AN ANALYSIS OF FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE IN THE CORRS ALBUM “TALK ON CORNERS”

Dewi Wulan Sari

Gunadarma University, [email protected]

ABSTRACT Figurative language is one of the linguistic devices that are used in the writing or speech to make language more beautiful, impactful, and interesting. The researcher chooses this topic because figurative language is very unique and tricky compared to the literal language. The problems of this research are What are the figurative languages found in Talk on Corners Album by The Corrs? and What is the most dominant figurative language found in Talk on Corners Album by The Corrs?. This research has two aims, they are to find out the figurative language found in Talk on Corners Album by The Corrs and to find out the most dominant figurative language found in Talk on Corners Album by The Corrs. Qualitative method is used in this research. Perrine theory about figurative language is use to analyzed the data that were taken from Talk on Corners Album by The Corrs. The results show that 44 data were found. Out of 44 data, 13 (29,5 %) are metaphor, 2 (4,5 %) are simile, 7 (16,0 %) are personification, 3 (6,8 %) are paradox, 1 (2,3 %) are symbol, 10 (22,7 %) are into allegory, and 8 (18,2 %) are hyperbole. The most dominant figurative language found is metaphor. Keywords: Figurative language, lyric, song

INTRODUCTION figurative languages make the lyric Literature is the works of art more beautiful and meaningful. The that is valued by many people. existent of figurative language in the Literature can be the form of, novel, lyric also confirm that lyric is a part of poetry, poems, play, and lyric. literature. Nowadays, more and more people are Figurative language is one of enjoying literature. As one of the the linguistic devices that are used in literature products, songs are very the writing or speech to make language popular and liked by many people in more beautiful, impactful, and the various age groups. Song is interesting. Figurative language is very combination between lyric and music different with the literal language and performed by human voice. With because the meaning behind the the help of technology that continues to figurative language itself cannot be grow, now people can listen to songs interpreted literally. This is in line with with ease anytime and anywhere. Perrine (1978 as citied in Fitria, 2018, p Songwriters sometimes write 71), “figurative language often provides song’s lyric based on their feelings or a more effective means saying what we the circumstances around them. mean than does directly”. Figurative Sometimes, songwriters add elements language is often used to compare of figurative language to convey what is people with other subject, to exaggerate in their imagination, to make the lyric a situation, and to express something by more dramatic and to draw people’s using symbols. Figurative language has attention. Somehow, the figurative various types such as simile, metaphor, languages make the lyric more personification, hyperbole, symbol, and interesting and enjoyable. Besides, metonymy.

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Many famous singers often use paradox, symbol, allegory, hyperbole, figurative language in their songs. One apostrophe, understatement, verbal of them is The Corrs. The Corrs is a irony”. band that consists of 4 Irish siblings. They come from Ireland and their name Metaphor are Andrea, Sharon, Caroline, and Jim. Holman in Cameron (2003 as On 17 October 1997, they released their citied in Fitria, 2018, p. 71) states that, second studio album, Talk on Corners. “Metaphor is not just a surface The album is released by ornamentation of language but a 143, Lava and Atlantic Records. The phenomenon of human thought Corrs’s second album is very popular in processes, then metaphor in real word many countries, including Ireland, language becomes an investigative Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, focus. The metaphor makes a New Zealand and Japan. qualitative leap from a reasonable, This research analyzes the perhaps prosaic comparison, to an figurative language in The Corrs second identification or fusion of two objects, studio album, Talk on Corners. The to make one new entity partaking of the researcher interested to do a research in characteristics of both. It compares two this topic because figurative language is things without uses comparative words a special and important aspect in such as like, as, than, similar to or writing a poem, poetry, as well as lyric, resembles”. so that they can be more attractive and A comparison in metaphor is impactful. The researcher chooses this made without using the comparison album because that is one of the famous words such as like, as, similar to, and albums from The Corrs that gains a lot resemble. The metaphor is a way to say of attention internationally. that two compared things are identical Chaer (1995 as citied in Rabiah, 2012, in comparison, not just similar. The p. 2), “mentions the characteristics that most famous metaphor in literature can constitute the essence of language as a be taken in Romeo and Juliet, which is symbol of the sound system, are “what light through yonder window arbitrary, productive, dynamic, diverse, breaks? It is the East, and Juliet, the and humane”. Language is used by sun!” retrieved from people in order to communicate on each https://literarydevices.net/ metaphor/. other. All countries have their own In the example Juliet is compared with language, but they still have the same the sun. The readers know that Juliet is meaning and purpose. not the sun, but Rome equate Juliet According to Perrine (1969 as with the sun. citied in Diah Ayuningsih, 2015, p. 6), “figurative language is another way of Simile adding extra dimension to a language”. Shaw (1972 as citied in Fitria, Because of the extra dimensions added, 2018, p. 72) explained that “the figurative language does not have the common heritage of similes in everyday literal meaning. So that, lack of speech usually reflects simple knowledge and understanding about comparison based on the natural world figurative language may lead to great or familiar domestic object. The words misunderstanding. Based on Perrine’s like and as are the comparison words theories (1969, ascitied in Diah which are commonly used”. Simile is Ayuningsih, 2015, pp 7-9) “the types of figurative language that compare figurative language are metaphor, different objects or concepts. The simile, personification, synecdoche, comparison in simile is made as explicit

32 UG JURNAL VOL.15 Edisi 06 Juni 2021 as possible by adding the words like, as, apparent absurdity”. Paradox is used to similar, resemble. The example of make a statement that seems simile is as Bruce Lee said, love is like contradictory but somehow true in fact. a friendship caught on fire. In the The example of paradox can be seen example, love is compared with from a saying in one of Disney movie, friendship caught on fire which are the Incredibles, that is “if everyone is dissimilar one to another. special, no one is”.

Personification Symbol According to Abrams (1999 as Symbol is also known as citied in Syafitri and Marlinton, 2018, symbolism. Based on Abrams (1999 as p. 46), “personification, in which either citied in Syafitri and Marlinton, 2018, an inanimate object or an abstract p. 48), “symbolism is applied only to a concept is spoken of as though it were word or phrase that signifies an object endowed with life or with human or event which in its turn signifies attributes or feelings”. Personification something, or has a range of reference, is done by giving the human’s attribute beyond itself”. Symbol in figurative to the non-human. This kind of language refers to the use of symbol in figurative language allows a speaker or the literary work. A word or phrase may writer to give life to the non-human be a symbol that represent something object by giving them human’s else besides its original meaning. The behavior or emotions. So that, it shows symbol may create and evoke the that as if they can act like human beings. readers or listeners’ imagery and The personification can be seen in the emotional responses. The example of example which is “my heart danced symbol is, “The man looks angry and when he walked into the room”. writes the letter with red ink”. Red ink in the example shows an anger. Synecdoche Lakoff (1980 as citied in Allegory Armuzad, 2017, p. 14) said that As Perrine stated (2000 as citied “synecdoche is a part of something that in Putra & Puspitasari, 2020, p. 306), represents the whole or it may use a “allegory is a narrative or description whole to represent a part. The entity that has a second meaning beneath the referred to as a container of constituents surface”. An allegory may be words, and one of these constituents is used to phrases, that have deep meaning represent the entire entity as a whole”. besides its surface meaning. To In a line with the definition above, interpret this figurative language, the synecdoche allows a smaller part of reader must direct a message beyond something to represent the lager whole, another message. Fabel is known as the in rhetorical manner. Synecdoche can example of allegory. Fabel is a also work in the opposite direction. The narrative that provides a narrative example of synecdoche is “I have not lessons and values. seen your nose for years”. Hyperbole / Overstatement Paradox According to Abrams (1999 as Shaw (1972 as citied in Fitria, citied in Syafitri and Marlinton, 2018, 2018, p. 72) stated that “the reader must p.47), ”hyperbole is bold overstatement, probe beyond the literal meaning to find or the extravagant exaggeration of fact a deeper; usually more philosophical or of possibility. It may be used either meaning which will reconcile the for serious or ironic or comic effect”.

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Hyperbole is simply exaggeration. Verbal irony is a saying that its meaning Hyperbole is often overstated that adds is different from what is being said. It emphasis without the intention of being used as a satire. The example of verbal ivory literally true. One of hyperbole’s is, your hand writing is very good that I example is, “She is so hungry that she could not read it. The meaning is can eat the horse”. actually different from what is said. In the example, what the speaker means is Apostrophe the opposite of what was being said. Based on Perrine (1987 The true meaning is that the hand as citied in Rahayu, 2017, p. 18), writing cannot be read because it is “apostrophe defined as addressing very bad. someone absent or something non human as if it was a live and present RESEARCH METHOD and could reply to what is being said”. In conducting this research, the Apostrophe is a rhetorical device uses by researcher uses qualitative method. a writer when their characters address a According to Moloeng (2010 as citied non-human character that is not present in Rahayu, 2017, p. 34), “qualitative in the scene as if it is alive. The famous method is a research procedure that example of apostrophe can be found in obtains descriptive data in written or Romeo and Juliet Act 2 Scene 2 Line 5, spoken form from the people and their “Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious behavior which is being observed”. In moon” retrieved from other words, qualitative method is a https://literarydevices.net/10- way to collect data which are concerned memorable-uses-of-apostrophe-by- with describing meaning. Qualitative shakespeare/. research method provides a depth and rich descriptions. Based on the Understatement explanation above, qualitative method As Perrine stated (2000 as citied is used because this research uses an in Putra & Puspitasari, 2020, p. 307), interpretation of the data. “overstatement, or hyperbole, is simply The data source in this exaggeration, but exaggeration in the research is The Corrs Album, Talk on service of truth. It is not the same as a Corners. The album, talk on Corners, fish story”. Understatement is used to was released on 17 October 1997 as intentionally make a situation seems their second studio album. The album less important than it really is. It is the which was produced opposite of the hyperbole. The example by 143, Lava and Atlantic Records, is a of understatement is, It was O.K which big hit. Talk on Corners consists of 14 is said by a student with the highest tracks, but one of them is only score on test. instrumental. So that the data source of this research are the 13 songs namely Verbal Irony only when I sleep, when he’s not Verbal Irony is also known as around, dreams, what can I do, I never Irony. According to Abrams (1999 as loved you anyway, so young, don’t say citied in Syafitri and Marlinton, 2018, you love me, love gives love takes, p. 47), “in most of the modern critical hopelessly addicted, intimacy. Queen of uses of the term ‘irony‘ there remains Hollywood, no good for me, and little the root sense of dissembling or hiding wing. what is actually the case; not, however, The data of this research are in order to deceive, but to achieve collected systematically. First, the special rhetorical or artistic effects”. researcher collects the 13 song lyrics

34 UG JURNAL VOL.15 Edisi 06 Juni 2021 from Talk on Corners by The Corrs. categorized into simile, 7 (16,0 %) Second, the researcher listens to the figurative language are categorized into songs many times to gets and feels the personification, 3 (6,8 %) figurative emotions. Then, the researcher reads language are categorized into paradox, the song lyrics thoroughly. The next 1 (2,3 %) figurative language are step is the researcher marks the categorized into symbol, 10 (22,7 %) figurative language in the lyrics. After figurative language are categorized into that, the researcher collects the allegory, and 8 (18,2 %) figurative figurative language in the lyric to the language are categorized into table. hyperbole. According to the data After all of the data have been collected, the most dominant figurative obtained, the researcher analyzes the language found is metaphor. data based on the following steps. First, Below are the examples of figurative the researcher classifies the data based language found in the songs’ lyric of on the theory of figurative language Talk on Corners by The Corrs: proposed by Perrine. Second, the researcher analyzes the data of the Metaphors research. Third, the researcher rechecks Metaphor is used as a way to the data on the song lyrics. Fourth, the compare two things that have the same researcher draws conclusion of the data quality. In metaphor, the words like, as, analysis. similar are not used.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION Table 2. There are 44 figurative language Metaphor Data 1 which are found in the songs’ lyrics Number of Lyric Song Title from the album Talk on Corners by The Data Corrs. The types of figurative language Data 1 You’re Only that are found are metaphors, simile, only just a when I personification, paradox, symbol, dream boat sleep allegory, and hyperbole. The following Source: Talk on Corners, 1997 will be explained further in the tables below: The example above is Tabel 1. categorized as metaphor because it Figurative Langue compares something without the words Kinds of Figurative Freque Percent of comparison. It compares you and Language ncy age dream boat. The reader clearly knows Metaphor 13 29,5 % that you refers to a person, but Simile 2 4,5 % somehow the writer represent the Personification 7 16,0 % person existences as a dream boat. Paradox 3 6,8 % Symbol 1 2,3 % Table 3. Allegory 10 22,7 % Metaphor Data 2 Hyperbole 8 18,2 % Number of Lyric Song Title Total 44 100 % Data Source: Talk on Corners, 1997 Data 5 Your Only breath is When I From the table above it can be just a sea Seep seen that 13 (29,5 %) figurative mist language are categorized into metaphor, Source: Talk on Corners, 1997 2 (4,5 %) figurative language are

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The sentence “Your breath is Table 6. just a sea mist” is categorized into Personification Data 1 metaphor because it compares Number of Lyric Song Title something without adding the words of Data comparison such as like and as. It is Data 27 Love gives Love comparing your breath and sea mist, so and love Gives the person’s breath is fresh and divides Love shooting. Takes Source: Talk on Corners, 1997 Simile Simile is used to compare two The sentence “Love gives and different object as explicit as possible love divides” is categorized into by using the words such as like, as, personification because in the sentence than, similar to, resembles, or seems. we can see that the word “love” which is nonhuman is given the attribute of Table 4. human, which is “give” and “divide”. Simile Data 1 Number of Lyric Song Table 7. Data Title Personification Data 2 Data 37 I’m feeling No Good Number of Lyric Song Title like a child for Me Data Source: Talk on Corners, 1997 Data 30 That love Love can give Gives The sentence “I’m feeling like a Love child” is categorized into simile Takes because it compares I and a child. That Source: Talk on Corners, 1997 means the person feels so weak and does not know what to say and to do. The sentence “That love can give” is categorized into personification Table 5. Simile Data 2 because in the sentence we can see that Number of Lyric Song Title the word “love” which is nonhuman is Data given the attribute of human, which is Data 38 I am No Good “give”. shaking like for Me a leaf Paradox Source: Talk on Corners, 1997 Paradox is a kind of figurative speech that show a contradiction. It The sentence “I am shaking like may be a statement or situation that is a leaf” is categorized into simile unbelievable but somehow true. because it compares I and a leaf. That means the person feels so weak and Table 8. brittle, so that the person can be easily Paradox Data 1 shaken. Number of Lyric Song Title Data Personification Data 19 I am I Never Personification is figurative happy it’s Loved You language that give human attribute to over Anyway the non-human being, as if they were Source: Talk on Corners, 1997 alive. In the other words, it is a way to The sentence “I am happy it’s make the non-human as a human being. over” is categorized into paradox

36 UG JURNAL VOL.15 Edisi 06 Juni 2021 because the statement is contradicting Allegory to the real situation. From the sentence Allegory is a figurative it can be seen that the person is happy language that makes a play or a picture when his/her relationship is over. represent another idea such as truth, lie, Commonly, when something is over or live, or death. end, someone will feel sad. But the person is feeling the contrary way. Table 11. Allegory Data 1 Table 9. Number of Lyric Song Title Paradox Data 2 Data Number of Lyric Song Title Data 36 And her Queen of Data friends Hollywood Data 20 I am so I Never they talk glad you Loved You on corners are moving Anyway Source: Talk on Corners, 1997 away Source: Talk on Corners, 1997 The sentence “And her friends they talk on corners” is categorized into The sentence “I am so glad you allegory because the phrase talk on are moving away” is categorized into corners does not mean the real paradox because the statement is meaning. The meaning of the phrase is contradicting to the real situation. From that they talk about her behind her back. the sentence it can be seen that the person is happy when her lover is Table 12. moving away. Commonly, when the Symbol Data 2 lover is gone, someone will feel sad. Number of Lyric Song Title But the person is feeling the contrary Data way. Data 37 And the Queen of pictures Hollywood Symbol that she Symbol in figurative language is painted a word or phrase that actually represent Source: Talk on Corners, 1997 something else than its original or true meaning. The sentence “And the pictures that she painted” is categorized into Table 10. allegory because the word “picture” in Symbol Data 1 the sentences do not refer to the real Number of Lyric Song Title meaning of picture. The woman talked Data is not a painter, the picture talked refers Data 23 We are So Young to the woman’s life and career. chasin’ the moon Hyperbole Source: Talk on Corners, 1997 Hyperbole is a way to exaggerate something to sound better, The sentence “I am happy it’s worse or even more dangerous that it over” is categorized into symbol should be. because the word “moon” in the sentences is not the real moon know. The word “moon” usually hints a dream or pleasure.

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Table 13. allegory, and 8 (18,2 %) figurative Hyperbole Data 1 language are categorized into Number of hyperbole. Lyric Song Title Data Based on the data found, it is Data 11 I find that I When he’s clear that the most dominant figurative can’t not around language found in the songs’ lyric on breathe and Talk on Corners Album by The Corrs is I can’t metaphor. It dominates the other by its sleep when number of data found which is 13 (29,5 he is not %). Based on the result of this research, around the researcher suggests the other to do Source: Talk on Corners, 1997 more research about figurative language by using different theory and source. So The sentence “I find that I can’t that it can deepen the understanding breathe and I can’t sleep when he is not about the types of figurative language around is categorized into hyperbole. It and gives more and rich examples that is because the sentence contains relate to each type of figurative exaggeration. It does not really mean language. that the person cannot breathe and sleep. REFERENCES Armuzad, Alief Table 14. Falahuddin. (2017). Figurative Hyperbole Data 2 language used in sports rubric in Number of Lyric Song The Jakarta Post Data Title Newspaper. Surabaya: UIN Sunan Data 44 With a Little Ampel Surabaya. Retrieved from thousand Wing http://digilib.uinsby.ac.id/18480/ smiles Ayuningsih, Diah. (2015). Figurative Source: Talk on Corners, 1997 Language Used by Hans Christian Andersons in The Little Match Seller The sentence “With a thousand in The Ugly Duckling Fairy Tales. smiles” is categorized into hyperbole. It Surabaya: UIN Sunan Ampel is because the sentence contains Surabaya. Retrieved from exaggeration. It does not really mean http://digilib.uinsby.ac.id/2714/ that the person smiles for a thousand at Fitria, Tira Nur. (2018). Figurative a time. Language Used in One Direction’s Album Entitled Up All Night. ELITE CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION Journal. 05(01), 69-79. Retrieved Based on the analysis conducted from there are 44 data found. Out of 44 data, https://ssrn.com/abstract=3527854 it can be seen that 13 (29,5 %) Hornby, A. S. (2010). Oxford Advanced figurative language are categorized into Learner’s Dictionary. London: metaphor, 2 (4,5 %) figurative language Oxford University Press. are categorized into simile, 7 (16,0 %) PUTRA, Imam Soekarno; figurative language are categorized into PUSPITASARI, Anita. (2020). An personification, 3 (6,8 %) figurative Analysis of Figurative Language in language are categorized into paradox, Jalaluddin Rumi’s Quotes in Book 1 (2,3 %) figurative language are The Meaningful Life With categorized into symbol, 10 (22,7 %) Rumi. Syntax Literate ; Jurnal Ilmiah figurative language are categorized into Indonesia, 5(7), 303-313.

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