“WE AND YOU”
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of Requirements
for the Degree of
Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By:
STEFIANA NATALIA TASMIN
Student Number: 124214045
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
ii
REVEALING THE IDEA OF CLASS STRUGGLE THROUGH
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE AND ALLUSIONS IN KAHLIL
GIBRAN’S “WE AND YOU”
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of Requirements
for the Degree of
Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By:
STEFIANA NATALIA TASMIN
Student Number: 124214045
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
vii
“
Rest in reason, move in
passion
…”
viii
This thesis is dedicated to those
ix
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to The Almighty God for
blessing me with wonderful people who have never been absent in helping me get
through the process of this thesis writing. My warm gratitude goes to my lovely
family for supporting me to finish this thesis.
My deepest gratitude goes to my thesis advisor, Elisa Dwi Wardani, S.S.,
M.Hum. for her patience and tolerance during the consultation time. I would also
like to express my gratitude to Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd., M.Hum. as my Co-Thesis
advisor, for her corrections and criticism for the improvements of this thesis.
I would like to express my gratitude to Anak-anak Pengusaha; Bovis,
Melly, Caca, and Julia for being good friends in the last 4 years. Members of Save
Orang Utan; Grati, Aldo, Bertha, Alex, Yanser, and Dimas, for their company in
helping me get through the process of writing this thesis. Also,to my
thesis-partner, Fay, thank you for making me belive that “we can do it!”.
Last, I would like to thank everyone who always be there even in the
hardest situation for the last 4 years. To all of my humble classmates in Class B
batch 2012, I would like to thank them very much for being part of my learning
process. All the fun and the quality time we spent in the classroom are going to be
missed.
x
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ... ii
APPROVAL PAGE ... iii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE ... ………... iv
PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH ... v
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY………...… vi A. The Figurative Language and Allusions ... ... 29
1. Simile ……… . 29
2. Metaphor ……… 32
xi
4. Symbol………. 37
5. Allusion ………... 42
B. Class Struggle Shown in Figurative Language and Allusions 47 1. The Capitalist Society ………... 47
2. The Stratified Society ………. 49
a. Contrasting Social Economic Condition ……… 52
b. Contrasting Quality ……….... 52
3. Class Struggle ………. 54
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ... 56
BIBLIOGRAPHY ………. 59
xii discrimination among two different social classes, bourgeoisie and ploretariat, as the “haves” and the “have nots” that presented in the character „We‟ and „You‟. This study analyzes the contribution of figurative language and allusions used in “We and You” in revealing the idea of class struggle of the ploretariat toward the capitalist society.
There are two objectives of the study. The first objective is to identify and interpret the meaning of figurative language and allusions used in Kahlil Gibran‟s poem “We and You”. The second objective is to analyze the contribution of the figurative language and allusions in revealing the class struggle by relating the figurative language and allusions with the theories.
Library research method is applied in developing the analysis. The researcher uses Kahlil Gibran‟s “We and You” in Secret of the Heart as the primary source. The secondary sources are taken from books, thesis, journals, encyclopedias, and several websites. Those sources and references provide the theories and some explanation about Kahlil Gibran‟s Works and Social Background. There are several theories used in this study, those are theory of figurative language, such as simile, metaphor, personification, and symbol, theory of allusion, theory of capitalism, social stratification, social classes, and class struggle. The researcher also uses the Marxism approach to reveal the idea of class struggle in this poem.
xiii ABSTRAK
TASMIN, STEFIANA NATALIA. Revealing the Idea of Class Struggle through Figurative Language and Allusions in Kahlil Gibran’s “We and
You”. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2017.
“We and You” adalah salah satu puisi dalam buku kumpulan karya sastra Kahlil Gibran, Secret of The Heart. Puisi ini menggambarkan diskriminasi sosial antar dua kelas sosial yang berbeda, yaitu kaum borjuis dan kaum ploretar, sebagai “si kaya” dan “si miskin” yang diwakilkan oleh karakter „We‟ dan „You‟. Penelitian ini mencoba menganalisis kontribusi dari pemakaian majas dan alusi pada puisi “We and You” dalam mengungkapkan ide perjuangan kelas oleh kaum ploretar terhadap sistem kapitalis di masyarakat.
Terdapat dua tujuan dalam penelitian ini. Tujuan pertama adalah untuk mengindentifikasi dan menginterpretasi makna dari majas dan alusi yang digunakan pada puisi “We and You”. Tujuan kedua adalah untuk menganalisa kontribusi penggunaan majas dan alusi dalam mengungkap ide perjuangan kelas dengan mengaitkannya lewat teori-teori yang digunakan.
Adapun metode yang digunakan dalam mengembangkan penelitian ini adalah studi pustaka. Puisi “We and You” karya Kahlil Gibran dalam buku Secret of The Heart digunakan sebagai sumber primer. Sumber sekunder dikumpulkan dari buku-buku, tugas akhir, jurnal, ensiklopedia, dan beberapa website. Sumber dan referensi tersebut mencakup teori-teori dan penjelasan tentang latar belakang kehidupan penulis dan puisi itu sendiri. Terdapat beberapa yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini. Pertama, teori majas yang meliputi teori simile, metapor, simbol dan personifikasi. Kedua, teori alusi, dan terakhir teori kapitalisme, stratifikasi sosial, kelas-kelas sosial, dan perjuangan kelas. Pendekatan Marxisme juga memiliki peran penting dalam mengungkap ide perjuangan kelas dalam puisi ini.
1 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter the researcher provides the background of the study that
explains the reason why the researcher chooses this topic and why this topic is
important to be analyzed. There are some problems that are formulated to lead to
the analysis. The objectives of the study and definition of terms are also explained
further in this chapter.
A. Background of the Study
Poetry is not only about a group of words used to please the readers when
they read it. Poetry is a representation ofthe poet’s soul. “Poetry might be defined
as a kind of language that says more and says it more intensely than does ordinary
language”, Laurence Perrine’s Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry
(1969:3). In other words, poetry has a ‘hidden’ power in making the readers understand the message of a poem.
Every single word, which is written in poetry, shows how the poet wants
to express her/his idea. Besides, there are many events that might be captured
through poetry. Stories and experiences from real events of someone or the poet
can be more entertaining if they are described into a poem. The similar thing
about poetry had been explained by Elisabeth White, Joan Wofford, and Edward
J. Gordin inUnderstanding Literature,
of seeing something striking and trying to describe it to others (White, Wofford, and Gordon, 1975:140).
To describe an idea, story, experience or a person, it is important to use not
such kind of ordinary words or language. Figurative language, one of the elements
of poetry, is the best way to create the readers’ imagination of every single scene
in a poem. As Arp and Johnson (2009: 713) mentions in Perrine’s Literature:
Structure, Sound, and Sense Tenth Edition,“Figurative language often provides a
more effective means of saying what we mean than does direct statement”.
Figurative language consists of symbol, metaphor, simile, personification, and so
on. They stand to another meaning of an object which is not to be taken literally.
Interpretation is the important thing to figure out the meaning of each figurative
language used in a poem. Figurative language contributes to persuade the readers.
Not only that, the influence of figurative language can give an impact to the
readers’ perspectiveand the way of thinking.
Allusion is similar to figurative language in giving the message or
particular meaning of a work. Through allusion, the readers can understand what
the point poet wants to say by seeing the historical background of someone,
places, or events which are alluded to the story of the literary works. Thus, it is
easier to transfer what the poet wants to talk about by alluding to a someone,
places and events in the past.
Talking about the use of poetry in general, in some cases, poetry is also
used to criticize any aspect in society, such as discrimination among particular
race, gender, and social class. Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise”, for instance,
gender discrimination. She speaks up about the courage against the society. The
use of metaphor as the one of figurative language is effective to make this poem
become such a powerful poem. It is stated in an essay entitled “Still I Rise” by
Maya Angelo: Analysis Essay,“to the narrator, the poem metaphorically describes her strength to always survive the battle against people’s criticism of her and her ancestors”(booksie.com, 2013). This statement shows how figurative language in a poem is very crucial in order to make the poem more dramatic in giving a value
and a particular massage.
Another example comes from Robert Frost’s “Nothing Gold Can Stay”.
In this poem, Frost uses ‘Eden’ as an allusion. According to literarydevices.net
(2016) “Frost’s allusion to Eden strengthens the theme of the fleeting nature of
happiness. His mention of Eden shows that humans are often their own downfall”. This example shows how an allusion can bring the specific meaning of a literary
works, especially in criticizing human beings in general.
Quite similar to the analysis of “Still I Rise” and “Nothing Gold Can Stay”, this research analyses a poem about society discrimination and human beings in general through the contribution of its figurative language and allusions.
The poem was written by Kahlil Gibran. Kahlil Gibran is a Lebanese American
philosopher, essayist, poet, novelist, and artist in 19th century. His works were
influenced by his experience and the social condition of Kahlil Gibran. During his
childhood, Gibran and his family lived in poverty. In order to make a better life,
they immigrated to United States when Gibran was 10 years old. In the United
from religious Maronite Catholic family, Gibran’s literary works was influence by the stories and parables in Bible. He was also influenced by Friedrich Nietzsche
and William Blake.
Through his literary works, Gibran criticized some social problems such as
patriarchal system in the Arabian culture, corruption in Maronite church, poverty
among people and the tyrannical government system in Lebanon. Spirituality and
humanity are the common themes that Kahlil Gibran always emphasizes in his
works. According to Encyclopedia Britannica about the biography of Kahlil
Gibran,
His writings in both languages, which deal with such themes as love, death, nature, and a longing for the homeland, are full of lyrical
outpourings and are expressive of Gibran’s deeply religious and mystic
nature (Britanica.com, 2015).
This study uses Kahlil Gibran’s “We and You”. This poem talks about the
different condition of two different social classes. The topic of this study is
revealing the idea of class struggle through the figurative language and allusions
used in “We and You”. In this study the researcher only focus on four kinds of figure of speech, they are simile, metaphor, personification and symbol. Among
all the figurative language that is used in Kahlil Gibran’s “We and You”, those
figurative language ˗simile, metaphor, personification and symbol- carry the meaning of class struggle and the description about the society in the poem. This
is the reason why the researcher only focus on those figurative language.
The reason why the researcher chooses this topic is because “We and
You” stands as the voice of the working class people or the proletariat toward
of society over centuries and still relevant until this era. Besides, “We and You”is less popular than others Gibran’s poems so that the study or deep analysis about
“We and You” is rare. Because of that, the researcher is interested to analyze this poem by using Marxist theory and Marxist approach.
The use of figurative language and allusions in “We and You” is really
important to makethe readers’ imagination arise. Through the figurative language and allusions used in Kahlil Gibran’s poems, the readers can imagine the every
single scene of struggle the proletariat or the lower class people face. Thus, the
reader can understand the values and message that Kahlil Gibran wants to tell.
“We and You” can be considered as a criticism toward the tyrannical government
as the capitalist who discriminates and exploits the working class.
This study is important and worth to be analyzed because this study
focuses inhow the existence of figurative language and allusions used in Kahlil
Gibran’s “We and You” can show the struggle among the proletariat or it is usually called working class people against the capitalism which is dominated by
the bourgeoisie. As Peter Barry (2002: 157) explains in Beginning Theory: An
Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory, “Marxist sees progress as coming
about through the struggle for power different social classes”. Therefore, through
this analysis, the idea of class struggle which is shown figurative language and
allusions can be revealed.
B. Problem Formulation
From the background above, there are two questions which have been
1. What do figurative language and allusions mean in Kahlil Gibran’s “We and You”?
2. How do the figurative language and allusions show the idea ofclass struggle?
C. Objectives of the Study
Based on the problems that have been formulated, this study has some
aims to achieve. The first aim is to identify the figurative language and allusions
used in Kahlil Gibran’s poem “We and You”. It is important to figure out the
meaning of each figurative language and allusions in Kahlil Gibran’s “We and You”, thus the idea of class struggle can be revealed. The second aim is to analyze
the contribution of the figurative language and allusions in revealing the class
struggle by interpreting the findings figurative language and allusions and relating
them with the theories.
D. Definition of Terms
There are three important terms which appear in the beginning of the
study. They are class struggle, figurative language, and allusions. Therefore to
understand these two terms, the researcher presents the definition of them.
The first term is class struggle. According to Josef Wilczynski in An
Encyclopedic of Marxism, Socialism and Communism, definition of class struggle
or Class War is “one of the cornerstones of Marxist ideology, explaining the
course of history in terms of the struggle between conflicting social classes in
antagonistic social-economic formations (slavery, feudalism and especially
conflict between two different classes, proletariat as the labour and bourgeoisie as
the capitalist.
The second term is figurative language. Thomas R. Arp and Greg Johnson
have a simple definition of figurative language. According to them, “figurative
language‒ language using figures of speech‒ is language that cannot be taken literally (or should not be taken literally)” (Arp and Johnson, 2009: 705). In other
words, figurative language is a kind of language that is used to describe another
meaning of something.
The third term or the last term is allusion. ”Allusion is a passing reference,
without explicit identification, to a literary or historical person place, or event, or
to another literary work or passage” (Abrams and Harpham, 2009: 11). In short, allusions can be simply defined as a reference that has similarity with the text
8
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
This chapter presents the review of some studies which are related to
support the topic of this study and the review of some theories which are related to
the analysis of this study.
A. Review of Related Studies
There are many studies concerning the social issues which are found in
literary works, such as novels, short stories, and poems. One of the studies, which
focus on the social issue, is Hardian Putra Pratama’s under-graduate thesis entitled Class Struggle as The Impact of Oppression Seen in Clifford Odet’s Waiting for
Lefty: A Marxist Study. In his thesis, the social issue that he emphasizes is the
class struggle of the proletariat (people in lower class) as the impact of the
economic and political oppression. As Pratama states in his Objective of the
Study, “the third aim is to find out how the class struggle as the impact of oppression experienced by the oppressed characters can appear to the surface”
(Pratama, 2009: 4). Through Marxist theories and Marxist approach, he elaborates
the impact of oppression done by capitalist toward the proletariat. The object of
his study is a novel by Clifford Odets’sWaiting for Lefty.
Another study that is related to this study is a journal written by N. Naimy
entitled The Mind and Thought of Kahlil Gibran. In this journal, Naimy tries to
as the object of the study. There are several books with many poems on them
which are analyzed.
Those two studies are relevant and related to this study. This study can be
considered as the combination of those studies. Comparing to the study by
Hardian Putra Pratama, this study is quite similar to Pratama’s study in which
class struggle is the main focus. However, in revealing the idea of class struggle,
Pratama’s study uses the characterization of some characters in Clifford Odets’s
Waiting for Lefty,who are being oppressed of the bourgeoisie. While in this study,
the researcher concerns the contribution of figurative language to reveal the idea
of class struggle.
The second study, a journal written by N. Naimy, is also quite similar to
this study since Kahlil Gibran’s works are the object of the study. Nevertheless, the approach of this study and the Naimy’s study are different. This study uses Marxism approach to reveal the idea of class struggle in Kahlil Gibran “We and You”, while Naimy’s study uses biographical approach to interpret some books of Kahlil Gibran such as The Prophet,Jesus Son of the Man,Broken Wings, and
so on. Naimy’s journal explains about the interpretations of Kahlil Gibran’s works
by relating it to the biography of Kahlil Gibran. It can be seen in this following
quotation,
Naimy’s journal is still relevant to this study because of the background and the perspective of Kahlil Gibran as the author of“We and You” affects the way of the
poem writing. Therefore, N. Naimy’s The Mind and Thought of Kahlil Gibran is needed in developing the analysis.
B. Review of Related Theories
To support the analysis of this study, there are some theories which are
needed to support the analysis. Those are theory of figurative language which
consists of simile, metaphor, personification, and symbol, theory of allusion,
theory of capitalism, social classes, social stratification, and class struggle.
1. Figurative Language
Obviously, figurative language can be understood as language using figure
of speech that cannot be taken literally. Quoting from Perrine’s Literature:
Structure, Sound, and Sense Tenth Editiondefinition of figure of speech,
Broadly defined, a figure of speech is any way of saying something other than the ordinary way, and some rhetoricians have classified as many as 250 separate figures (Arp and Johnson, 2009: 705).
According to Arp and Johnson, in narrow definition, figure of speech is a way of
saying one thing and meaning another, and the readers needto be concerned with
no more than a dozen.
The existence of figurative language in a poem is not only to create a
dramatic essence to entertain readers. In the previous section, it mentions that
figurative language is more effective, persuasive, and impactful in order to
transfer the message of the poem. Through figurative language, the readers can
of speech such as symbol, paradox, metonym, hyperbole, simile, metaphor,
pesonification, and so on. Nevertheless, in this theory, there are four kinds of
figurative language and the explanation of them. As mentioned in Chapter I, this
study only focus on four kinds of figurative language, they are simile, metaphor,
personification and symbol because the meaning of class struggle and the
description about the society are seen in those figurative language rather than the
others.
a. Simile
Simile is a comparison of one thing with another thing that is essentially
unlike by using some words or phrase such as like, as, similar to, than, seems, or
resembles (Arp and Johnson, 2009: 705). Kennedy and Gioia also explain about
simile,
Simile is a comparison of two things, indicated by some connective, ussualy like, as, than, or a verb such as resembles. A simile expresses a similarity. Still, foa a simile to exist, the things compared have to be
dissimilar in kind. It is no simile way to say, “Your fingers are like mine”; it is a literal observation. But to say, “Your fingers are like sausages” is to
use a simile (Kennedy and Gioia, 2002:121).
An example of simile can be seen in this phrase, “her eyes are bright like a diamond”. This phrase is a comparison in which an object (her eyes) is being compared with other object (diamond) by using the word “like”.
b. Metaphor
Similar to simile, metaphor is also a comparison of a thing with other
thing.However, metaphor does not use any expression such as like, as, similar,
than, seems,resembles and so on. “In metaphor, the comparison is not expressed
term”, (Arp and Johnson, 2009: 705). Abrams and Harpham (2009: 119) also
state that “in a metaphor, a word or expression that in literal usage denotes one
kind of thing is applied to distinctly different kind of thing, without asserting a
comparison”. For example, “Sorrow is my own yard’, which is taken from William Carlos Williams’ “The Widow’s Lament in Springtime”.
c. Personification
Personification means giving an animal, object, or others inanimate things
the attributes of human being. For instance, a poem entitled “Mirror” by Silvia
Plath.
I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions Whatever I see I swallow immediately
Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike I am not cruel, only truthful
(Plath, 1961, stanza 1, line 1-4)
Plath is personifying an object by making a mirror speaks and thinks as if it was a
human. Arp and Johnson (2009: 708) claim that personification is subtype of
metaphor. It is because the comparison in personification is implied in which the
figurative term is always a human being.They also say that “personification differ
in the degree to which they ask the reader actually to visualize the literal term in
human form” (Arp and Johnson, 2009: 708)
d. Symbol
Abcarian and Klotz (1998: 12) in Literature: Reading and Writing the
Human Experience Seventh Edition define symbol as “a symbol is an object or
event that suggests more than itself. It is one of the most common and powerful
imply a wide range of meanings”. Another definition of symbol which is taken fromAn Introduction to Literature Tenth Edition,
A symbol, then, is an image so loaded with significance that is is not simply literal, and it does not simply stand for something else; it is both itself and something else that it richly suggest, a kind of manifestation of
something too complex or too elusive to be otherwise revealed” (Barnet, Berman and Burto, 1993: 471)
Abrams and Harpham (2009: 358) explain that “in discussing literature, however, the term “symbol” is applied only to word or phrase that signifies an
object or event which in its turn signifies something, or suggest a range of
reference, beyond it-self”.
In making a literary work, the authors have their own way to represent one
condition or thing with other thing or terms. As Arp and Johnson say, “a symbol is something that means more than what it is”. The meaning of symbol is beyond
the literal meaning of a thing. For example, in a poem entitled “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, the word “road is a symbol of a decision of a life, thus the meaning of the word “road” does not simply understood literally since it is a
kind of symbol.
In reading a poem, sometimes it is difficult to determine a word is a
symbol or not. Arp and Johnson explain about symbols by using Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” as the example. They say“symbols vary in the degree of
identification given them by their author. In this poem Frost forces us to interpret
the coice of roads symbolically by the degree of importance he gives it in the last
reader to determine it is a symbol or not. By relating to the context, the reader can
see the importance of a word or phrase in a poem and interpret the meaning.
In interpreting a symbol it is also important to see the pattern that the poet
creates in a poem. As Kennedy and Gioia say “when writing about the meaning
(or meanings) of a symbol, follow the image through the poem and give it time to
establish its own pattern of associations”. Therefore, to read a symbol, the reader
should focus on the context of the poem and also the pattern of association that
poet creates in the poem.
2. Allusion
Taken fromAn Introduction to Poetry, “allusion is a brief (and sometimes indirect) reference in a text to a person, place, or thing which is fictitious or
actual” (Kennedy and Gioia, 2002: 665). They also say that “allusions imply a common set of knowledge between reader and writer and operate as literary
shorthand”. Based on Abcarian and Klotz’s explanation (1998: 12), “allusion to
other literary works, persons, places, or events enables poet to call up associations
and contexts that complicate and enrich their poem”.Example of an allusion can
be seen in Edgar Allan Poe’s “To Helen”, inthe line “the glory that was Greece / And the grandeur that was Rome”. It is important to understand the reason why
the poet uses those places. The poet expects that the readers will understand the
allusions to the cultural achievements of those ancient nations and perhaps even
get the different between ‘glory’ and ‘grandeur’. This allusions can be interpreted
3. Capitalism
Capitalism is defined as “a social system noted for the ownership of the
means of production being concentrated in the hands of private capitalists, based
on the private profit motive, a well developed industrial, commercial and financial
set-up, the freedom of enterprise, the operation of the market mechanism,
competition, individualism and a democratic goverment based on multy-party
politics” (Wilczynski 1981: 59). Alfred G. Mayer tries to define capitalism in a simple way. He states that “capitalism isproduction for the purpose of selling the
product on the market at a profit” (Mayer, 1954:60).
Based onInternational Encyclopedia of Sociology, the Marxists have their
own perspective about capitalism. Magill (1995: 131) says “for Marxist social
scientists, capitalism contains a fundamental split between those who own the
means of production and buy labor power (capitalists) and those who do not own
the means of production and must therefore sell their labor power (the working
class)”.
Capitalism carries many contradiction of both the capitalists and the
working class. According to Magill,
Marxists identify “contradiction” within capitalism that revolve around the tension between capitalism’s enormous productive potential an the limited and the alienated condition that it imposes on human beings in terms of poverty, exploited labor, unemployment and underrutilization of human talent, and the hollowness of consumer culture (Magill, 1995:132).
This proves the idea that capitalism leads the classes, the ones who own the means
4. Social Stratification
Wilczynski (1981:548) defines social stratification as “a hierarchical
arrangement of social groups or social classes differing in social status with
respect to wealth, power, income, education, occupation, cultural interest and
achievement, and various privileges, responsibilities and disabilities”. Birth, race,
religion, and nationality are also included as the factors of social stratification.
Wilczynski adds,
The most rigid social stratification exists under the caste system, where it is sanctioned not only by law but also by religion and custom. Social stratification exists, or existed, in striking forms also under slavery, feudalism, and capitalism, in the case of open societies, social mobility to some extent obliterates social distinctions (Wilczynski, 1981: 548).
According to Wilczynski, Marxists have their own perspective toward
social stratification which occurs in society. He states that,
Marxists condemn social stratification as socially unjust and attribute it primarily to the existence of the private ownership of the means of production, which inevitably leads to uneven distribution. They point out that ownership confers power and income, which the owners utilize through the state to protect their privileged position (Wilczynski, 1981: 548).
This statement shows that economic system‒ in capitalist society‒ have important
contribution so that social stratification lives among the people. Economic status
of a person determines the social stratification. Chris Livesey also states that
social stratification is triggered by economical stuff,
people can only manage to hunt / gather enough food for their everyday needs (Livesey, 2001: 4).
This quotation explains social stratification occurs in every epoch in human
history. However, this stratification does not occur in the first epoch, the
hunter-gather group of people, in which there is no some kind of economic activity that
requires the production to fulfil the needs of the people.
5. Social Classes
Social class is “an important sociological and ideological concept,
denoting hierarchically stratified groups in society with respect to property
ownership, income, type of employment and cultural attainments and interest”
(Wilczynski, 1981:522). Based on Historical Materialism point of view, “social
classes are seen as an historical outcome of the relation of people to the means of
production (land and capital) and of the division of labour where one class may
exploit another” (1981:523). In short, social class means the groups of people that
are distinguished by looking at the income and any other thing related to
economic stuff.
Chris Livesey (2001: 3) mentions that Marx has distinguished society into
four epochs, Primitive communism, Ancient society, Feudal society, and
Capitalist society. Wilczynski (1981:523) adds that in traditional society, social
classes consist of upper, middle and lower class, with sub-divisions within each.
But then in Capitalist society, Marx separates between basic and antagonistic
social classes. They are the bourgeoisie or “capitalist”, who own and control the
means of production (which involves ownership of such things as land, factories,
peasant) or “working class”, who own nothing but their ability to sell their labour
power (that is, their ability to work) in return for wages.
To generalize the classification of people among all societies, Chris
Livesey (2001: 4) claims that “all human societies…. have been "class based" in
some way, shape or form”. He also says, “By this, at the most basic level of
interpretation, Marx meant that in every known human society there has been a
fundamental division between two broad social groups,
a. One group has always owned and controlled the fundamental
material resources that are necessary for the maintenance of social
existence (such things as food production, the creation of shelter, clothing
and so forth).
b. One group has not owned or controlled the production of such
things.”
6. Class struggle
Nikolai Bukharin (1969: 297) inHistorical Materialismstates that various
gradations of interest effecting the various form of struggle. Therefore, referring
to the Josef Wilczynski’s definition of class struggle (see in Definition of Terms)
the interest of two different social-economic classes arise a conflict between them.
As Sidney Hook (1955: 26) says, “whenever private ownership of means of
production exists there is an objective opposition of interests between classes with
respect to the division of the fruit of production”.
Barry (2002: 157) claims that the competitions of economic, social, and
Manisfesto, Marx declares, “all history is history of the class struggles”.
According to Sidney Hook, Marx’s statement proves that class struggle is not
always caused by economic interest but also political struggles. He explains that,
A dominant economic class may not at any given moment be the dominant political class, but unless it becomes such, its economic interests and the functioning of society as a whole are subject to continuous frustration. When the struggle becomes hot, the state appears nakedly as the
“executive committee” of the ruling class. It must be captured by new
class which in time clothes the state once more with a rhetoric that describes it as neutral or above battle or as the instrument of the general interest (Hook, 1955: 26-27).
Nikolai Bukharin (1969: 298) explains, “class struggle therefore means a
struggle in which one class has entered into action against the other class. From
this arises the extremely important principle that “every class struggle is a
political struggle” (Marx)”. Josef Wilczynski (1981: 80) divides two spheres of
class struggle:
a. Economic struggle: a struggle for the improvement of the condition
of work and a change in the principle governing the distribution of the
fruits of labour.
b. Political struggle: a struggle for seizure and maintenance of
political power.
C. Kahlil Gibran’s Works and Social Background
Marxist literary criticism sees the background of the author and the
background of the literary work as the important things as the consideration to
conduct the analysis. As Peter Barry (2002: 158) says, “all the same, Marxist
literary criticism maintains that a writer’s social classand its prevailing ‘ideology’
bearing on what is written by a member of that class”. Charles E. Bressler (1994:
214) also says that “a critic must place a work in its historical setting, paying
attention to the author’s life, the time period in which the work was written, and
the cultural milieu of both the text and the author, all of these corcerns being
related to sociological issues”. Bressler (1994: 218) adds “One of critic’s tasks,
then, is to reconstruct an author’s ideology or the author’s ideological milieu”.
These quotations clearly states that in analysing any particular works by
using Marxism theory, the information about the author of the literary work such
as social class, etc. can give certain contributions to the analysis. Marxist criticism
methods are related with the social background of the author and the social
assumption when a particular literary work is released. The background of the
author affects in the message of the work. In this study, the social background of
Kahlil Gibran affects the poems “We and You”. How Gibran, as the author, stands
in the poem proves his position in society. This section explains about the review
of social backgrounds of the author, Kahlil Gibran and the situation during his
lifetime which wasimpacting to his works, including the poem “We and You”.
Kahlil Gibran was born in Besharri, Lebanon in 1883. He lived in a
religious Manorite Catholic family. Taken from a review of biography of Kahlil
Gibran which is written by Suhail Ibn and Salim Hanna (1975: 599), “Besharri,
Lebanon, where Gibran was born in 1883, was part of the Ottoman Empire. That
Empire tottered in the late nineteenth century, verging on certain collapse”. The
Jenkins also give some information about the social condition when Kahlil Gibran
was born, they say
Gibran was born in “a year of transition.” While the Ottomans were still in
control of his homeland, the British had invaded Egypt and the Sudan, and
in 1883 were struggling against the Mahdi….In the sphere of technology
the machine-gun and the first skyscraper were built, while in the realm of ideas Wagner, Marx, and Turgenev passed on and Kafka, Keynes, and Kahlil Gibran were born (Bushrui and Jenkins, 1998: 15).
Living as a poor family, Gibran and his family decided to find a better life.
They emigrated from Lebanon to Boston, America in 1895. Suheil Bushrui and
Joe Jenkins (1998: 15) state “Gibran’s family, headed by a drunken and
despondent father and poised on the brink of poverty, also tottered; but to save it
from imminent collapse, his mother, sister and half-brother emigrated to
America.” Similar with Eugene Paul Nasar’s statement (1980: 4) that Gibran’s
family “left their homeland partly to escape the poverty and restrictions of
Ottoman rule, partly to escape from a drunken husband and father”.
In America, Gibran learned about art and philosophy specifically in
literature and painting. The most influencing poet for Gibran’s work was William
Blake. Gibran was also called “The William Blake of Twentieth Century”. When
Gibran moved from Boston to New York in 1911, he joined a Syrian community
and focused on the development and the condition of people in his country. He
was alsovery critical to the government, especially the Ottoman Empire which can
be seen in his most of his works. “Gibran’s political activity began to capture his
attention as he joined the Golden Links Society, a group of young Syrian
immigrant men who worked for the improvement of Syrian citizens’ lifestyle
Three years later, World War I happened in 1914-1918. As the impact of
this war, Lebanon suffered the Great Famine, a mass-starving tragedy. Thousands
people died in hunger. Through his works, Gibran expressed his empathy toward
his people. According to Nasar (1980: 23), “The early New York years were
overcast for Gibran by the terrible fate of Lebanon during the Great War (fully
one-third of the population of the Mountain starved). His chronic melancholia
pervades the prose-poems in Arabic of this period”. The description about the
condition in late eighteenth century certainly and the situation of Lebanon in that
time had affectedGibran’s works. SuheilBushrui and Joe Jenkins state that,
His early works are tales of courage, stories in which the down trodden for liberty and proclaim a message of justice – a whip in Gibran’s words as he
unleashes his vituperation on those who exploit the poor. There is also a message of conciliation for those who struggle to be free from the shackles of nationalism, sectarianism, and medievalism (Bushrui and Jenskins, 2007: 22).
According to Bushrui and Jenskins (2007: 115), “We and You,” published
on January 6, 1911 in the emigrant newspaper Mir’atal-Gharb (Mirror of the
West)”.Bushrui and Jenskins also say that,
Like his other work of the time, “We and You” is laden with overtones of
social protest – the outspoken intensity of the poem reflecting Gibran’s
own increasing self-confidence within American society, his “reposeful power,” described by Mary as “the big lines of his character” which she sensed were becoming “more pronounced, more dominant, steadier”
(Bushrui and Jenskins, 2007: 115).
Based on these explanations about the background of him, it is clearthat Gibran’s
works are influenced by his social condition during his time. According to the
Bushrui and Jenskins, the poem “We and You” describes about how Gibran
The poem is a litany of contrasts between “we” – the poets, prophets, and musicians who “fill the hands of the Angels with the seeds of our inner
selves”38 – and “you” (a pronoun representing the social, political, and ecclesiastical supporters of the status quo), the “sons of the pursuit of
‘earthly Gaiety’ ”, who “place your hearts in the hands of Emptiness.
From the quotation, the narrator in this poem is the people who claim
themselves as “the poet, prophet, and musicians”. It is can be said that Kahlil
Gibran as the poet, who writes the poem “We and You”, has involved in the poem
that is included in “We”. Thus, this poem can be considered as the way Gibran
tells about the discrimination in the society. As Bushrui and Jenskins have said,
most of Kahlil Gibran’s works including “We and You”are the expression of the
social protest in which Gibran stands to voice the idea of suffering people in
society.
D. Theoretical Framework
This study focuses on the class struggle that is shown through the
existence of figurative language and allusions. The theory of figurative language,
allusions, capitalism, social stratification, social classes, class struggle, the
relatedstudies, and the review of social background of poet and the poem are
needed in order to develop this study. Those explanations are significant for the
analysis of this study.The contribution of figurative language and allusions
theories are used to understand the figure of speech and the allusions in Kahlil
Gibran poems, so that the researcher can make a good interpretation for each
oftheir meanings.
The figurative language and allusions found in “We and You” are used to
stratification, social classes, and class struggle are used in order to give the
concept of Marxism perspective toward the problems among two different classes
in society. Marxist approach is used to conduct the analysis of a literary work, in
this case Kahlil Gibran’s “We and You”, with respect to the Marxist theory
explaination, so that the idea of class struggle which is presented in the figurative
languagecan be revealed. Review of related background is used to give some
information about the poet’s social background and social condition when this
25 CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
This chapter contains the methodology of the study. It includes the object
of the study which is used in this research, the approach and the method of the
study.
A. Object of the Study
The object of this study is a poem of Kahlil Gibran entitles“We and You”.
This poem is one of selected poems from Kahlil Gibran’s book Secret of the
Heart. Secret of the Heart is a compilation of Kahlil Gibran’s literary works. It
contains 23 items of Gibran’s collection of prose tales, parables, and poems. Most
of them talk about the problems occur in the society. Secret of the Heart was
published by Carol Publishing Group in 1947.
“We and You” itself is a long poem which consists of 28 stanzas. It has
been mentioned in the previous part that “We and You” was written in 1911and it
first published on January 6, 1911 in the emigrant newspaper Mir’at al-Gharb
(Mirror of the West). The reason why the researcher chooses this poem is because
this poem stands as a critic to the system in the society and seems to be relevant to
criticize the society in this era. Through this poem, Gibran wants to gives a
description about the people are lived in the different condition in the dramatic
B. Approach of the Study
The relation between Marxism and literature can be seen in the
explanation of base and supersturcture. According to Karl Marx, society is divided
into two part, base and superstructure. Base is related to means of production or
any economical thing. Superstructure includes all social and legal institution,
political and education system, religion, art, and literature. Bressler (1994: 220)
states, “because literature is part of a society’s superstructure, its relationship to
the element of the superstructure and to the base becomes the central focus in
varying Marxist literary theories”.He continues by giving an example,
If a Marxist hold to the reflection theory corcerning the relationship of the base to superstructure, then this theorist posits that the economic base directly determinis literature. For such a critic, literature mirrors the economic base. On the other hand, if a Marxist theories believes that elements of supersturcture have realities of their own and affect each other and also affect the base, a text may be responsible for altering not only other elements within the superstructure and base (Bressler, 1994: 220).
Moyra Haslett (2000:8) explains the relationship between Marxist theories
and literature as a part of art. “For Marxist theorists the economic mode of society
is crucial here because it is the economic system which frequently, though not
always, determinis how art will be so constructed”. Haslett also say “the
‘economic’ sphere includes the social relation of people, and the ‘literary’ is
marketed and bought like any other product”.
To support the analysis about class struggle in Kahlil Gibran’s poem, the
researcher uses Marxist approach. In a simple way, Marxist approach can be
defined as a criticism which focuses on the social, politic, and economic ideas in a
literary analysis, Marxism’s methodology is a dynamic process declaring that a
proper critique (properbeing defined as one that agrees with socialistic or Marxist
beliefs) of a text cannot be isolated from the cultural situation from which the text
evolved”.
This approch is used as the guide to the analysis. It sees the issues in
society of the poem from Marxism point of view especially the conflict of two
different classes and the struggle among the people in lower class in society. As
Bressler (1994:221) also adds that “a Marxist approach seeks to exposethe
dominant class, to demonstrate how the bourgeoisie’s ideology controls and
oppresses the working class, and to highlight the elements of society most
affected by such oppresssion.”
Accorrding to Bressler the study of literature and the study about society
are related to each other. He says,
Necessarily, Marxist argue, the study of literature and the study of society are intricately bound. Such a relationship demands that a Marxist approach to a text deal with more that the conventional literary themes, matters of style, plot, or characterization, and the usual emphasis on figure of speech and other literary devices (Bressler, 1994: 221).
Since this analysis focuses on the contribution of the figurative language to reveal
the class struggle, therefore Marxist approach is relevant to this analysis.
C. Method of the Study
This study uses library reaserch method to find the supporting sources and
references that help the researcher to make the analysis. There were several steps
in order to develop the analysis. First, the researcher collected the figurative
into some types of figure of speech─whether they are simile, metaphor,
personification, or symbol─by using the theories of figurative language that have
been mention in the chapter II. Third, after categorizing them, the researcher tried
to interpret and analyze the implied meaning of each figurative language and
allusions. Fourth, by using the theories of capitalism, social stratification, social
classes, class struggle and also Marxism approaches, the researcher tried to relate
the meaning of each figurative language and allusions with the idea of class
struggle that happens among the society of the poem and prove the findings with
the related social background of the poet and social condition when the poem was
written. Fifth, the last step, the researcher could come to the conclusion of the
29 CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
This chapter provides the analysis of the study. It answers two problems
formulation that have been mentioned in chapter I. There are two sub-chapters in
this analysis. The first one is the finding figurative language and allusions in
Kahlil Gibran’s “We and You”. It contains some types of figure of speech and
allusions found in the poem and the meaning of each of them. The second one is
the contribution of those kinds of figurative language and allusions in showing the
idea of class struggle. It contains the elaboration about how the meaning of the
finding figurative language and allusions can reveal the idea of class struggle.
A. The Figurative Language and Allusions
1. Similes
a. When we cry, our tears fall into the Heart of Life, as dewdrops fall from the Eyes of Night into the heart of Dawn; and When you laugh, your mocking laughter pours Down like the viper's venom into a wound (Gibran, 1947, stanza 8, line 4-8)
It has been mentioned in the former chapter that simile is a comparison
which uses some kinds of words or phrases such as,like, as, similar, than, seems,
resembles and so on. In this stanza, there are two comparisons which are
considered as simile. The first is comparison between ‘tears’ and ‘dew’. On one
hand, in this context, ‘tears’ is related to sadness, suffering, and sorrow then it
describes as dew that drops fall the Eyes of Night. On the other hand, the word
morning. ‘Dew’ is also related to something pure. Due to the comparison that
tears are described as dewdrops fall into the heart of Dawn, it means that the
sadness or sorrow fromthe word ‘tears’ brings a new hope for ‘We’.
The second is comparison between ‘mocking laugher’ and ‘viper’s
venom’. It is obvious that this comparison tells about the mocking laugher which
is as hurtfulas viper’s venom.Therefore, this comparison means the happiness of
some people− because they embarrass other people by mocking them− can be painful for other people.
b. ... you croak and clamour merrily
Like the frogs of the water. And when we Conquer you and subdue you for an Age, we Remain as silent giants.
(Gibran, 1947, stanza 24, line 4-7)
There are also two similes in this stanza. The first is comparison between
‘You’ and ‘frogsof water’. By using the word ‘like’, this similedescribes the same characteristic between ‘You’ and ‘frogs’. The sound of’You’ croak and clamour is described as loud as the sound of frog in the water. The second is comparison
between‘We’ and ‘silent giants’. Different from the first one, this simile uses the
word ‘as’ to show the comparison. The way ‘We’remain is compared as if they
were the ‘silent giants’.
These two similes, actually, have the same form in comparing ‘We’ and
not speak their mind up, while the simile ‘you croak and clamour merrily like
frogs of the water’ shows the expression of ‘We’ in mocking their rival ‘You’ and
seeing them as the group of trifling people. It has to be remembered that this poem
uses first-person point of view in which the whole story of the poem is based on
‘We’ perspective. In other words, generally, these similes try to show the contrast
attribute between‘You’and‘We’.
c. …you live in the memory of man like Corpses upon the face of the earth (Gibran, 1947, stanza 27, line 1-2)
The comparison between ‘the memories of man’ and ‘corpses upon the
face of earth’ is stated in those two lines. ‘The memories of man’ are portrayed
like corpses or dead bodies lay on the ground. When it comes to be compared as
corpses, it means that ‘the memories of man’ have the similarity feature with
something that attaches to ‘corpses’. ‘Corpse’ is associated with ‘death’ and when
a corpse lies upon the face of earth; it would be forgotten as time goes by. Hence,
it can be interpreted that this simile describes‘the memories of man’ as dead and
forgotten things just like corpses.
In the relation with ‘You’, the stanza states that ‘memory of man’ as the
place where ‘You’ live in. ‘Memory of man’can be seen as a history of man. This
simile describes about how ‘You’ as the people who have power and domination
havealready attached to the history. However, the poet compares the ‘memory of
man’− or it is understood as the history− with ‘corpses’. This comparison can be interpreted as the way ‘We’ to express their hatred for what ‘You’ have done in
2. Metaphors
a. We are the sons of Sorrow, and you are the, Sons of Joy
(Gibran, 1947, stanza 1, line 1-2)
In this metaphor, the literal terms‘We’and ‘You’are defined figuratively
as‘sonsof Sorrow’ and ‘sons ofJoy’. ‘Sorrow’ and ‘Joy’ are described as if they
were parents who have children. As the sons, ‘We’ and ‘You’ belong to their
parents. So, it is obvious to be understood that this metaphor is about comparing
the condition among two kinds of people. ‘We’ who belongs to ‘Sorrow’ and
‘You’ belongs to ‘Joy’. Moreover, this metaphor, which is found in the very
beginning of the poem, is also repeated several times in some stanzas. The
repetitions bring the idea that this metaphor is used to emphasize the difference
between two characters of the poem.
b. You are the sons of the pursuit of earthly Gaiety
(Gibran, 1947, stanza 6, line 1-2)
Quite similar with the first metaphor, this one compares‘You’ as ‘the sons
of pursuit of earthly Gaiety’. In these two lines, ‘the pursuit of earthly gaiety’ is
described as if it was a parent of ‘You’. Like a child who always follows and
belongs to his parent, this metaphor means the earthly gaiety− wealth, life style, luxury, or any kinds that are related to material things˗˗ is something that ‘You’
follow and belong to. In other words, this metaphor shows the life of‘You’itself. c. …and sorrow is a
Rich cloud, showering the multitudes with Knowledge and Truth
The metaphor is seen as the comparison between ‘sorrow’ and ‘cloud’. It
means the literal term ‘sorrow’ shares the same characteristic to figurative term
‘cloud’. Those lines show how ‘sorrow’ stands like a cloud which showers the
earth with the rain while in this context ‘sorrow’ showers the multitudes with
Knowledge and Truth. It is simply understood that this metaphor explains that
‘sorrow’is not only about sadness but through sorrow people also can learn about
any goodness such as knowledge and truth that come from it.
3. Personification
a. You are followingAmusement, whose sharp claws Have torn thousands of martyrs in the arenas Of Rome and Antioch . . . But we are following Silence, whose careful fingers have woven the Iliad and the Book of Job and the Lamentations Of Jeremiah.
(Gibran, 1947, stanza 17, line 1-6)
There are two personifications in this stanza, ‘amusement’ and ‘silence’.
In these lines, they are attributed with human abilities. ‘Amusement’ is
personified as a beast that is described as the killer of many innocent people.
While ‘Silence’is personified as gentle person who has created such great works.
From these personifications, it is clear that the poet wants to make a contradiction
of‘You’and‘We’by visualizing their situation, amusement and silence, into two
different kinds of character.
b. ….Humanity
Walks as a sentry with iron weapons. (Gibran, 1947, stanza 22, line 3-4)
By giving human attribute ‘walks’,‘Humanity’ is personified as a soldier
society of the poem by looking at the way the poet personifies ‘Humanity’. It
surely has a reason why ‘Humanity’ is described as a sentry in human form.
Guarding is the sentry’s duty, and when ‘Humanity’ is being compare as a sentry
who walks with the weapons, it can be said that ‘Humanity’ is always guarding
the society alertly, or in other words, ‘Humanity’ is defined in a positive way.
However, it gets different interpretation if it is related to the whole
context. Looking back to the full stanza that mentions about ‘Humanity’,
We build palaces for you, and you dig graves For us; and between the beauty of the palace And the obscurity of the grave, Humanity Walks as a sentry with iron weapons. (Gibran, 1947, stanza 22, line 1-4)
From the stanza above, ‘Humanity’ seems like a “barrier” between ‘You’ and
‘We’. This fact leads tothe conclusion that ‘Humanity’ in the society of the poem
is not defined as positive as just guarding the society alertly, but ‘Humanity’ is
limiting the interaction of ‘You’ and ‘We’. Moreover, when ‘Humanity’ is
described as the sentry, it also can be said that ‘Humanity’ belongs to ‘You’as the
“owner of the palace” because a sentry is just obeying the people who have the
power.
c. Truthslumbers fitfully.
(Gibran, 1947, stanza 23, line 3)
In this line, ‘Truth’ is attributed with human ability and feeling. When
‘Truth’ is described as if it was a person who slumbers fitfully, literally, it means
that ‘Truth’ is in the condition whether ‘Truth’ is awake or not. Hence, this
personification implies the interpretation that ‘Truth’ does not really exists in the
d. You place your hearts in the hands OfEmptiness, for the hand's touch to Emptinessis smooth and inviting. (Gibran, 1947, stanza 6, line 2-4)
The poet attributes a human gesture to ‘Emptiness’ in which its hand’s
touch is smooth and inviting. In literal way, this stanza tells how‘You’is attached
with ‘Emptiness’ by putting their ‘heart’ in its hands. Generally speaking, this
personification is simply about the empty heart of ‘You’ by visualizing
‘Emptiness’ as if it was a human. The personification of ‘Emptiness’ and the
relation to ‘You’ are obvious to be understood as the description of the quality
‘You’.
e. You reside in the house ofIgnorance, for In his house there is no mirror in which to View your souls
(Gibran, 1947, stanza 7, line 1-3)
In terms of form, this personification is quite different from the other
personifications. This one makes ‘Ignorance’ is defined as humanbeing by using
the pronoun ‘his’ that refers to ‘Ignorance’, so it makes a conclusion that the poet
personifies ‘Ignorance’ as is it was a person. In terms of meaning, it is similar
tothe previous personification that ‘Ignorance’ is also related to ‘You’.
‘Ignorance’ is depicted as the owner of the house where ‘You’live in. Surely, it is
regarded as the way of the poet to show the relation between ‘Ignorance’ and
‘You’. In short, this personification tries to visualize ‘Ignorance’ to human form
in order to portray the value of‘You’.
Shadow the beauties of Hamlet and Dante arose. (Gibran, 1947, stanza 18, line 1-5)
‘Lust’ is attributed with human ability that sweeps ‘one thousand
processions of the soul of woman’. It is depicted as a person who has made
thousand women live in suffer which can be seen in the line “...into the pit of
shame and / Horror”. At the same time, ‘Solitude’ is also portrayed as if it was a
person. The way ‘We’ treat ‘Solitude’ by embracing it indicates the
personification toward it.
‘Lust’ and ‘Solitude’ are two contradictory things in which each of them
explain about ‘You’and ‘We’. In the stanza, it is said that ‘You’lie down under
‘Lust’ and ‘We’ embrace ‘Solitude’. The poet personifies ‘Lust’ as a person who
has a power and ‘Solitude’ as a weak person. These personifications imply the
meaning that ‘You’liveunder the control of ‘Lust’ and ‘We’live as the group of
people who have nothing but silent and in the silent they find themselves feel
peaceful.
g. You curry for the favor ofGreed, and the sharp Swords of Greed have shed one thousand rivers Of blood
(Gibran, 1947, stanza 19, line 1-3)
‘You’ is described as the worshiper of ‘Greed’. The lines “…have shed
one thousand rivers / Of blood prove that ‘Greed’ is personified as a killer person
who has killed many people with its swords. By giving a form of human attribute,
the poet gives agreat illustration about how cruel ‘Greed’ can be if it lives around
the people. Like the others personification in the previous part, this one also gives
personification shows the greedy of ‘You’ can torture other people in the society
of the poem.
4. Symbols
a. Enlightening Darkness
But you cannot see us, for we are tarrying In the enlightening darkness.
(Gibran, 1947, stanza 4, line 3-4)
First thing first, it is important to know what kind of darkness which mean
in this symbol. Quoting from Dictionary of Symbolism in umich.edu, about the
meaning of darkness,
It can encompass a primitive class and power of that chaos. It’s not essentially evil, yet it’s largely associated with death and destruction,
captivity and spiritual darkness. The gloom which preceded the Fiat Lux traditionally represents the states that give rise to chaos. Darkness can also be linked to the time spent in the womb and seed germination, both of which take place in the dark (Protas, 2001).
From the quotation above, darkness is not always about evil things. It is related to
the meaning of this symbol which manifests something different with many usual
interpretations. In the symbol ‘enlightening darkness’, the word ‘enlightening’
gives the clue that ‘darkness’ has a positive meaning. The line“darkness can also
be linked to the time spent in the womb and seed germination, both of which take
place in the dark” means ‘darkness’ has a certain relation to the process of life.
Then, it leads to the interpretation that ‘enlightening darkness’ symbolizes the
spirit of being alive or to get rid of the hard situation.
b. Eyes of Night, the heart of Dawn
