CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
According to Knickerbocker (1963: 307) quoted by Oka Merdangga (2007:
1) poetry is the hymns of praise, and the essays on the nature of poetry would
cram the selves of any modest public library and overflow onto the floor 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.
Another definition is stated by Situmorang (1977: 4) as cited in Adi
Setianingsih (2006: 1) “poetry is the art and the outpouring feelings medium of a
poet.” It shows the emotion, feeling, enchantment and wonder, while its basic
emotion is in mind. In other words, poetry is the spontaneous overflow of
powerful feeling. It takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility.
Poetry is beautiful and it becomes interesting to analyze one. There are two
poems were studied here; entitled “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and “On
the Pulse of Morning” by Maya Angelou, because these writing want to compare
the use of figurative language in these poems. The poem were chosen because it
has a hidden meaning behind it words and the poet was popular during her times.
Figurative language as a base theory in this writing will be used to analyze the
poem.
In those poems there are figurative languages that help building up the
theme of the poem because not everyone is able to understand what idea contained
in a poem. At least someone should know about figurative language because most
poems use figurative language to convey the poem’s ideas. In using figurative
language each poet may have his or her own style as his or her personal
expression, but finally the poets will come to universal or common value, it means
that there is a quality of perception among them that represents a kind universal
truth, figurative to be important to support the poet’s imagination in combining
the physical reality with an inner mood. Figurative language was chosen because
beautifulness means that all the expression in the poem have to be understood
based on the context, not based on dictionary.
In order to get a deeper understanding in analyzing types of figurative
language, it is important to reconsider several previous researches which
correlated with the topic were discussed. The first research is written by I Gusti
Ngurah Oka Merdangga entitled “The Analysis of Figurative Language Found in
The Poem “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth” in 2007. In
his study, he limit his analysis on the kinds of figurative language and function of
figurative language in poem “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by William
Wordsworth.
The second research is written by Ida Ayu Gede Purnamasari entitled “The
Figurative of William Wordsworth’s Poem The Thorn” in 2008. In her thesis, he
focused about the kinds of figurative language and the function of figurative
language in William Wordsworth’s poem entitled The Thorn. The third research is
written by Gusti Ayu Setianingsih entitled “The Analysis of Figurative Language
Employed in William Wordsworth’s “The World Is Too Much With Us” ” in
2006. In her writing, she identified the kinds of figurative language and the value
that the poet wants to convey in his poem.
According to explanation above, this study is different from the previous
study. This study was focused in analyzing the types of figurative language that
occur in two poems, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and “On the Pulse of
Morning” by Maya Angelou, find out the meaning that the poet wants to convey
in “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and “On the Pulse of Morning” by Maya
Angelou and compare them seen from the used of figurative language. Those
poems were used as a data source because: first, in the previous research above
the writer only used one poem and in this study was used two poems with
different genre. Second, those poems are the part of greatest collection of Maya
Angelou one of the most influence poet in America. And finally because those
poems have a hidden meaning behind it words and it has figurative sense.
1.2 Problem of the Study
There are some problems that arise in the study of Maya Angelou’s “I Know
Why the Caged Bird Sings” and “On the Pulse of Morning” in terms of its
figurative language; the problems can be formulated as follows:
1) What types of figurative language are used in Maya Angelou’s poems “I
Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and “On the Pulse of Morning”?
2) What meanings of the figures of speech are there in Maya Angelou’s
poems “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and “On the Pulse of
Morning”?
3) What is the similarities and differences in using figurative language
between “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sing” and “On the Pulse of
Morning” poems?
1.3 Aims of the Study
From the problems which have been formulated above, the aims of this
writing can be formulated as follows:
1) To identify and classify the types of figurative language found in the
poems “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and “On the Pulse of
Morning”.
2) To investigate the meaning of figures of speech that the poet wants to
convey in the poems.
3) To find out the similarities and differences of poems in using figurative
language.
1.4 Scope of Discussion
In analyzing poems there are many things that can be put into analysis,
either intrinsically or extrinsically. If the two elements are covered, the study will
be too large an undertaking. Therefore, the scope of discussion in this study is
limited only to the study of figurative language used in the poems. And it extends
to the types of figurative language and to complete the analysis, this writing also
deals with the meaning of figures of speech that the poet would like to convey in
the poems and the comparison of the poems seen from the used of figurative
language.
1.5 Research Method
Method is a systematic procedure in analyzing an object of research in
accordance with the approach used or we can say in the simple way method is a
systematic work to examine the object in accordance with the kind of research.
Data was needed to support the writing. The method that is used in doing this
research consists of data source, data collection, and data analysis.
1.5.1. Data Source
There are two poems were used as data source in this study; the poems itself
entitled “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and “On the Pulse of Morning”
written by Maya Angelou, in 1969 and 1993. The data were taken through the
internet http://www.poemhunter.com and http://poetry.eserver.org. The poems
were chosen because they have a hidden meaning behind it words and the poet
was popular during her times as well as utilize many figures of speech and it
proves interesting to analyze. Maya Angelou mostly wrote the poem about social
life and she accepted a lifetime appointment in 1981 as Reynolds Professor of
American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
1.5.2. Method and Technique of Collecting Data
There were some steps in method and technique of collecting data. First,
browsing the poems of Maya Angelou through the internet. Secondly, choosing
the poems by Maya Angelou that contain many figurative languages then reading
the poems intensively and understanding them. Finally, writing down all the
information relevant to the topic of discussion.
1.5.2. Method and Technique of Analyzing Data
The collected data were analyzed by descriptive method using the theory
proposed by Knickerbocker and Reninger (1963). In analyzing the data, there are
some steps were taken here; first, the collected data were separated per stanza, and
then all the information relevant to the topic of discussion transcribed. After that,
the data were separated per line and analyzed based on the theory of figurative
language proposed by Knickerbocker and Reninger (1963), and supported by the
other theories which are relevant to the topic. This is crucial for understanding and
knowing what the poet means by every line in their poem. In the process of
analysis it can be seen how each figure of speech assumes a function in the
thematic construction of the poem because only through their subordination to the
construction of the poetic theme can they seen to assume a function.