An analysis on figurative language expressions used in the lyrics of Richard Marx's songs

ABSTRACT

Literature is an imaginative work that is used to express emotion, mind and ideas based on experience. Furthermore, there is a mixture of real world and imagination in literature. The primary aim of literature is giving pleasure for the readers. One form of literature is poetry. Poetry can be expressed in the form of songs that represent the feeling of the song writer.

In term of writing a song, the song writer often expresses the figurative language expressions to make it beautiful and also to make a song has more artistic value. It proves that a song shows the way the song writer expresses his feeling through the lyric he makes.

There are several reasons of the writer in choosing this topic, one of them as an addition is by listening and understanding the song, students are easier to comprehend the song especially when they are in poetry class and they have to find the figurative language expressions in a poem, it’s deniable, by using a song, the students find it more enjoyable. In this case, the writer uses the popular songs which have been familiar with, that is, Richard Marx’s songs.

Based on the phenomena, this study is conducted to investigate: what kinds of figurative language expressions are used in the lyrics of Richard Marx’s songs? and what are the meanings of figurative language expressions used in the lyrics of Richard Marx’s songs ?

This study is aimed at finding out the kinds of figurative language expressions in the lyrics of Richard Marx’s songs and the meanings of figurative language expressions used in the lyrics of Richard Marx’s songs?. The writer limits the songs of Richard Marx, in this case, she only takes 14 scngs which are selected from the seven albums.

In conducting this study, the writer explains about the theories that are related to the study. The writer used some books to analyze the data of the study. Moreover, the writer also quotes some definitions from many experts and also gives some conclusions and previous study.

In analyzing the songs in this study, the writer used descriptive-qualitative method. The data are taken from Richard Marx’s albums published by PT. Aqurius Musikindo Indonesia and also from internet, selecting songs from each album which are related to the study. In this case, the writer takes two songs from each album.

After the data have been collected, they are analyzed in some steps, they are: presenting the data of the songs which related to the study, identifying the figurative language expressions in the songs, classifying the kinds of figurative language expressions, finding out the meaning ofeach figurative language expressions, making tentative conclusion, and transcribing the data about Richard Marx and his lyrics.

From the data analysis, the writer has Pound the figurative language expressions in this study, there are metaphor, simile, hyperbole, personification and irony. The writer Pound hyperbole is the dominant one which appears in the lyric of Richard Marx’s songs, and the figurative language expression which frequently appears is simile. In this case, the writer also gives the meanings of each lyric of Richard Marx’s songs. Richard Marx often uses the theme about life and the beauty of love. In related to the study, the writer had given conclusion and suggestion.

Finally the writer hopes that the other researchers or the students who are interested in analyzing the similar topic are able to develop this study by analyzing different point of view because there are still many elements that have not been analyzed yet, such as diction and the other elements of poetry that exist in Richard Marx’s songs.