AN ANALYSIS OF FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE IN LANGSTON HUGHES’ POETRY.

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ABSTRACT

Berutu, Agus Enmono. NIM. 208222017,An Analysis of Figurative Languange in Langston Hughes’ Poetry. A Thesis. The Faculty of Languages and Art (FBS). State University of Medan (UNIMED). MEDAN. 2013.

The objectives of this research were to find out the types of figurative language in Langston Hughes poetry. This study deals with the analysis of figurative language in Langston Hughes attainments on Poetry. The study done is based on the poetry in the data which were shared from Dream variation, Dream, Dream deferred,I dream a world, As I grew older, I continue to dream. This research was carried out by using descriptive qualitative method. There were 56 sample analyzing in poetry. The findings of the data analysis showed that there are six types figurative language. The findings also found that there were six figurative language analyzed in the data namely hyperbole(42,85%), personification(26,78%), imagery(1,78%), simile(14,28%), euphemism(5,35%) and metaphor(8,92%). It was found that the most dominant types of figurative languages were hyperbole and personification.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Thankful to Almighty God and big thank is given to all the people that have helped the writer during the completion of this thesis as the partial fulfillment of the requirements for Sarjana Sastra at English Department of Faculty of Arts and Languages, State University of Medan.

Due to the limited knowledge and experiences, the writer has been helped by many people, therefore in this occasion he would give his special thanks to:

1) Prof. Dr. Ibnu Hajar Damanik, M.Si., Rector of State University of

Medan.

2) Dr. Isda Pramuniati, M. Hum., the Dean of Faculty of Languages and

Arts, State University of Medan.

3) Prof. Dr. Hj. Sumarsih, M. Pd., the Head of English Department

4) Dra. Rahmah, M.Hum, the secretary of English and Literature

Department, Dra. Meisuri, M.A, the Head of applied Linguistics and also

Dra. Masitowarni, M.Ed as the Head of English Education.

5) Drs. Bachtiar, M.Pd., his thesis consultant for his advices, guidance,

suggestions and all the time in finishing this thesis

6) Drs.Elia Masa Gintings, M.Hum. the Academic Consultant, who has

guided me in starting the preparation of the thesis.

7) Mam Enda Rahayu, the Administration Staff, who helped in the

preparation of files administration.

8) For all the lecturers throughout his academic years at State University of Medan who have shared their knowledge.

9) S.Berutu and E.Tumangger, his beloved parents who have given moral,

spiritual, financial support, big endless love and pray.

10)His brothers and sisters, Irvan Berutu, Yesica br.Berutu and Putri

br.Berutu

11)His friends during completing this thesis, Julietha Manalu, Ridha

Rehana dkk, Ruth Stevy Hutajulu, Manna Munthe, Ulfian Haitami, Riko Sidabutar, the Army boy of sas b’08: Tohom, Roy welak, Mario,

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iii

Antonius, Wira, James, Jansen and all his classmates of Applied

Linguistic 2008.

12) Ci Jengeng “Elyn Solin” who always supported and prayed for the preparation of my thesis.

The writer admits that this thesis is far from being perfect. Therefore, he hopes that this thesis still can be usefull for the readers. Finally, May God blesses us and always does the best.

Medan, March 2013 The Writer,

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Page

ABSTRACT... i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT... ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS ... iv

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ... 1

A. The Background of Study ... 1

B. The Problem of Study ... 4

C. The objective of Study ... 4

D. The Scope of Study ... 5

E. The significance of Study ... 5

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE ... 7

A. Theoretical Framework ... 7

B. Literature ... 7

1. Drama ... 8

2. Prose ... 9

3. Poetry ... 10

C. Figurative of language ... 13

1. Kinds of figurative language ... 14

D. Langston Hughes Biographies ... 20

E. Conceptual Framework ... 24

CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHOD ... 26

A. The research Design ... 26

B. The Source of Data ... 26

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D. The Technique of Analyzing Data ... 27

CHAPTER IV DATA AND DATA ANALYSIS ... 28

A. Data ... 28

B. Data Analysis ... 28

C. Research Findings ... 38

CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS... 41

A. Conclusions ... 41

B. Suggestions ... 42

REFERENCES ... 43

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LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

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vii

LIST OF APPENDICES

Appendix Page

A Langston Hughes Photo ... 44 B The script of Poetry... 46

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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. The Background of Study

It is a truism to say that language is essential to human life. We can’t deny that language allow people to say things to each other and express their communicative needs. As a social being, we interact with others to share information and beliefs, exchange ideas and feelings, make plans, and solve problems. And to make this interaction run well we need a communication to express feeling and experience in spoken and written modes in order to get something meaningful.

Generally language showed significant and colossal that human behavior that has evolved, or in other words it is developed in accordance with his/her fellowman and that it grew as more and more human beings contribute to its development. In addition, language is a representative of thought, feeling, action, and communication.

Communication (Smith, 2001; 20) is the process of sending, receiving and interpreting messages through which we relate to each other and to our larger world as well. Communication is a very significant part in our life as a social being, because without communication, we would not be able to function. During every single day of our life, we meet so many people and do many activities. However communications occurs, it is essential in helping us initiate, develop, control, and sustain our contact with others.

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Languages also stay alongside with human activities. Means, whatever we do in our life, we use language. Meaning of words or utterances depends on the meaning of the word or utterances themselves and situational context. Related to those explanations above, linguistics which is regarded as the study of language explains about aspects of language in its use. One of the interesting topics in learning language is to deal with the language which is used or what the user intends to convey by using the language.

In linguistics there is one part which relation with my topic, it is studying about literature. Literature divided into three parts, they are Prose, Drama and Poetry. Literature (siyanni 1991: xiv) is the study of meaning, whereas most literature affect man idea, life and attitude of man, where and when literature takes, because literature is not one hundred percent of fiction and nonfiction. Literature is a work that rules a significant reflection of life and imaginative extension. It emphasizes reading as active activity involving thought and feeling. It is also encourages the readers to value their emotional reactions and their experience. In short, there is relationship of experience between reading literature and experience.

. Figurative language (Wren and Martin 1995:v) is the use of a word or words diverging from its usual meaning. It can also be a special repetition, arrangement or omission of words with literal meaning, or a phrase with a specialized meaning not based on the literal meaning of the words. Perrine states that figurative language is another way of adding extra dimension to language.

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Figurative language is a more effective means of saying than direct speech due to some reasons. First, it gives the readers imaginative pleasure

In analyzing a literary works, theoretical works, and theoretical approaches can be used. Theoretical approach are divided in two parts, they are intrinsic and extrinsic. In theory of literature(Renne Wellek1948;39) states that intrinsic approach means that analysis is based on the text of literature whereas extrinsic approach means that the analysis is also supported by other field of knowledge beside the literature itself, and the other aspect beside the text of the poems.

In this occasion, louse both of theories; because his use other knowledge such as: social, politic, economic and historical background of African American to support my analysis, especially the African life condition beside the poetry itself.

Poetry is one part interest to study. Meaning poetry itself can be explain as quotation by Robert Hill “Etymology the word poetry derived from the Italian word “poesia” means to make or to construct. Poetics means the make, and then we have the word poet, the writer. Poesies’ means the making and it becomes poetry, the art of poet. Poem is a piece of writing in verse is regular metric line”.

Many people make a great poetry; one of the poets is Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes Poetry that present about slavery. In this poetry, the writer found figurative language in each verse of Langston Hughes Poetry. Langston is one of the famous writers in America. There are some aspects that make his poetry become interesting to discuss, one of aspects is that Hughes poetry shown

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the real condition that happen to black people in 19th century. Everybody has a dream, because a dream is a hope, a wish and aspiration about what they want to be they grow up, how they want to live, whom they want to marry and how their life will turn out.

Based on situation, the writer was doing the best effort to prove that Hughes transforms idea of African American dream as literary works. Most people know that Hughes wrote some literary works about African American’s life, who suffered from segregation and discriminatory laws in America. He presents pictures of African American life in his poetry.

Since literature is not one hundred percent of fiction and nonfiction, so it means that poetry is the expression of the poet feeling. He is not an imitator, but the poet shows his own perception and imagination. That’s why in analyzing a poem, there are some aspect and possibilities can be analyzed in this statement, because poetry built by elements. Based on theory Wren and Martin, the writer intends to conduct a research on cooperative principle in order to know what Langston Hughes poetry meaning. Furthermore, the writer decided to analyze poetry from Langston Hughes which described the situation African American dream in slavery era.

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B. The Problems of Study

For this research, the research problem is to describe what kind of Figurative Language is used in Langston Hughes Poetry. To help the writer do this research, the research questions are formulated as the following:

1. What are the types of figurative language used in Langston Hughes poetry?

2. What is the dominant type of figurative language used in Langston Hughes poetry?

3. What types of poetry used in Langston Hughes poetry?

C. The Objective of Study

The objectives of study are to discover figurative language which is found in Langston Hughes Poetry. By determining the categories of figurative language, it is directed:

1. To describe types of figurative language used in Langston Hughes Poetry

2. To find the dominant types of figurative language used in Langston Hughes poetry.

D. The Scope of Study

It is necessary to make the limitation of the study. The study is related to the analysis of figurative language used in the poetry of Langston Hughes. The poetry is followings:

1. Dream variation

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3. Dream deferred 4. I dream a world 5. As I grew older 6. I continue to dream

E. The Significance of Study

It is becoming useful that the significant of this study can contribute a better understanding of studying language development that presenting notion, information, and idea through its function. It is expected that result of this study is useful for:

1. The students of university that want learn about Langston Hughes Poetry which contains ideas African American Dream. This thesis will help them to find out which figurative language in Langston Hughes Poetry. 2. The students and those who would like to know more about figurative

Language in Langston Hughes Poetry. By knowing the pattern, the students would to develop poetry as good as possible in literature.

3. English teacher or lecturer because they will know and teach about poetry which contains the ideas of kind’s poetry such as: haiku, ballad, ode, sestina, dream poetry. They will know about the application of poetry with studying haiku, ballad, ode, sestina, dream poetry.

4. Other researchers who will find it easy to analyze the material in written or spoken.

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CHAPTER V

CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS A. Conclusion

After analyzing figurative language in Langston Hughes poetry which was represented by the six poetry of Langston Hughes, the research can be concluded as follows:

1. The six poetry by Langston Hughes was related with types of figurative languages.

2. Hyperbole is the most dominant types because it indicates activities that happen in Langston Hughes poetry. Furthermore, Langston Hughes poetry told about much kind of figurative languages that can be done to make people knows about Langston Hughes poetry.

B. Suggestions

Based on the conclusion above, the suggestions are as follows:

1. It is suggested that the students of English department should understand how to analyze figurative language in part of poetry in such kind of research either in spoken or written, such as: speech, song, magazine, newspaper, novel, poetry, etc.

2. It is suggested that the teachers can use Langston Hughes as one of the objects used in analyzing the transitivity system because it is a valuable source of teaching material.

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3. It is advised for other researchers who are concerned to this study to conduct in depth-research to get better knowledge in this theory and application.

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