a study on the figurative language in emily -...

A STUDY ON THE FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE IN EMILY

DICKINSON’S POEM OF NATURE

THESIS

BY:

DILA KURNIA HABZAH

NPM: 10181044

ENGLISH DEPARTEMENT

FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

WIJAYA PUTRA UNIVERSITY

SURABAYA

2014

A STUDY ON THE FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE IN EMILY

DICKINSON’S POEM OF NATURE

THESIS

Submitted in a partial fulfillment of the requirements

for the Sarjana Degree

in English

BY:

DILA KURNIA HABZAH

10181044

ENGLISH DEPARTEMENT

FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

WIJAYA PUTRA UNIVERSITY

2014

i

APPROVAL SHEET I

This thesis entitled A Study on the Figurative Language in Emily

Dickinson’s poem of Nature by Dila Kurnia Habzah, NPM 10181044 has been

approved to be presented in thesis examination.

Supervisor,

Date : 16 / July / 2014

Yulis Setyowati, M.Pd

NIDN.0714077502

Acknowledged by,

The Head of Language and Literature Study Program

Yeni Probowati, S.Pd

NIDN. 0718107701

ii

APPROVAL SHEET II


Dickinson’s poem of Nature by Dila Kurnia Habzah, NPM 10181044 has been

examined in front of the board of examiners on August 13th

, 2014.

Board of Examiners Signature Occupation

Drs. H. Mas Moeljono

NIDN. 0720063502 …………… First Examiner

Yeni Probowati, S.Pd

NIDN. 0718107701 …………… Second Examiner

Acknowledged by,

The Dean of Faculty of Language and Literature

Dra. Arjunani, MM

NIDN. 0715065202

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APPROVAL STATEMENT


Dickinson’s poem of Nature is actually my own work and if later proven that I copy

other people written as if my own work, I will ready to get the consequences.

Surabaya, 13 August 2014

The writer

Dila Kurnia Habzah

iv

APPROVAL OF LETTER OF INTEREST FOR SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION

ACADEMIC WORK

The undersigned is:

Name : Dila Kurnia Habzah, as University student in Wijaya Putra

University

NPM : 10181044

In Order to develop science agree that my scientific work, entitled A Study on the

Figurative Language in Emily Dickinson’s poem of Nature along with the tools

you need to be stored, published or reproduced in any form by the Wijaya Putra

University for academic purpose.

So, I‟ve created this statement to the truth.

Made : Surabaya

On date : 13 August 2014

Which State

Dila Kurnia Habzah

v

MOTTO

SIMPLE LIVING and HIGH THINKING

This is How my parents encouraged me.

LOVE My Dad and My Mom

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DEDICATION

This thesis is dedicated to:

My beloved family (My mother, my sisters, my brothers, and Didit) thanks for your

encouragement, prayers, and everything that you gave to me.

To all my friends in English Department ‟10:

Gandes ( Mb. Neezz), Maria Ulfa, Eny, Bang ipul, Glen Agus, Mb.Tyas, Arini, Fay,

Emi, Diah, Novi, Inuk, Felix, Yasinta, Novi, Mb. Anis, and my friends in morning

class.

Thank you have been given an amazing experience and not forgotten.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT

First of all, I would give my praise and deep gratitude to ALLAH SWT,

The cherisher and sustainer of the worlds. God who has been giving His blessing and

mercy to the writer to complete the Thesis entitled “A Study on the Figurative

Language in Emily Dickinson‟s poem of Nature.”

In finishing this project, I really give his regards and thanks to many

people who have give support to me to finish this thesis in the following records.

1. Especially thankful to Mrs. Yulis Setyowati, M.Pd my advisor. Without their help,

constant encouragement and inspiring ideas, this final project would have never

been completed

2. Mrs. Dra. Arjunani, MM as Dean of Faculty of Language and Literature, Mrs.

Yeni Probowati, S.Pd as Head of Language and Literature Study Program and Mr.

Mas Moeljono as My examiner who had given useful comment, criticism,

suggestion and advice for the improvement of my experiences study.

3. My beloved mother, Didit, my brothers, and my sisters.

4. All my friends in English and Literature Faculty eighth semester, thanks for your

friendship and cooperation during 4 years I was in Wijaya Putra University.

Finally, the writer would like to thanks for everyone that helps in the

process of writing this thesis. The writer hopes this thesis can provide benefits to the

development of education, especially in the field of language and literature.

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ABSTRACT

Habzah, Dila Kurnia. 2014. A Study on the Figurative Language in Emily

Dickinson’s poem of Nature. Thesis, Language and Literature Study Program, Post

Graduate Program of Wijaya Putra University. Advisor: Yulis Setyowati, M.Pd.

Keywords: Figurative language, Poem, Nature, Emily Dickinson

This thesis aims at discussing about the forms and the meaning of figurative

language in poems “a bird came down the walk and a drop fell on the apple tree”

written by Emily Elizabeth Dickinson, especially for simile, metaphor, personification,

hyperbole, pleonasm and euphuism .

This thesis uses descriptive qualitative research to collect the data. From the

analysis, the writer finds many figurative languages that Emily Dickinson used. Emily

Dickinson successfully uses figurative language to picture out the realistic of human

life that appear in the poem. It is noted that in the poem:

A bird came down the walk

Than oars divide the ocean

Too silver for a seam,

Or butterflies, off banks of noon,

Leap, splash less, as they swim (Stanza 5, line17- 20)

A drop fell on the apple tree

A few went out to help the brook,

That went to help the sea.

Myself conjectured, Were they pearls,

What necklaces could be! (Stanza 2, Line 5-8)

They are very descriptive and beautiful word. Most of the poems shows to the

readers that the life struggle requires patience, strength of heart, and spirit to overcome

the trials of life can result the success.

Based on the analysis, the writer can conclude figurative languages used in “a

bird came down the walk and a drop fell on the apple tree” written by Emily Elizabeth

Dickinson are more dominated by personification. Many personifications used to

represent elements of life.

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TABLE OF CONTENT

TITLE SHEET ................................................................................................. i

APPROVAL SHEET I ..................................................................................... ii

APPROVAL SHEET II ................................................................................... iii

APPROVAL STATEMENT ............................................................................ iv

APPROVAL OF LETTER .............................................................................. v

MOTTO ........................................................................................................... vi

DEDICATION ................................................................................................. vii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................... viii

ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................... ix

TABLE OF CONTENT ................................................................................... x

CHAPTER I : INTRODUCTION ............................................................. 1

A. Background of the Study ............................................. 1

B. Statement of the Problem ............................................ 4

C. Objectives of the Study ............................................... 4

D. Significance of the Study ............................................ 5

E. Scope and Limitation ................................................... 5

F. Organization of the Study ............................................ 5

G. Definition of Key Terms .............................................. 6

CHAPTER II : REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ......................... 7

A. Stylistic ......................................................................... 7

B. Figurative Language .................................................... 8

B.1 The Definition of Figurative Language ................. 8

B.2 The Classification of Figurative Language .......... 10

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C. Reader Response .......................................................... 17

CHAPTER III : RESEARCH METHOD ..................................................... 19

A. Research design ........................................................... 19

B. Object of the research .................................................. 19

C. Source data .................................................................. 19

D. Procedure of data collection ........................................ 19

E. Data of analysis ........................................................... 20

CHAPTER IV : RESEARCH FINDING AND DISCUSSION ................... 21

A. The Forms of Figurative Language that used in Emily

Dickinson‟s poems ....................................................... 25

A.1 Simile .................................................................. 25

A.2 Metaphor ............................................................. 26

A.3 Personification .................................................... 27

A.4 Hyperbole ............................................................ 29

A.5 Pleonasme ........................................................... 30

A.6 Euphemism .......................................................... 30

B. The Purpose of Figurative Language that used in Emily

Dickinson‟s poems ....................................................... 31

CHAPTER V : CONCLUSION .................................................................. 33

BIBLIOGRAPHY

APPENDIXES

EMILY DICKINSON‟S POEMS, “A bird came down the walk and a drop fell on the

apple tree”.

BIOGRAPHY OF EMILY DICKINSON.

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of Study

Literature is the result of creativity that is expressed through feelings,

thoughts expressed in the form a beautiful and sublime creation by using

language as a medium. Literature is also thinking about the author‟s own life

and the others who were subjected to by author. Literature is the work of men

who were especially sensitive to the language of their time and who used the

skill of language to make permanent their vision of life. They manipulated

language to make it contain a unique series of experience and interpretations

(Chapman, 1973: 5).

Literature is media is using language to portray the social and cultural

facts of human life that had occurred such us: prose, drama, novel and poetry.

Literature, they argue, cannot be „studied‟ at all, we can only read, enjoy,

appreciate it. For the rest, we can only accumulate all kind of information

„about‟ literature (Rene Wellek and Austin Warren, 1949:15)

One type of English literature which is quite well known as poetry.

Poetry is one of form a literary works, poetry itself is influenced by many

factors which are assist the poetry in order to become more meaningful and

interesting to be heard and read. Those factors are involved in poetry are

figurative languages, symbols, imagery, senses, and rhyme. Poetry is an

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imaginative awareness of experience expressed through meaning, sound, and

rhythmic language choices as if evokes an emotional respons.

Knickerbocker and Renninger, (1963: 307) say that”poetry is the hymns

of praise, and the essays on the nature of poetry would check the shelves of any

modest public library and overflow onto the floors as well good talk about

poetry is nevertheless rare, and even the best of it will rest lightly on fallow

ground until we ourselves have learned how to penetrate the inner life of a few

poems. Poem is a medium not only to express the feeling of the poets but also

make us enter into these feelings about the things, persons, situation or idea in

the poem. Poetry is a give entertainment, satisfaction, pleasure and enjoyment

to the reader. In other words, Poetry might be defined as kind of language that

says more and says it more intensely than does ordinary language. To

understand this fully, we need to understand what poetry “says”. For language

is employed on different occasions to say quite different kinds of thing,

language has different uses. (Perrine, 1982: 509)

Language is an important thing in our life. We can communicate with other

people through language. Communication has purposes to send a message to other

human. Language itself is not simple a means of communication to inform

something (for example about the weather or clothes) but more than that. It is

also a very important means of establishing and maintaining relationship with

other people (Langacker, 1972:13). Moreover, Language is the most important

elements in a literary work. The beauty in art can be expressed through

beautiful words. Literature will be interesting if the information that is

presented using interesting language too.

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Stylistic is a branch of general linguistics. Stylistic is the study of style,

can be defined as the analysis of distinctive expression in language and the

description of its purpose ad effect (Verdonk, 2002: 4). In literature and

writing, stylistic device can be also called figure of speech, for examples are

metaphor, simile, or personification.

Figurative language is used in any form of communication, such as in

daily conversation, articles in newspaper, advertisements, novels, poems, etc.

The effectiveness of figurative language in four main reasons, Perrine (1982)

First, figurative language affords readers imaginative pleasure of literary

works. Second, it is a way of bringing additional imagery into verse, making

the abstract concrete, making literary works more sensuous. The third,

figurative is a way of adding emotional intensity to otherwise merely

informative statements and conveying attitudes along with information.

Moreover, the last, it is a way of saying much in brief compass.

Emily Dickinson (December 10th

, 1830 – May 15th

, 1886) was born in

Amherst at the Homestead on December 10, 1830. She is considered one of the

great American poets. Her quiet life was infused with a creative energy that

produced almost 1800 poems and a profusion of vibrant letters. Her poetry

remained virtually unpublished until after she died on May 15th

, 1886. After

her death, her poems and life story were brought to the attention of the wider

world through the competing efforts of family members and intimates.

This study is focused in analyzing the types of figurative language that

occur in two poems “A bird came down the walk and A drop fell on the apple

tree” written by Emily Dickinson‟s. It is considered as an important this to

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know that are actually the meanings containing within the poems. It was

useless if just read the poems without understanding what actually the poems

wants to convey to the readers.

In addition, the writer chooses “A bird came down the walk and A drop

fell on the apple tree” written by Emily Dickinson‟s because they are a

beautiful poem, with describe her love to nature, this poems bringing forth the

reality of life. Based on that reason, the writers feel interest to analyze

figurative language these poems more deeply.

B. Statement of the Problem

From the background above, the writer finds the problem based on

topic. The problem that will be research in this study is:

1. What are the forms of figurative language used in Emily Dickinson‟s poem

of nature (a bird came down the walk and a drop fell on the apple tree)?

2. What is the purpose of figurative language used in Emily Dickinson‟s poem

of nature (a bird came down the walk and a drop fell on the apple tree)?

C. Objectives of the Study

Based on the statement of the problem, so the objectives of study are:

1. To describe the forms of figurative language used in Emily Dickinson‟s

poem of nature (a bird came down the walk and a drop fell on the apple

tree).

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2. To describe the purpose of figurative language used in Emily Dickinson‟s

poem of nature (a bird came down the walk and a drop fell on the apple

tree).

D. Significance of the Study

The analysis of the study is to apply the theory of literature learned in

the English Department and write a scientific article to contribute to this

department. Besides, this writing can be used as a reference for the student who

likes to write about literature. And find out what message the poet wants to

deliver to the readers.

E. Scope and Limitation

The writer limits this study in the using of figurative language focus on

simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification, euphuism and pleonasm in two

poems “A bird came down the walk and A drop fell on the apple tree” written

by Emily Dickinson‟s based on the theory of figurative language proposed by

Laurence Perrine (1987) and C. Hugh Holman (1980).

F. Organization of the Study

The study is divided into five chapters; the following is the overview of

the study. Chapter I, the introduction, content of the background of the study,

statements of the study, the objectives of the study, significance of the study,

limitation of the study, organization of the study and definition of key terms.

And then chapter II, content of the review of related literature; it is discusses

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the general meaning of stylistics and figurative language. The next is chapter

III content of the method of the study; it is explains how the study will be

conducted. Chapter IV content of analysis and discussion. Finally, chapter V

content of the conclusions. And I attach also the appendix, content of Author‟s

biography and poems.

G. Definition of Key Terms

1. Poem : is a medium not only to express the feeling of the

poets but also make us enter into these feelings

about the things, persons, situation or idea in the

poem.

2. Emily Dickinson : She is considered one of the great American poets

(1830 – 1886).

4. Nature : is the phenomenon of the physical world

3. Figurative language : is language using figure of speech and cannot be

taken literally.

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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

A. Stylistics

Stylistic is a study of different language styles usage. Styles are the

product of social situation: of a common relationship between language-users.

Every style is used for communication within the group, large, or small, close-

knit or scattered, with features which are accepted as communication by

members of the group. (Chapman, 1973: 11).

Stylistic is concerned with the study of style in language. These

everyday notions make a good starting point for a more technical discussion of

the use of style in language. In one way or another, all of the, make reference to

a distractive manner of expression, through whatever medium this expression is

given physical shape. Along the same lines, style in language can be defined a

distinctive linguistic expression. But, as with other manifestations of style, we

need to consider what makes an expression distinctive, why it has been

devised, and what effect it has. (Verdonk, 2002:3).

Stylistic, conceived in this wide sense, investigates all devices which

aim at some specific expressive end thus embraces far more far more than

literature or even rhetoric. (Rene Wellek and Austin Warren, 1949:15).

Based on the data above theoretically, the writer can be concluded that

language is the most important elements in a literary work and style is a

combination of two elements: the idea to be expressed and individuality of the

author. In communicating with other people, everyone uses different style,

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different ways to express their ideas, thoughts and feeling because every people

being is unique. A study that analyzes how people do this or in other words that

a study of different language styles usage is stylistic.

B. Figurative Language

B.1 The Definition of Figurative Language

Figurative language: One meaning of "figure" is "drawing" or

"image" or "picture". Figurative language creates figures (pictures) in

the mind of the reader or listener. We use figures of speech in

"figurative language" to add color and interest, and to awaken the

imagination. Figurative language is everywhere, from classical works

like Emily Dickinson „poems, pop music and television. It makes the

reader or listener use their imagination and understand much more than

the plain words.

Figurative language is the opposite of literal language. Literal

language means exactly what it says. Figurative language means

something different to (and usually more than) what it says on the

surface:

•He ran fast. (Literal)

•He ran like the wind. (Figurative)

In the above example "like the wind" is a figure of speech (simile).

An author uses many ways as his tool to make the work

different from other authors (in characterize his work). One of the tools

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is figure of speech. It is very effective and unique to represent an

author‟s idea (Winterowd, 1981: 424). Figurative language is writing

that embodies one or more of the various figure of speech, the most

common of which are : Antithesis, Apostrophe, climax, Hyperbole,

Irony, Metaphor, Metonymy, Personification, Repetition, Simile,

Synecdoche ( Holman, 1908:185)

Figure of speech is a way of saying something other than the

ordinary way, and some rhetoricians have classified as many as 250

separate figures. Figurative language is language using figures of

speech and cannot be taken literally (or should not be taken literally

only) (Perrine, 1987: 581).

Figurative language is used in many forms of communication,

such as in daily conversation, articles in newspaper, advertisements,

novels, poems, etc. The effectiveness of figurative language in four

main reasons. First, figurative language affords readers imaginative

pleasure of literary works. The second, it is a way of bringing additional

imagery into verse, making the abstract concrete, making literary works

more sensuous. The third, figurative is a way of adding emotional

intensity to otherwise merely informative statements and conveying

attitudes along with information. Moreover, the last, it is a way of

saying much in brief compass. (Perrine, 1987: 587)

B.2 The Classification of Figurative Language

Perrine (1987) and Holman (1980) classifies figurative language

can be divided into:

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B.2.1 Simile

Simile the comparison can also be expressed by the use

of some word or phrase such as like, as, than, similar to,

resembles, or seems. A simile expresses a similarity

(Perrine, 1987:581). Holman (1980:418) adds that Simile is

a figure of speech in which similarity between two objects

directly expressed. For example:

“My sister is faithful as a rock”

This example show the signal word of saying the similarity

is the word “as”. (Her faithfulness is compared to the

strength of the rock)

B.2.2 Metaphor

Metaphor is a figure of speech used as a means of

comparing things that essentially unlike. In the metaphor the

comparison is implied. That is, the figurative term

substituted for or identified with literal term. (Perrine,

1987:581) or the other words Metaphor are implicit and

compares two different objects directly without using

introductory words as, like, resembles, seems, and so on.

I. A. Richards's distinction between the tenor and the

vehicle of a metaphor has been widely accepted and is very

useful. The tenor the idea is being expressed or the subject

of the comparison; the vehicles the image which this idea is

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conveyed or the subject communicated (Holman, 1980:264).

For example:

“Her home was a prison”

This example shows that the direct comparison between

someone‟s home (tenor) and prison (vehicle) since the above

example make we understand immediately that her home

had some similarity of the characteristics of a prison, Why it

was a prison we do not know, but that would be clear from

the context--perhaps her husband forced her to stay at home,

or perhaps she is afraid of the outside. And then in the

example above that we do not find a signal word of the

similarity (like, as, etc.) here like what we can find in simile.

B.2.3 Personification

“Personification consists in giving the attributes of a

human being to an animal, an object, or a concept” (Perrine,

1987: 584). Personification is a special form of metaphor

that pictures inanimate things to act, speak, or talk like

humans. Kennedy (2005: 540) personification is a figure of

speech in which a thing, an animal, or an abstract term

(truth, nature) is made human. Thus, personification can be

viewed as figure of speech which endows animals, ideas,

abstractions, and inanimate objects with human form,

character, or sensibilities; there presenting of imaginary

creatures or things as having human personalities,

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intelligence, and emotions; an impersonation in drama of

one character or person, whether real or fictitious, by

another person ( Holman, 1980: 328). For example:

“Look at my car. She is a beauty, isn‟t it so?”

This example show pictures of inanimate things to act

(beauty) like humans.

B.2.4 Apostrophe

Apostrophe is a figure of speech in which the speaker or

the writer directly addressing someone absent or dead, or

something nonhuman as if that person or thing were present

and alive and reply to what is being said. (Perrine, 1987:

585). In other words that someone absent, abstract object or

imaginative personage, as if it presents in front of him and is

able to hear or to reply him. For example:

When the speaker in James Joyce‟s poem cries out:

“My love, my love, my love, why have you left me alone?”

He is apostrophizing his departed sweet heart.

B.2.5 Synecdoche

“Synecdoche is a form of metaphor which mentioning

the part signifies the whole or the whole signifies the part.

(Holman, 1980:438). In other theoretically, Synecdoche (the

use of part for the whole) is a figure of speech that mentions

part of a thing to signify the whole thing or uses the whole to

signify the part. Shakespeare uses synecdoche when he says

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that the cuckoo‟s song is unpleasing to a “married ear”, for

he means a married man (Perrine, 1987: 586).

B.2.6 Metonymy

Metonymy (the use something closely related for thing

actually meant) (Perrine 1987:585). In other words that

Metonymy is often confused with another figure of speech

called synecdoche. They resemble each other but are not the

same. Synecdoche refers to a thing by the name of one of its

parts. For example, calling a car “a wheel” is a synecdoche.

A part of a car i.e. “a wheel” stands for the whole car. In a

metonymy, on the other hand, the word we use to describe

another thing is closely linked to that particular thing, but is

not a part of it. For example:

“The White House is concerned about terrorism.”

The White House is Metonymy and here represents the

people who work in it.

B.2.7 Symbol

Symbol is something that means more than what it is.

(Perrine, 1987: 600). For example:

“The red rose whisper of passion, and the white rose

breathes of love” John Boyle O‟Reilly‟s poem

The author indicates the above examples so clearly that the

red rose is a symbol of physical desire and the white rose is

a symbol of spiritual love.

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B.2.8 Allegory

Allegory is narrative or description that has a second

meaning beneath the surface. It is also defined as an

extended metaphor and sometimes as a series of related

symbols. And often is used in long works such as The

Faerie Queen, Everyman, and Pilgrim‟s Progress. (Perrine,

1987:608)

B.2.9 Hyperbole / Overstatement

Hyperbole is simply exaggeration, but exaggeration in

the service of truth (Perrine, 1987: 221). And according to

Holman (1980: 221) Hyperbole is a figure of speech which

conscious exaggeration is used without the intent of literal

persuasion. For example:

“Her beauty eclipsed the sun.”

Like all figures of speech, overstatement may be used

with a variety effect. It may be humorous or grave, fanciful

or restrained, convincing or unconvincing. (Kennedy, 2005:

541).

B.2.10 Understatement

“Understatement, or saying less than one means, may

exist in what one says or merely in how one says it”

(Perrine, 1991: 622). Holman (1980:418) adds that

Understatement is a form of irony in which something is

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intentionally represented as less than in fact it is. For

example:

“He was no amateur.”

The actually meaning is “He was professional”, but it is said

less than the actual meaning.

B.2.11 Irony

According to Perrine (1987: 624), Irony has a meaning

extend beyond its use merely as a figure of speech. Irony is

an art of indirect expression or speech, which means what is

unsaid. It has various kinds but irony of situation, dramatic

irony, and sarcasm; Socratic irony is few of them. For

example:

“If we call a weak and extremely thin person as Bruce Lee”

It aims at bringing about humors as well as criticism.

B.2.12 Paradox

Perrine (1987:620), Paradox is an apparent contradiction

that is nevertheless somehow true, in other words that

Paradox is a statement which while seemingly contradictory

or absurd may actually be well-founded or true. (Holman,

1980:317). For example:

“Man proposes, God disposes.”

The words propose and dispose in this sentence have strong

contrast in meanings. Propose mean to plan, dispose means

to determine. This means that even how hard human being

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try to fulfil what he has planned before, God is still the one

who determines it.

Holman adds one type of figure speech that Perrine doesn‟t state in his

theory. It is a Pleonasm

B.2.12 Pleonasm

Pleonasm is the superfluous use of words. Pleonasm may

consist of needless repetition, or of the addition of

unnecessary words in an effort to express an idea

completely, or of a combination of the two. (Holman,

1980:335)

For example, in the sentence:

"He walked the entire distance to the station on foot,"

"The entire distance" and "on foot" are pleonastic. Although

pleonasm is a violation of correct grammatical usage, it is

employed occasionally to add emphasis, and in such

instances its use may be considered legitimate.

B.2.13 Euphemism:

A figure of speech which an indirect statement is

substituted for a direct one in an effort to avoid bluntness.

Euphemistic terms have been much used by some writers

in an effort to mention a disagreeable idea in an agreeable

manner. (Holman, 1980:174).

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C. Reader-Response

Reader - Response is how the readers shape the meanings of a text in

each and every reading or in other word that reader-response is an attempt to

understand a text through its results.

Greig E. Henderson and Christopher Brown (1997) said that the reader

is a producer rather than a consumer of meanings. In this sense, a reader is a

hypothetical construct of norms and expectations that can be derived or

projected or extrapolated from the work and may even be said to inhere in the

work. Because expectations may be violated or fulfilled, satisfied or frustrated,

and because reading is a temporal process involving memory, perception, and

anticipation, the charting of reader-response is extremely difficult and

perpetually subject to construction and reconstruction, vision and revision.

(http://www.library.utoronto.ca/utel/glossary/Reader-response_criticism.html)

Reader-Response is also interested in ideas of performance. The

phenomenon of a text is not simply the message, the text, the author and the

readers, but the whole act of communication (Riffaterre, 1980: 37). The

responses of the readers are just as crucial as the input of the writers. To

explore this act more fully for its meanings, one needs to perform it over and

over again (38). And the different readings through each performance to try to

better understand the text itself. So, the performance of the reading experience

plays a big part in our exploration of a text.

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Based on the above theoretically, the writer can be concluded that

Reader responses is literary theory that focuses on the reader (or "audience")

and their experience of a literary work, such us poem or novel and in other

words that a reader response asks the reader to examine, explain and defend

her/his personal reaction to a reading. There is no right or wrong answer to a

reader response. Nonetheless, it is important that demonstrate an

understanding of the reading and clearly explain and support of reactions.

18

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHOD

A. Research Design

In the research, the writer uses descriptive qualitative study, which

produces descriptive data in the form of written words and not numbers. Thus,

this study will contain quotes of data to give a representation of the study.

B. Object of the research

The material objects that are being analyzed in this study are 2 poems

of Emily Dickison‟s of nature, they are: “A bird came down the walk and A

drop fell on the apple tree”.

C. Source of data

The data in this research was taken from Emily Dickison‟s poems

which describe his love of nature and this study is limited only those poems as

a case. The data covered poemhunter.com and those poems are : “A bird came

down the walk and A drop fell on the apple tree”.

D. Procedure of Data collection

In this Research, The steps of writer use to collect the data are as the

following:

1. Collecting “A bird came down the walk and A drop fell on the apple tree”,

Emily Dickinson‟s poems

19

2. Reading and understanding “A bird came down the walk and A drop fell on

the apple tree”, Emily Dickinson‟s poems.

3. Besides reading, giving marks or codes, taking note, blocking marking or

underlining. When it is needed

4. Collecting data selected with figurative language in “A bird came down the

walk and A drop fell on the apple tree”, Emily Dickinson‟s poems

E. Data of Analysis

The data were analyzed systematically using the following steps:

1. Analyzing every figurative language found in “A bird came down the walk

and A drop fell on the apple tree”, Emily Dickinson‟s poems.

2. Analyzing the purpose of figurative language used in “A bird came down

the walk and A drop fell on the apple tree”, Emily Dickinson‟s poems.

3. Drawing conclusion based on the result of data analysis.

20

CHAPTER IV

RESEARCH FINDING AND DISCUSSION

A. The Forms of Figurative Language that is used in “A Bird came down the

walk and a drop fell on the apple tree”, Emily Dickinson’s poems.

The Figure of speech is a way of saying messages the other than the

ordinary one, and some rhetoricians have been classified as many as 250

separate figures. The figurative language is language using in figure of speech.

It cannot be taken literally (or should not be taken literally only) (Perrine,

1987: 581). This study is focused in the analyzing the types of figurative

language that occurs in two poems. They are “A bird came down the walk and

A drop fell on the apple tree” those written by Emily Dickinson‟s. It is

considered as an important this to know that are actually the meanings of

containing within the poems.

A bird came down the walk

A bird came down the walk:

He did not know I saw;

He bit an angle-worm in halves

And ate the fellow, raw (Stanza 1)

From the data of poem above, the writer describes the phenomenon and

the situation that had happened to the bird came down the walk. It shows to the

readers that the life of human being needs the effort and work. This sentence

can be illustrated from the line 1 “a bird came down the walk” it indicates that

21

the phenomenon to live better and is not easy. No one who wants help the bird

unless he wants to get life better from the way his / her life. Then from the line

three and four show that every human being has to work alone without helping

from another. If he can be still alive so he will make the world change. He bits

an angle-worm in halves and ate the fellow, raw). The world ate the fellow

indicates that the success can be reached from the effort. )

And then he drank a dew

From a convenient grass,

And then hopped sidewise to the wall

To let a beetle pass. (Stanza 2)

From the first line /and then…../ the bird has a change to move and live

better than before. He has reached the aim. It can be shown from the sentences

“from a convenient grass‟. This sentence indicate the life better. The birds had

shown to the writer that every action ought to have confident to do better life.

From the last line in this stanza, the poem shows us that the life can‟t be silent

alone. There is an effort to change the life. It is shown in the last line from the

poem above (to let a beetle pass). So everyone can change his/her life in order

to get better life. It can see in the line 3.

He glanced with rapid eyes

That hurried all abroad,--

They looked like frightened beads, I thought;

He stirred his velvet head (Stanza 3)

From the third stanza, the writer describes that someone may live where

he/she wants. It is need effort to change life (line 2). He/she may change in a

person's life that life can‟t be silent. Life is moving on. People have to do some

things not only imagine thing but also have wish to get better. Life is not easy

as good in his/his mind. The life needs victim that support his/her life in the

22

future. He may not silent to do something better. This statement it is shown in

line 1 to 3, but in the last line of this poem, "He stirred his velvet head" the

writer describes person realizes that his/her goals can be reached.

Like one in danger; cautious,

I offered him a crumb,

And he unrolled his feathers

And rowed him softer home (Stanza 4)

In the first line of this stanza, „like one danger‟ it means that every

human being or person involves all activities around his life. He must work

hard to get the aim. The writer describes that life needs the effort. Life needs

careful in all that are required. Every person can stay without another. He needs

the other one to get better life. We need help each other in community life. It

can be shown in the line two “I offered him a crumb”, and in the third line and

the fourth line from this poem can be described with having a good life. The

writer have to think and finish with pure thought.

Than oars divide the ocean,



Leap, splash less, as they swim (Stanza 5)

In the last stanza of this poem, can be explained that the effort and hard

work bring life better. All problems that the writer faces can change the world

and it can solve the problem that explanation is supported when the writer feels

happiness in his life. It can be shown in line 1 to line 3. An effort and thinking

can result better life and more beautiful. It can be shown in the last sentence in

this poem "Leap, splash less, and they swim”.

23

A drop fell on the apple tree(poem)


Another on the roof;

A half a dozen kissed the eaves,

And made the gables laugh. (Stanza 1)

As the title points out, this poem describes about the falling someone in

the apple tree. It means that every people often gets falling down in his life.

After falling down he changes his life better than before. He gets the happiness

in his life (apple tree). This poem is written by Emily Dickinson rainfall.

Naturally, life can change many things on ever life. Each Elements, such as

rain, brings a sense of refreshment to the world. They make the world peace.

By changing the world people can do many things. This poem is focusing on

rain as the topic. And in the fourth stanza, line 4, “laugh” is used to describe

the cheerful sound the pattering of the rain leaves everywhere it lands. The

rainfall is also essential to every day cycles. People do not think about how

important of life. So, the writer in this stanza describes about the rain in the

cheerful situation.

A few went out to help the brook,

That went to help the sea.

Myself conjectured, Were they pearls,

What necklaces could be! (Stanza 2)

In the second stanza of this poem, the writer describes the cheerful

situation but it knows no class. He is there and been in many classes, either the

poor class or the rich class (brook and sea). Cheerfulness is beautiful and

precious thing, it can be shown in the third line and the fourth line from this

poem. The cheerful can be gotten when the aims in the life can be reached well.

24

The dust replaced in hoisted roa

The birds jocoser sung;

The sunshine threw his hat away,

The orchards spangles hung. (Stanza 3)

Based on the stanza above, the writer describes the cheerful situation

that make a person who has a problem be a little quieter and lead to positive

thinking and completing. It can be shown in all of sentences in this stanza (the

sunshine threw hit hat away).

The breezes brought dejected

And bathed them in the glee;

The East put out a single flag,

And signed the fete away. (Stanza 4)

Based on the last stanza above, the writer describes the cheerful that

make a sad person happily, It can be shows in the first sentence “The breezes

brought dejected”. And the cheerful can make many people in the round happy

and found happiness.

The classification of figurative language can be found from two poems

“Emily Dickinson (a bird came down the walk and a drop fell on the apple

tree).

A.1.1 Simile

Simile is an explicit and direct comparison of similarities of two different

objects that can be expressed by the use of some word or phrase such as like,

as, than, similar to, resembles, or seems (Perrine, 1987:581). The result of

analysis and discussion of simile in the poem below:

A.1.1.1 a bird came down the walk

They looked like frightened beads, I thought (Stanza 3, line 4)

25

The author uses simile to describe picture how she wants to show about

the bird was frightened. The simile can be seen from the word “like” that is

used by the poet in describing the poem. This sentence is called simile because

bird's eyes are compared to frightened beads. It also indicates the condition of

the object of bird. The birds is described as the way to get aims.

Like one in danger; cautious (Stanza 4, line 1)

From the first sentence in this stanza four in this poem is using simile to

describe the condition someone. The word like one shows the reader that the

subject has the own way to get whatever he/she wants. In this sentences

compare the bird with people.

Leap, splash less, as they swim (Stanza 5, line 4)

From the sentence above, it describes about an action from the bird and

the sentence compares between leap and splash less with swim.

A.1.1.2 a drop fell on the apple tree

In this poem, it can‟t be found the simile.

A.1.2 Metaphor

Metaphor is an implicit and compares two different objects directly without

using introductory words as, like, resembles, seems, and so on (Perrine,

1987:581). The result of analysis and discussion of simile in the poem below:


He stirred his velvet head (Stanza 3, line 4)

From the sentence above, there is a metaphor that use in this stanza. It

has an aim for the writer, Emily. Emily uses metaphor „He stirred his velvet

head‟ to compares the head of bird, the bird's head is not literally made of

26

velvet, but the metaphor above only illustrates it as smooth and silky. It also

show as there is a description about the situation that happen in the writer.


Myself conjectured, Were they pearls (Stanza 2, line 3)

Instead of saying myself conjectured, Were they pearls. The writer uses

metaphor to describe his imagination about “they” (rainy) like pearls. In this

poem, rainy is the cheerful, cheerfulness is something very beautiful and

precious like pearls. In this line is also show us about the feeling from the

author. He wants to describe about the real situation in around him.

A.1.3 Personification

Personification is a figure of speech in which a thing, an animal, or an abstract

term (truth, nature) is made human (Perrine, 1987:581). The result of analysis

and discussion of simile in the poem below:


He bit an angle-worm in halves (Stanza 1, line 3)

The sentences above shows personification in word “bit”, bit is human

nature, while a suitable for bird is “pecking”.

And then hopped sidewise to the wall

To let a beetle pass. (Stanza 2, line2-3)

In the two sentences above consists about personification. It can be seen

from the sentences that used in line 1. On other side it also happen because

both sentences describe bird like a human, the bird thinking about something

(hopped sidewise to the wall) so the beetle can go and get away from there.

27

He glanced with rapid eyes (Stanza 3, line 1)

The sentences above shows personification in word “glanced”, glance

is human nature, and the bird can not to do it ( glance)

And rowed him softer home (Stanza 4, line 4)

The sentences above shows personification in word “rowed”, rowed is

human nature, and the bird can not to do it, bird only to do flapping his wings

not rowed.



Another on the roof

A half a dozen kissed the eaves

And made the gables laugh (Stanza 1, line 1-4)

Based on the sentences above, I can be predicted something was drop

fell on the apple tree or on the roof is “rainy” (inanimate things). And the

sentences line 3 shows personification, kiss and laugh is human nature. Kissed

the eaves here means which the rainy a drop fell on the eaves while the gables

laugh means the resulting sound of rainy falling on the roof like sound of

people who were laughing.

A few went out to help the brook

That went to help the sea (Stanza 2, line 5-6)

The two sentences above shows about the kind of personification from

the word „went out help and went to help‟ something is human nature, the two

sentences means the rainy can increase the volume of water in river sand the

sea..

The birds jocoser sung

The sunshine threw his hat away (Stanza 3, line 10-11)

28

The Personification in this sentence is shown in word “sung” and

“threw” that actually is the nature of human. For line 10, the birds cannot to

sing, it implied that sing in here is chirp and the sun cannot to threw and don‟t

have a hat.

The breezes brought dejected

And bathed them in the glee

The East put out a single flag (Stanza 4, line 13-15)

The Personification in this sentence is shown in word “brought

detected”, “ bathed “, and put out a single flag, line 13, 14, ad 15 can be

interpreted breeze take away the sadness and replaced with excitement.

A.1.4 Hyperbole

Hyperbole is simply exaggeration, but exaggeration in the service of truth

(Perrine, 1987:581). The result of analysis and discussion of simile in the poem

below:


Than oars divide the ocean,


Or butterflies, off banks of noon, (Stanza 5, line17-19)

The sentences above describes about the action of bird when he look

someone offered him a food, the bird unrolled his feathers and go far. Emily

uses hyperbole in this poem, all of the words is exaggeration, but three

sentences is very beautiful and interesting.

A.1.4.2 A drop fell on the apple tree

In this poem, it can‟t be found the hyperbole.

29

A.1.5 Pleonasm

Pleonasm is the superfluous use of words. Pleonasm may consist of needless

repetition, or of the addition of unnecessary words in an effort to express an

idea completely, or of a combination of the two (Holman, 1980:335). The

result of analysis and discussion of simile in the poem below:


And ate the fellow, raw (line 4)

Pleonasm in this sentence is shown in word “raw”. It indicate that the

living in the hard place can influence the condition of person. He/she can show

about the situation where the subject want to get better life. It also can be seen

all kinds of food for a bird is a raw food, the poem has been explained that the

bird eating a worm, and it is impossible that the worms are cooked condition.

So the word "raw" it said pleonastic, but the use of this figure of speech poem

look more beautiful..


In this poem, it can‟t be found the pleonasm.

A.1.6 Euphemism

Euphemism is a figure of speech which an indirect statement is substituted for

a direct one in an effort to avoid bluntness. Euphemistic terms have been much

used by many writers in an effort to mention a disagreeable idea in an

agreeable manner. (Holman, 1980:174). The result of analysis and discussion

of simile in the poem below:


From a convenient grass (Stanza 2, line 2)

30

In this part, the author uses the word grass as the symbol of life

from the author. In this stanza is found the euphemism that show about the

situation from the writer. The sentence above shows euphemism, because from

this sentences that the author wants to effort to avoid bluntness with smoothing

out the word so that it makes the poem be beautiful.


In this poem, it can‟t be found the euphemism.

Based on analysis, the writer concludes that “a Bird came down the

walk and a drop fell on the apple tree”, Emily Dickinson‟s poems uses many

figurative languages. For the poem “A Bird came down the walk” uses six

figure of speech, they are simile, metaphor, hyperbole, euphemism,

personification and pleonasm while the poem “A drop fell on the apple tree”

only use two figure of speech, it is a personification and metaphor. Among the

kind of figure of speech presented in this study, personification is the most

frequently appear in the two poems. And all of figure of speech uses in the

Emily Dickinson‟s poems make a poem to be a beautiful poem and to indicate

his unique writing style.

B. The Purpose of Figurative Language that used in The Emily Dickinson’s

poem of nature

Based on the data of analysis above, the writer concludes that she finds

some purpose that the author wants. There are some purposes that why Emily

Dickinson uses a lot of figurative language in the poems a bird came down the

walk and a drop fell on the apple tree. First, the use of figurative language

31

make easy to convey the content of the poems, and the way it manages to make

the reader more easily understands the purpose of the poems. The language

used to make what is described more impressive, as the following sentence: (A

Bird came down the walk)

Than oars divide the ocean



Leap, splash less, as they swim (Stanza 5, line17- 20)

From this stanza of poem shows that there are some purposes from the

author that he want to do later. Emily Dickinson describes action of the bird

when he get offering some food from someone, this sentences is very

descriptive and beautiful.

Secondly, A Bird came down the walk and a drop fell on the apple tree

use much personification to assist the readers understanding of the massage

that Emily Dickinson tries to portray. Emily Dickinson describes all the

elements contain at the poem to represent elements in the nature. For example:

He glanced with rapid eyes (A Bird came down the walk poem: Stanza 3, line

1), the sunshine threw his hat away (A drop fell on the apple tree: Stanza 3,

line 11), and etc.

And the last, this poem implicitly gives the reader knowledge about the

values of life in the nature. Emily Dickinson want to give more human

characteristic of what she sees in the nature. His idea is telling the readers that

the nature is poem and able to describe how its feeling and that make those two

poems more imaginative and livelier.

32

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION

After analyzing figurative language in Emily Dickinson‟s poems above with the

title “A Bird came down the walk and a drop fell on the apple tree”, the writer can

conclude that Emily Dickinson uses many figurative languages to indicate his unique

writing style. It also makes the readers easy to understand the intent contained in the

poem.

Before that, the writer describes the phenomenon of situation in the poem a

bird come down the walk. It shows to the readers that the life of human being needs the

effort and work. And in the poem a drop fell on the apple tree describes about the

falling someone in the apple tree. It means that every people often gets falling down in

his life. After falling down he changes his life better than before. He gets the happiness

in his life (apple tree).

Figurative language can be found from two poems “Emily Dickinson (a bird

came down the walk and a drop fell on the apple tree), for the poem “A Bird came

down the walk” uses six figure of speech, they are simile, metaphor, hyperbole,

euphemism, personification and pleonasm while the poem “A drop fell on the apple

tree” only use two figure of speech, it is a personification and metaphor. Among the

kind of figure of speech presented in this study, personification is the most frequently

appear in the two poems.

The writer concludes there are some purposes that why Emily Dickinson uses a

lot of figurative language in these poems a bird came down the walk and A drop fell on

the apple tree. First, the use of figurative language make easy to convey the content of

33

the poems, and the way it manages to make the reader more easily understands the

purpose of the poems. Secondly, A Bird came down the walk and A drop fell on the

apple tree use much symbolism to assist the readers understanding of the massage that

Emily Dickinson tries to portray. And the last, this poem implicitly gives the reader

knowledge about the values of life in the nature.

.

34

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chapman, Raymond. 1973. Linguistic and Literature: An introduction to literary

stylistic. London: Edward Arnold.

Gibson, Walker. 1980. Authors, Speakers, Readers, and Mock Readers: Reader-

Response Criticism: From Formalism to Post-Structuralism. Jane P. Tompkins.

Baltimore: John Hopkins UP.

Holman, C Hugh. 1978. A Handbook to literature. New York: The Odyssey Press.

Kennedy, X. J and Dana Gioia. 2005. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry,

and Drama. New York: Longman.

Kennedy, X. J and Dana Gioia. 2007. An Introduction to Fiction. New York:

Longman.

Perrine. Laurence. 1987. Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense. USA: Ted Buchholz.

Verdonk, Peter. 2002. Stylistics. New York: Oxford University Press.

Winterowd, W. Ross.1981. The Contemporary Writer: A Practical Rhetoric.

2nd

.ed.New York: Harcourct Brace Jovanovich, Inc.

Wellek, Rene and Austin Warren. 1949. Theory of Literature.USA: Jonathan Cape

http://www.poemhunter.com

(accessed on 01/02/2014)

http://www.sparknotes.com/biography/dickinson/summary.html


http://www.library.utoronto.ca/utel/glossary/Reader-response_criticism.html


http://thesis.binus.ac.id/asli/Bab2/2008-2-00302-IG%20Bab%202.pdf.


http://www.sparknotes.com/biography/dickinson/summary.html

http://www.library.utoronto.ca/utel/glossary/Reader-response_criticism.html

http://thesis.binus.ac.id/asli/Bab2/2008-2-00302-IG%20Bab%202.pdf

APPENDIX I

A bird came down the walk (poem)

A drop fell on the apple tree (poem)

APPENDIX II

BIOGRAPHY OF EMILY DICKINSON

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson, the "Belle of Amherst", is one of the most highly-regarded

poets ever to write. In America, perhaps only Walt Whitman is her equal in legend and in

degree of influence. She is considered one of the great American poets. Dickinson, the famous

recluse dressed in white, secretly produced an enormous canon of poetry while locked in her

room and refusing visitor after visitor. Her personal life and its mysteries have sometimes

overshadowed her achievements in poetry and her extraordinary innovations in poetic form, to

the dismay of some scholars.

Dickinson was born in December of 1830 to a well-known family, long established in

New England. Her family lived in the then-small farming town of Amherst, Massachusetts.

The middle child, Dickinson was adored by both her older brother Austin and her younger

Dickinson Lavinia. Her relationship with her mother was distant, and though she was likely

her father's favorite, her relationship with him was sometimes frosty.

Dickinson regularly attended her family's church, and New England Calvinism

surrounded her. Dickinson stood out as an eccentric when, as a young girl, she refused to join

the church officially or even to call herself a Christian. At school she proved a good student,

but spent only one year at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary before leaving the school due to

health problems. In the years prior to her cloistered existence at the house in Amherst,

Dickinson was quite social, attending parties, impressing her father's Washington political

comrades during a trip there, and amusing everyone with her witticisms. Emily Dickinson was

a fun, fiercely intelligent, young woman.

Something changed in her life, and that change is one of the greatest mysteries

surrounding Dickinson's legend. Sometime around 1850 she began writing poetry. Her first

poems were traditional and followed established form, but as time passed and she began

producing huge amounts of poetry, Dickinson began experimenting. In 1855, Dickinson,

already a homebody, took a trip to Washington D.C. after much prodding from her family. She

also went to Philadelphia, spending three weeks there. While in Philadelphia, she made the

acquaintance of a brilliant, serious man named Dr. Charles Wadsworth, a married reverend at

one of the Presbyterian churches in the city. He was an arresting figure and Dickinson deeply

admired him. Most scholars agree that Wadsworth was the man Dickinson fell in love with,

and the man who inspired much of her love poetry. Just before he left his Philadelphia church

in 1861 to move to San Francisco, Wadsworth visited Dickinson to tell her of his plans to

leave. No one in the family witnessed their meeting, but when he left, Dickinson suffered a

nervous breakdown that incapacitated her for a week and nearly ruined her eyesight.

Dickinson was experimenting with the form and structure of the poem. Many of her

innovations form the basis of modern poetry. She sent her poems as birthday greetings and as

valentines, but her love poetry was private. She tied it in tight little bundles and hid it away.

She did, however, seek out a mentor in Thomas Wentworth Higginson, a prominent literary

critic in Boston. They began a correspondence that would last for the rest of her life. Though

she doggedly sought out his advice, she never took the advice he gave, much to Higginson's

annoyance.

During the 1860s and 1870s, Dickinson grew even more reclusive. She stopped

wearing clothes that had any hint of color and dressed only in white, she turned away almost

every visitor who came to see her, and she locked herself in her room for days at a time. In the

late 1870s and early 1880s, a number of people close to Dickinson died in quick succession,

including her mother, her friend Judge Otis Lord, her young nephew, her good friend Helen

Fiske Hunt and Dr. Charles Wadsworth.

In 1886, Dickinson's health began deteriorating and she found herself slowly

becoming an invalid. Dickinson was only fifty-six, but she was suffering from a severe case of

Bright's disease. She died on May 15, 1886, and was buried in a white coffin in Amherst.

a study on the figurative language in emily -...

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