Into the 21st Century: Figures of Speech in the Select Prose Poems of Conchitina Cruz

Lorejels  Clarido,

Into the 21st Century: Figures of Speech in the Select Prose Poems of Conchitina Cruz

Discipline: Education

Abstract:

This study aimed to identify and examine the figures of speech in the selected prose poems of Conchitina Cruz. Moreover, it employed a descriptive qualitative method that focuses on content analysis. The primary source of the study was ten chosen prose poems. In exploring the data, New Formalism was employed as the research paradigm and the types of figures of speech according to Laurence Perrine – by comparison, association, and contrast. Findings revealed that twenty-eight figures of speech were obtained in the study. It is also discovered that there are eight types of figures of speech in Cruz's prose poems. In comparison, eighteen (20) excerpts were determined, which yields to (71.42%). In terms of association, the data suggests that it occurs four times leading to (14.28%). With regards to contrast, it appears four times which yields to (14.28%). Thus, simile occurs five times which yields to (17.85%), metaphor occurs three times (10.71%), personification occurs nine times (32.14%) while apostrophe occurs three times (10.71%). With regards to association, synecdoche occurs three times and had garnered (10.71%), symbol occurs once (3.57%). In terms of contrast, hyperbole occurs three times (10.71%), while paradox occurs once (3.57%). Personification mostly dominates and consists of the highest frequency percentage resulting to (32.14%) and appears nine times. After analyzing the data, the findings revealed that identifying the figures of speech would help the students enhance their writing and heighten their ability to comprehend. Based on the research findings, a lesson exemplar was developed to reinforce and support teaching figures of speech.

References:

Bailey, N. M. (1989). The Importance of Teaching Poetry. Journal of Aesthetic Education, 23(4), 51–62. https://doi.org/10.2307/3333031
Barnet, S.,et.al.(2006). An introduction to literature. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/yxhf8fy2 Barry, P. (2002). Beginning Theory; An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory. Second, Manchester University Press
Benedict, M. (1976). The Prose Poem: An International Anthology. New York, NY: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1976.
Cowles, D. (1994). The Critical Experience. Hunt Publising Company.
Damanhuri, M. (2011). Imagery and Figurative Language Analysis on Robert Frost’s Poems. Retrived from https://bit.ly/2YbS8Ui
DiYanni, R. (2002). Literature, Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Avenue of the Americas, New York.McGraw-Hill Companies,Inc.
Erlich, V. (1973). Russian Formalism. Journal of the History of Ideas, 34(4), 627–638.
Frye, N. (1957). Thematic modes. In Anatomy of criticism: Four essays. New Jersey: Princeton University Press
Fussell, S. R. & Moss,M. M. (1998) Figurative language in emotional communication. Human- Computer Interaction Institute Journal, (82). Retrieved from http://repository.cmu.edu/hcii/82
Gioia, D. (1987). Notes on the New Formalism. The Hudson Review, 40(3), 395–408. https://doi.org/10.2307/3851450
Highet, G. (1960). The Powers Of Poetry. United States of America. Oxford University Press Jefferson, A. (1990). Literariness, dominance, and violence in formalist aesthetics. In Literary theory today. (eds. Peter Collier & Helga GeyerRyan). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Keil, K. (2005). Rediscovering the Joy of Poetry. The English Journal, 95(1), 97–102. https://doi.org/10.2307/30047405
Kirszner, L. G. and Mandell, S. R. (1991). Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. United States of America. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc.
Kovecses, Z. (1986). Metaphors of anger, pride and love: A lexical approach to the structure of concepts. Philadelphia, PA: John Benjamins.