century poets, and to some extent rcacted
against them. Yet, paradoxically, any search for the origins of Modernism leads back
to Romanticism, that combination of literary and philosophical attitudes, which
dominated Europcan and American literature for most of the nineteenth-century.
21
Unlike the earlier literary movements, Romanticism provided an opporttmity for a
fuller and more diversified expression of oneself, for more various relations between
the poet and society. An element of subversion is probably presented in all great
poets. But in the early nineteenth-century, after the American and French
Revolutions, individuality rather than obedience to authority came to be seen as
positive, rather than antisocial or eccentric, and the guerrilla poets-outcast, victim,
misfit, radical, solitary, became a literary and popular model.
Additionally, Modernist poetry disavowed the traditional aesthetic claims of
Romantic poetry's later phase and no longer sought "beauty" as the highest
achievement of poetry. With this abandonment of the sublime came a turn away from
pastoral poetry and an attempt to focus poetry on urban, mechanical, and industrial
settings. The new heroes would not be swains laboring in the fields, but office
workers struggling across London Bridge, and the new settings would not be
20 See: Richards Elmann and Robert O'Clair, op.cir., p. 491.
" Ibid., p. 486.
15
"Romantic chasms deep and wide", but vacant lots, smoked over cities, and
subways.22
Modernism is a movement in the literary world and art that attempt to find out
the relationship of past time and looking for new f61111S in expression. Modern poetry
represents a great change of our mentality and a quick and 'vast extension of our
imaginative experience. "Nature" now lives for the poet as an independent presence,
a greater or equal power places side by side with nature or embracing and dominating
"nature" existence. Even, the objective vision and interpretation of "nature" has
develops, where it continues at all the older poetic method, strong and simply
beautifi.I1 or telling effects that satisfied an earlier imagination.
Modernism evolved by various routes. From Symboli:,m, it took allusiveness
in style and an interest in rarefied mental states. From Realism, it borrowed
an. urban
setting, alld a willingness to break taboos. And from Romanticism came an artistcentered view, and retreat into irrationalism and hallucinations?3
C. Imagery
Imagery maybe defined as the representation through language of sense
experience. Poetry appeals directly to our sense, of course through its music and
rhythms, which we actually hear when it is read aloud. But indirectly it appeals to our
sense through imagery, the representation to the imagination ofsense expel'ience.
" Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/modernist poetry in english html,
accessed on January 21,2006.
23 Retrieved from http://www.textete.comiaspects/a-modernism.html.
accessed on January 21,2006.
16
An image is a language used in such a way as to help us to see, hear, feel,
think about or generally understand more clearly or vividly what is being said or the
impression that the writer wishes to convey24 The word Image perhaps most often
suggests a mental picture, something sense in the mind's eye. Therefore, visual
imagery is the kind of imagery that occurs most frequently in poetry. But an image
may also represent a sound (auditory imagery); a smell (olfactory imagery); a taste
(gustatory imagery); touch, such as hardness, softness, wetness, or heat and cold
(tactile imagery); an internal sensation, such as ,hunger, thirst, fatigue, or nausea
(organic imagery); or movement or tension in the muscles. or joints (kinesthetic
imagery).25
Imagery usually calls a mental picture in a poem, where the readers can
expcrience what the poem says. Essentially the true "meaning" of a poem lies in the
total effect that it has upon the readers. Very often that effect stimulate a response
which is not just a reaction to what the poet has to say, but which draws on the
readers' own intellectual and emotional experience. Imagery can be of central
importance in creating this response within thc readers. 26
D. Figurative Language
Figurative Language or Figure of Speech is a word or group of words used to
give particular emphasis to an idea or sentiment. The special emphasis is typically
24 Steven Croft and Hellen Cross, Literature, Criticism, and Style. OXford: Oxford University Press,
2000. p. 56.
" Laurence Perrine and Thomas R.A.R.P.,op.cit., p. 49.
26 Steven Croft and Hellen Cross, op. cit., p. 56.
17
accomplished by the user's conscious deviation from the strict literal sense of a word,
or from the more commonly used form of word order or Sentence construction.
"Figure of speech is any way of saying something other than the ordinary way", 27
and we can say more by these figurative statement rather than by literal statement.
Figure of speech offers another way of adding extra dimension to language. A
number of the more widely used figure of speech, such as:
1. Simile
Simile is specific comparison by means of the words "like" or "as" between
two kinds of ideas or objects. Like a metaphor, simile also compares two different
things, but it uses a connective word. Simile is a figure of speech in which an explicit
comparison is made between two things essentially unlike. The comparison is made
explicit by the uses of some words or phrases as "like, as, than, similar to, resembles,
or seems.,,28 There are some examples of simile:
"How like a marriage is the season of clouds". (James Merrill)
"Seems he a dove? His feathers are but borrowed". (Shakespeare)29
In the line above, Merrill compares explicitly "the season of e1oud" to "a marriage",
while Shakespeare compares someone ("he") to "a dove". Merrill makes a similarity
between the seasons of clouds Witll a marriage, by comparing them. A marriage can
Laurence Perrine and Thomas R.A.R.P., op.cit., p. 61.
Ibid
29 Barnet ct.a!., An Introductivn to Literature. United States of America: Little Brown and Company
Inc., 1961. p. 66.
27
28
be happy, sad, even an anger, as same as the clouds of the season, it can be bright,
dark and cold, depend on the seasons.
2. Metaphor
Metaphor is the use of a word or phrase denoting one kind of idea or object in
place of another word or phrase for the purpose of suggesting a likeness between the
two. According to Barnet, a metaphor asserts the identity, without a connective such
as "like" or a verb such as "appears", of terms that are literally incompatible. 3D While
according to Perrine, metaphor is a figure of speech in which a comparison is made
between two things essentially unalike. 31 In someway metaphor is like a simile in that
it to create a comparison. "Often the metaphor actually describes the subject being the
thing to which it is compared.,,32 These definitions explain that metaphor is figure of
speech comparing two different things directly without using a connective word such
as "like, as, as if, similar to", for example: "'A dirty dog stole my money", the word
dirty dog means someone who stole the money, not really a dog.
3. Personification
Personification is a representation of inanimate objects or abstract ideas as
living beings. Personification is a type of metaphor in which distinct human qualities,
e,g., honesty, emotion, volition, etc., are attributed to animal, object 01' idea. 33 This
definition is similar to Perrine explanation that personification consists in giving tlle
30
Ibid" p. 63.
Laurence Perrine and Thomas R.A.R.P., op.cit., p, til.
Steven Croft and Hellen Cross, op.cil., p. 56.
33 Anonymous, The Poetic ofRobert Frost. Retrieved from:
httD://WWW.frostfriends.orgifigurative.hlml, p. 2. accessed on January 21, 2006,
31
32
19
attribute of human being to an animal, an object or a concept. It is really a subtype of
metaphor, an implied comparison in which the figurative term of the comparison is
always a human being. 34 Personification occurs when a poet attributes an inanimate
object or abstract idea with human qualities or actions. For example, in "Stopping By
Woods On A Snowy Evening", Robert Frost personifies the horse: "my little horse
must think it queer".35 Personifications differ in the degree to which they ask the
readers actually to visualize the literal term in human form. 36
4. Symbol
Symbol is thing that could be an object, person, situation or action, which
stands for something else more abstract. For exanlple, our flag is the symbol of our
country. According to Laurence Perrine in a literature, a symbol may be defined as
something that means more than what it is. 37 "The Road Not Taken" by Robert frost,
for instance, it symbolizes the choice in human life, such the choice of carrier and
profession.
5. Metonymy
Metonymy is a figure of speech that uses a concept closely related to the thing
actually meant. As writer said before, the substitution makes the analogy more vivid
and meaningful. Many metonymies and synecdoche, of course, like many metaphor,
so much of the language that they no longer strikes us as figurative, this is the case
Laurence Perrine and Thomas R.A.R.P., op.cit., p. 64.
Anonymous, The Poetic ofRobert Frost. op.cit.
36 Laurence Perrine and Thomas R.A.R.P., op.cit.
37 Ibid, p. 80.
34
35
20
with: "redhead" for red headed person, "hands" for manual workers, "highbrow" for a
sophisticate, "tongues" for language, and "a boiling kettle" for the water in the
kettle. 3s
6. Allegory
Allegory is a narration or description that has a second meaning beneath the
surface. Although the surface story or description may have its own interest, the
poet's major interest is in the ulterior meaning. Allegory defined sometimes as an
extended metaphor and as a series of related symbols. In allegory there is usually a
one-to-one conespondence between the details and one single set of ulterior
meamngs.
The exanlples of allegorical is when pharaoh in the bible, for instance, has a
dream in which seven fat kine are devoured by seven lean kine, story does not really
become significant until Joseph interprets its allegorical meaning: that Egypt is to
enjoy seven years off fruitfulness and prosperity followed by seven years offamine. 39
7. Paradox
Paradox is a statement or sentiment that appears contradictory to common
sense yet is true in fact. Examples of paradox are "mobilization for peace" and "a
well-known secret agent". According to PelTine, a paradox is an apparent
contradiction that is nevertheless somehow true. It may be either a situation or a
statement from the speaker. The value of paradox is its shock value, for example:
"Laurence Perrine and Thomas R.A.R.P., op.cit., p. 100.
39 Ibid, p. 88.
21
when Alexander Pope wrote that a literary critic of his time would "damn with faint
praise," he was using a verbal paradox, for "how can a man damn by praising?,,4o
E. Thcmc
Theme is the critical idea of literary work41 . According to Pickering, theme is
also used sometimes to refer to the basic issue, problem, or subject with which the
work is concerncd. 42 In literary tenn, theme is the central idea or insight that unifies
the total work, it is also the main point an author wishes to make about his subject.
The readers also will be understand the main point of the poem if he or she known the
theme of the poem. Theme is what is made of the topic. It is the comment on the topic
that is implied in the process of the story43.
To get the theme of the poem, explication and some analysis of some
fundan1ental elements of poetry are very valuable. The ideas, issues, and elements of
poetry find theme. To find the theme of the poem we cannot avoid the elements
above.
Laurence Perrine and Thomas R.A.R.P.. ibid
Ibid., p. 23.
42 James H. Pickering and Jeffrey D. Hoeper. Concise Companion/o Literature. New York: Macmillan
Publishing, 1981. p. 61.
43 Cleanth Brooks and Rohert Penn Warren, Vilderstanding Fiction. New York, 1943. p. 412.
40
4\
CHAPTER III
THE ANALYSIS OF POEMS
To make a better literary competence in this research, the writer chooses the
descriptive objective approach, which describes and analyzes about the intrinsic
elements that used by a poet to make an easier interpretation and have good
understanding about the meaning of the poem. This research focused on the analysis
of the intrinsic elements of poetry. The writer also limited the research by analyzing
the imagery, figurative language, and the theme of each poem. These analyses help
the writer to understand the complicated language that used ineachp()em.
A. "The Lake Isle of Innisfree"
Written by: William Butler Yeats (1893)
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, ofclay and 'wattles made:
Nine bean-rows willI have there, a hive for the honeybee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
And I shall have some peace there. for peace comes dropping slow,
Droppingji-om the veils ofthe morning to where the cricket sings.
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening/illl ofthe linnel's wings.
I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake waleI' lapping with low sounds by the shore,
While I stand on the rvadway, vrvn the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep hearl's core.
5
10
23
"The Lake Isle of Irmisfree" is an interesting poem illat written by William
Butler Yeats in 1893. Yeats is one of the most influential poets of the twentieth
century among T.S. Elliot, Ezra Pounds, and the other poets. His well-known poem:
"The Lake Isle ofInnisfree", is related to a person who lives in the city, but longing
for living in the village, and be close to nature.
1. Analysis of Imagery
The images such visual or auditory imagery, are a mixture of poetic
descriptions of a realistic things such a beautiful plaee or tmth to live the images and
gives effect to the readers, whether a visual or auditory. As in the first stanza, the
speaker wants to go to a peaceful place, the speaker imagines building a small cabin
of "clay" and "wattles made" on the little island of lImisfree. Then, the speaker
dreanls about "living on beans and honey". There he will have "nine bean-rows" and
"a bee-hive", and "live alone" in the glade loud with the sOlmd of bees as the beeloud glade. Speaker seems wants to get away from his people or his society. He tells
those imageries to the readers as in the first stanza:
1 will arise and go now, and go to lnnisji'ee,
And a small cabin build there, ofclay and wattles made:
Nine bean-rows will! have there, a hive for the honeybee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
In the second stanza, the speaker imagines finding harmony on the island. He
has "peace" there and lives alone, and he describes that "peace" is "dropping" from
the veils of morning to where the cricket sings. The speaker describes the atmosphere
24
well, by imagining peace dropping from the moming sky. The readers know it when
speaker says:
And J shall have some peace there. fiJr peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping/i'om the veils I!fthe morning to where the cricket sings.
5
In the.third stanza, the speaker's thoughts and action in tins poem through
visual imagery develop more. First, the speaker brings out the visual imagery of the
colorful and beautiful sky at different parts of the day to the readers imagination, as
he says in 7 - 8th line:
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And eveningfull ofthe linnet's wings.
Then, in the last stanza, he states his decision to leave the "pavements grey" in
the city. The simple imagery of the quiet life of the speaker viewed in the early
stanza, as he describes each of its qualities. He tries to bring the readers into his ideal
fantasy, until the last line shocks the readers, when the speaker back into the reality of
his uninteresting urban lives, as in line II:
While J stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey
From here, readers can presume why the speaker chooses the word "grey". The
speaker used "the grey pavement" to symbolize the emptiness and unpleasant
situation which he feels in the city, as same as the "grey" color itself which is
unattractive. The image of the grey pavements of the city streets is more real than
many of the other images. First, because the speaker uses the future tense such as
"will" IUld "shall" in early stanza in this poem, then suddenly changes in the last part
25
of the stanza when speaker uses word "While I stand" whieh is present tense one.
Second, the speaker also uses contrast especially between the colorful images of the
island and the dull image of the city. For these reasons, speaker obsesses with the
sound oflake water and thoughts that he has to leave the city.
Moreover, when speaker uses words "Bee-loud", "cricket sings", "Linnet's
wings", and "water lapping", he tries to bring the auditory imagination to the nature.
So that, the readers can imagine and hears the sound of bee:, and seeing them buzz
around a field. The speaker also uses "I hear" twice. This word-choice emphasizes
that the auditory imagery as a main image in this poem. When the speaker says: "I
hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore" (line: 10), he makes Innisfree
scems more peaceful and calm. The sound of water flowing usually perceived as
peaceful also brings the readers imagination to the peaceful beauty of water flowing
over rocks.
In the last stanza, readers know that the speaker is in the city. He admits that
he has a deep need to live in a beautiful place whieh encircled by the sound of water.
The speaker then hears his heart yearning for an idea to go there, which he hears
within himself. As in the last lines:
1 hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
10
While 1 stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
1hear it in the deep heart's core.
From overall imageries found in this poem, they are essentially based on two
contrasting images that are the different atmosphere between the city and the
Innisfree. For example, the colors "purple" and "grey" show this contrasting point.
26
The village (Innisfree) is bright and musical while the city is dreary and gloomy. The
readers can see this difference if they contrast "lake water lapping" on the island
(line: I), to the "roadway" in the city where there is no peace (line: II).
2. Analysis of Figurative Language
The speaker's words are simple. However, their meanings are more complex.
He uses figurative language, such as:
a. Metaphor
Metaphor is kind of figure of speech in which a comparison is made between
two things essentially unlike. Metaphor is use of a word or phrase denoting one kind
of idea or object in place of another word or phrase, for suggesting a likeness between
the two. According to Barnet, a metaphor asserts the identity, without a connective
such as "like" or a verb such as "appears", of terms which are literally incompatible. 44
In this poem, the speaker uses metaphor in comparing and contrasting. For
example, "the morning" does not literally or really have "veil". This word suggests
"mists" in the sky. Then, word "peace" and "drop" also do not have a physical sense.
The word "dropping" therefore, is also a metaphor when it uses with word "peace".
Then, when the speaker in the poem says: "And evening full of the linnet's
wings" (line 8), this means that the sky is not literally means full of linnet's wings.
By reading more into it, readers can understand that the speaker's meaning is the
"birds' wings".
44
Barnet. et.al., 1961. op.cit., p. 63.
27
Moreover, in the last stanza, when speaker says, "I hear it in the deep heart's
core", this is also a metaphor because the ear does not really connect to the heart. It is
a way to emphasize the deep and the spiritual feelings of the speaker himself.
b. Symbol
Symbol is a figure of speech, which has meaning more than what it is.
Symbols appear in the poem when the speaker uses the color representation to build
the peaceful atmosphere of Innisfree, then it compares with the grey atmosphere in
the city: "There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow" (line: 7), and
"While 1 sland on Ihe roadway, or on the pavements grey" (line: II). The word
"purple" and "grey" which used by the speaker, show the contrasting-element. The
speaker uses "purple:' as a symbol of the softness and the musical atmosphere in
Innisfree. While "grey" symbolizes the dreary and the tmattractive atmosphere of the
city.
d. Personification
Personification occurs when the speaker attributes an inanimate object,
concept, or an abstract idea with human qualities or with hum:m action. In this poem,
the speaker used personification by attributes:
1 hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore (line: 10)
In the line above, the speaker tries to personify the sOlmd of wave in the lake by using
word "lapping" which means to hit, and obviously, this is one: of the human actions.
In addition, word "lapping" also gives an auditory effect, because the readers can
easily imagine the sound of water in lake
28
From all of figurative language that found in this poem, "The Lake Isle of
Innisfree" contains various figurative language such metaphor, symbol, synecdoche,
and personification, in which each of those figurative language represents both sides
of the village and the city. The speaker try to make the readers believe and sure about
the beauty of natural world around the Innisfree, by making some companson,
analogies, symbols, and personification of every things or parts of it.
3. Analysis of Theme
It is important for the readers to get theme as the central idea of poem, before
understanding the message from speaker through his poem, To get the ideas that
supported the theme of this poem, the writer tries to make some description.
As it has discussed in previous discussion, the persona (the speaker) in "The
Lake Isle ofInnisfree" wants to get out of the city and go to some peaceful place. The
speaker loves Innisfree because he can get away from his city and return to natural
world. the speaker also found this runaway as a new alternative way to unfold his
boring life. For him, the perfect place to be free and have peaee must be Innisfree. In
addition, this takes the readers' imagination to an is