Lexicon October 2019 N Pages 178-189
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Volume 6, Number 2 Lexicon October 2019 https://jurnal.ugm.ac.id/lexico n Pages 178-189 Conceptual Metaphors in Paramore’s After Laughter Album Stephanie Melinda Pramudita, Sharifah Hanidar* English Department, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia *Corresponding Author: [email protected] ABSTRACT This research aims to classify the conceptual metaphors in Paramore’s After Laughter (2017) album. The data for the research were taken from 11 songs in the album After Laughter. The data were analyzed using Lakoff and Johnson’s (1980) theory of conceptual metaphor. From the 11 songs, 47 data were identified containing conceptual metaphors. Overall, the data mostly consist of orientational metaphors. There were 37 data containing orientational metaphors, which are used by the songwriters to convey to their listeners that they had experienced ups and downs in their lives. Eight structural metaphors were used to deliver the message that life is full of challenges and struggle. However, it also conveys a lesson of the most genuine forgiveness. Only 2 data containing ontological metaphors were found. The conceptual metaphors depict the devastation in their lives, as it is tangible through human imagination and has human characteristics. By using conceptual metaphors in the song lyrics, the songwriters enable the listeners to acknowledge the message, as well as the story that they meant to convey. Keywords: conceptual metaphors, experiences, messages, songs. INTRODUCTION September 2018) who was a songwriter for his band named Cyprus, agrees that figurative language is the A lyric can be an expression of certain feelings such way to colorize the lyrics and indirectly show the as happiness, loneliness, depression, and message that the songwriters intend to say to the hopelessness. It is a strong component in any kind listeners. There are many types of figurative of songs. The lyrics are even more enjoyable if they language used by songwriters, such as simile, are relatable to the listeners’ current state of mind. hyperbole, personification, irony, and metaphor. Pettijon and Sacco (2009) argue that the Metaphors are used in daily communication, cooperativeness between words and songs are surely and it is in line with human’s thought and reasoning connected in expressing emotions, even opinions, (Kövecses, 2010, p. 4). Metaphors, one of the and also attitude (p. 297). popular figurative forms, are also used in song lyrics. Songwriters write lyrics based on what they Johansson (2016) claims that metaphor is used by want to share, which connects with people’s many songwriters to depict the narrative of the feelings. To produce lyrics that would appeal to lyrics that they intend to write (p. 5). Kövecses more listeners, songwriters use figurative language. (2010) highlights metaphor as an engagement of Bartholomew Heeren (personal communication, similarities in two entities that are compared and 178 | LEXICON, Volume 6, Number 2, October 2019 S. M. Pramudita & S. Hanidar | Conceptual Metaphors | 179 identified, and not merely as a linguistic Smithiana, an English Department student of phenomenon and artistic feature. In order to Universitas Gadjah Mada. She used the theory of understand the conscious and deliberate use of conceptual metaphor proposed by Lakoff and metaphors, people should be able to interpret the Johnson to analyze eight songs from Adhitia underlying meanings (p. 4). Sofyan’s four different albums. Communicating feelings by using metaphor- In the same year, Desti Yuwastina (2017), also ical expressions can be seen in Paramore’s latest a student of the English Department of Universitas album. Paramore is an American pop-punk band Gadjah Mada, wrote an undergraduate thesis formed in 2004 in their hometown in Nashville, entitled Metaphor in the Primetime Television U.S. Tennessee. The band consists of three members, Presidential Debates in 2015. The metaphors found Hayley Williams, the lead vocalist, Taylor York, the in the political debate were identified and classified guitarist, and Zac Farro, the drummer. After four into two categories: the structural and orientational years of waiting, finally, their fifth album, After metaphor. Besides applying both concepts, the Laughter, was released on May 12, 2017. Almost all metaphors used in the debates were also analyzed the lyrics in the album were written by the based on cultural coherence. members of the band based on their feeling. In In 2014, Dewinta Mentari, who is also from 2010, the band lost the Farro brothers, and in 2017 the English Department, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Zac finally joined the band again, and in 2015 the analyzed metaphors used in Abraham Lincoln’s bassist, Jeremy Davis left the band. Those bitter speech by applying Andrew Goatly’s theory in her moments led the remaining members, Williams and undergraduate thesis entitled Metaphors in York, to produce lyrics that depict their pessimism, Abraham Lincoln’s Speeches on the National Unity, guilt, and anxiety. It is also a tribute to their friend, Slavery, and the Equality of Men. The research Zac, who joined the band again. examines five speeches of Abraham Lincoln, during From the album, eleven out of twelve songs, the year 1854-1865. which are based on the depiction of the band There is also a related research from Umea ̊ members’ depression and life devastation, are University, Sweden, entitled Conceptual Metaphor chosen. Those feelings are poured into the lyrics of in Lyrics by Leonard Cohen written by Anna their songs; Hard Times, Rose-Colored Boy, Told Johansson (2016). The songs were taken from the You So, Forgiveness, Fake Happy, 26, Pool, album Ten New Songs (2001); A Thousand Kissed Grudges, Caught in the Middle, Idle Worship, and Deep, Here It Is, and Boogie Street. The research Tell Me How. The song that is not analyzed is No focuses on the conceptual metaphor, by applying Friend because it is not written by the members of Lakoff and Johnson’s theory, especially the source Paramore. It was written by Aaron Weiss, the lead- domain and target domain that is implied in the singer of MewithoutYou. lyrics. The present research investigates the use of Lastly, in 2011, Laima Petruskevič iǔ tē ,̇ a conceptual metaphors in the lyrics and how the student of Siauliaǐ University, Lithuania, wrote a songwriters deliver the meaning that they intend to bachelor thesis on Conceptual Metaphor of Love in express. All of the lyrics in the album are not only Poetry. The poems are taken from influential poets relatable to the band members, but also to their such as Hartley Coleridge, Robert Burns, Elizabeth listeners. Barrett Browning, Edgar Allan Poe, Christina Rossetti, and many more. The research aims at analyzing the source and target domain of the LITERATURE REVIEW poems about love. This paper presents the same subject that is There have been numerous researches on conceptual metaphors. However, the data source is metaphor in recent years. In 2017, an different from the previous researches. The lyrics undergraduate thesis entitled Metaphors Found in are written by the three members of Paramore, who Adhitia Sofyan’s Songs was written by Meidia Rea are native speakers of English. This research only 180 | LEXICON, Volume 6, Number 2, October 2019 focuses on one album, After Laughter (Paramore, without pedestals, and neither can theories. 2017), which is mainly about depression, anxiety, Without their construction of explanations, theories and other personal problems that the members are meaningless. experienced. Orientational metaphors deal with the spatial orientation UP and DOWN as it is the part of our physical environment and even culture (Lakoff & THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Johnson, 1980, p. 15). It independently delivers the consistency between the words and the meaning of The theory used to analyze the use of conceptual the metaphorical expressions (Lakoff & Johnson, metaphors in the songs is the conceptual metaphor 1980, p. 18). One example of an orientational theory proposed by Lakoff and Johnson (1980) in metaphor is HAPPY IS UP; SAD IS DOWN. The their book Metaphors We Live By. According to statement describes the feeling when people are them, a conceptual metaphor is an aspect of a happy; they would be energized and feel up all day systematic form. One example is TIME IS MONEY. long. Meanwhile, it is the opposite when people are Time and money are countable. People can spend sad. They feel powerless and helpless. and pay for them. They also have value. There is a Ontological metaphors always involve human connection between two concepts of the indefinite sense in its usage. It deals with the rationality of measurement (p. 7). human experiences, a direct expression of mental In a conceptual metaphor, there are two phenomena. For instance, THE MIND IS A conceptual domains: source domain and target BRITTLE OBJECT. The concept of MIND has a domain. The source domain is the one that depicts sense of a physical phenomenon, which possesses the metaphorical expression to be understood for boundaries in its surface, A BRITTLE OBJECT. the other domain. The target domain, meanwhile, is Ontological metaphors also include the domain that is attempted to be understood from personification in the concept (Lakoff & Johnson, the use of the source domain. It can be said that the 1980, p. 33). It expresses human motivations, source domain is concrete, while the target domain characteristics, and activities and uses human terms is abstract. An example of this is: LOVE IS A in the metaphorical expressions. In the JOURNEY. Therefore, JOURNEY is the source sentence, Cancer finally caught up with him does domain because there is only one meaning in the not literally mean that cancer can run and be in the word, that is the act of traveling. While for LOVE, same position as him, but it means that he suffers as the target domain, contains more than one from cancer. concept in the word: it possibly means affection or intimacy.