The Analysis of Figurative Language in Audre Lorde’s Poem ‘From the House of Yemanjá’

Ei Mon Kyaw

Ei Mon Kyaw Hunan Normal University

Keywords: Figurative Language, From the House of Yemanjá Poetry, Audre Lorde

Abstract

The goal of this study was to categorize the various figurative language that Audre Lorde employed in her poem From the House of Yemanjá. The study of figurative languages such as Metaphor, Personification, Hyperbole, Simile, Metonymy, Synecdoche, Irony, Antithesis, Symbolism, Alliteration, Onomatopoeia, Litotes, Idiom, Allusion, and Paradox are the subject of this study. A content analysis strategy was employed in this study together with a qualitative methodology. The researcher served as the main analytical tool for figurative language. The results of the analysis showed that From the House of Yemanjá, a poem by Audre Lorde, employed figurative language (29) times. The researcher concludes that Lorde's use of figurative language to symbolize the sentences results in beautiful language. The majority of her poems discussed her past experiences, which were influenced by the history of prejudice against American-African women or black women.

References

Chaer, A., & Agustina, L. (2004). Sosiolinguistik: Perkenalan awal. Jakarta: Rineka Cipta.
Education Help. (2015). Figurative Language in Poetry. https://medium.com/@english_grammar/figurative-language-in-poetry-55dd9cc36974
Gay, L. R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. W. (2006). Educational research: Competencies for analysis and applications. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.
Given, L. M. (2008). The Sage Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods. In L. M. Given
(Ed.), qualitative research methods. sage.
Indeed Editorial Team (2022). 11 Common Types of Figurative Language (With Examples). https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/figurative-language-examples
Lorde, Audre, et al. “From the House of Yemanjá by Audre Lorde.” Poetry Foundation. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42578/from-the-house-of-yemanja.
Miles, M., & Huberman, A. (1994). Qualitative Data Analysis (second). California: Sage. http://gen.lib.rus.ec
Njeng Eric Sipyinyu. (2004), “Audre Lorde: Black Feminist Visionary and “Mytho-poet”, Revue LISA/LISA e-journal , Vol. II - No. 4, 2004, 94-103.
Nur, Muhammad Rauuf Oktavian and Miranti, Ririt Rachma. (2018). The Analysis of Figurative Language Used in ‘Still I Rise’. International Summit on Science Technology and Humanity (ISETH): Integrating Knowledge for Future Sustainable Development, pp. 19-23. p-ISSN: 2477-3328. doi: http://hdl.handle.net/11617/11656.
Poetry Foundation. (2022), Audre Lorde. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/audre-lorde.
Voigt. B. (2022), Audre Lorde 101. Poetry Foundation. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/146096/audre-lorde-101.