Cognitive Poetics Theoretical Concepts

suspicion by Indonesian government. People were intimidated and lived in terror. Some were forced to flee across the border of Indonesian and Papua New Guinea and lived in exile. 36 The annexation and mal-administration by Indonesian government has fostered Papuan nationalism. West Papuan experience of Indonesian colonialization has caused the raising of what is called by Johanes Baptist Metz as memoria passionis or collective memories of suffering that they long for freedom. It is estimated that over ninety per cent of the West Papuans in that time wanted independence. 37

3. Theoretical Concepts

This section discusses several concepts that are considered important in the analysis of Bob Marley and The Black Brothers’ lyrics in relation to each respectives socio-political sphere. These are the entry points into the journey to understand the wit of literary work in criticizing hegemonic and oppressive power domination.

3.1. Cognitive Poetics

Steinholt 38 uses the concept of cognitive poetics to link up the relation between the disciplines of literature and music through the study of words in song lyrics. Since communication in music happen lyrically, examination of the lyric is 36 Glazebrook, Diana. Permissive Residents West Papuan Refugees Living in Papua New Guinea, p. 5. 37 Saltford, John. The Anatomy of Betrayel: The United Nations and the Indonesian Takeover of West Papua, 1962-1969, p. 78. 38 Steinholt, Yngvar B. Cognitive Poetics in the analysis of Popular Music: A new approach to song lyric? Bergen University. Web. 12 December. 2013. http:www.hum.uit.noasteinholtcog_poe.pdf. necessary. One way to accomplish it is through cognitive poetic analysis. He uses Peter Stockwells cognitive poetics concept, namely reading which involves mental process and poetics concern on the craft of literature. It is a reading which not only focuses on the text itself but also the context that also plays an important role in constructing the meaning. In short, cognitive poetic is an approach to a literary work through a close analysis of both text and context. Cognitive poetics is all about reading literature since cognition is to do with mental process in reading, while poetics concerns with the literary crafts. Reading literary texts is not just an ordinary type of reading and should be treated in a certain way. Ordinary types of reading is when people just read for themselves and feel happy about it without bothering too much for discussing it, intellectualize it, let alone fitting their understanding into theoretical framework. Most readers have the tendency to treat literary texts as merely objects of fun and pleasure. However, cognitive poetics does not allow reading literature for leisure and pleasure, but instead reading to understand it, reflect on it, and intellectualizing it. It is in this sense that this present study is to read the works of Bob Marley and The Black Brothers lyrics. Furthermore, reading itself is not meant to come to an abstract end. Reading is not to arrive at an absolute end of information we intend to get. Instead, we need to take into account that very often the discovery of reading involves a great deal of messy and perhaps contradictory facts of what we have thought before. Therefore, what is important in reading a piece of literary work is the detail to unveil all the interest and fascination behind a particular literary work. When one reads a certain literary text, the questions that normally arise are as follows: What is it about? What does it mean? What does it mean for me? What do I understand by it? All of these questions are to do with context and are a crucial notion in cognitive poetics. Furthermore, the key to have a better understanding literary values and meanings lies in the ability to have clear view of its text and context. Cognitive poetics provides us with it. It encompasses both social and personal circumstances as it has the power to combine both individual and communal effects of language and experience. Response to the questions might be personal and communal based on the context. What we do with a piece of literary work depends very much on the context in which we find ourself with the text. There are as many meanings as there are different contexts for different readings. According to Stockwell, it is important to recognize that readings have status not objectively but relative to their circumstances. Therefore, when this particular study asks what do Bob Marley’s and The Black Brothers’ songs mean? It is really asking what those songs do, what are they being used for. Meaning is what literature does. Meaning is use. 39

3.2. Conceptual Metaphor