Review of Related Studies
11 is words that establish an analogy between objects without actually saying.
However, it directly suggests comparison of two things by creating as equation. The use of metaphor in a song is to explain and elucidate emotion, feelings, and
relationship between other elements that probably cannot be explained directly in usual language. Metaphor is when a word has two meaning; literal meaning and
‘transferred’ meaning Palmer 1976: 103. Here are the analysis of metaphor. Metaphor
Literal meaning transferred meaning
For example, red, in literal meaning is a word to describe a color. When someone mentions the word red, people will know exactly what it is in mind. If
red is mentioned in another term like in a song, it will have different meaning. Red probably will have ‘transferred’ meaning. For example ‘…but loving him was red’
Taylor Swift – Red. Red in here has a different meaning, red in this sentence has
transferred meaning because the writer uses ‘red’ to compare something. Red in
this context has meaning as the description of loving someone. “…but loving him
was red ” this lyric means, loving him was so intense and usually the emotion of
‘intense’ is symbolized with red. Red
Color emotion of ‘intense’
12 For this example, the word ‘Red’ has no relation between literal meaning and
transferred meanings. The transferred meaning usually pervades our conceptual system. It means that, the transferred meaning could be interpreted from
experience and knowledge in daily life. Most of the evidence of interpreting the meaning of the metaphor has come from the human experience and sense Lakoff
1980: 115. Larson, in her book, she divides metaphor into two classifications that are
dead metaphor and live metaphor. Dead metaphor is a figurative language that the usage of it is already well-known among people. Usually, when people state one
of dead metaphor, they will know it for sure the meaning of its metaphor because the expression is a kind of familiar and used in daily life. People will have no
concern how dead metaphor is formed because it is already common and they often use it as daily conversation Larson, 1998: 249.
It’s time to face the music is one of the example of dead metaphor.
This metaphor has meaning ‘to face the punishment’. In the literal meaning music is harmony of an instrument. There is
no relation between music and punishment. This metaphor is really common among people in daily life. Dead metaphor is also known as idiom. Idiom is
considered as dead metaphor and vice versa. In the usage of idiom, people would not think about the comparison in literal meaning nor transferred meaning.
Live metaphor can be categorized as a new term or classification of metaphor. Live metaphor is made by author and usually the meaning of this
metaphor could be known by explaining the meaning of the word. Live metaphor is made by an author to give implicit message toward the audience. Live metaphor
13 can give a lesson to the audience by an expression. Everyone can make a new live
metaphor because live metaphor is free, it is not bounded to any expression. Live metaphor is usually used to make the audience of the artwork have their own
imagination towards the metaphor. In a simple way live metaphor is a figurative language that is made in an event and able to be understood without any additional
information. Live metaphor is really common to be used in lyrics. The author will create new metaphor live metaphor or use dead metaphor to deliver a message
through song.