NARRATIVE AND DISCOURSE ANALYSIS ON SEVEN LAST WORD SONGS

INTRODUCTION

The Seven Last Words of Christ refer to the seven statements that Jesus Christ made
while he was on the cross. These statements have been a source of inspiration for
many artists throughout history, including composers who have written musical settings
of the Seven Last Words. This analysis will examine the narrative and discourse
elements present in Seven Last Word Songs and how they contribute to the overall
meaning and impact of these songs. Additionally, this analysis will explore how these
elements reflect the cultural and religious contexts in which these songs were created
and performed.

RATIONALE

The Seven Last Words of Christ are a significant aspect of Christian theology and
have inspired many artistic works throughout history, including musical settings of the
Seven Last Words. By conducting a narrative and discourse analysis of selected Seven
Last Word Songs, this analysis aims to provide a deeper understanding of how these
songs reflect the narrative structure of the biblical account of the crucifixion and the
religious and cultural contexts in which they were created and performed. Additionally,
this analysis aims to explore how the narrative and discourse elements present in these
songs contribute to their overall meaning and impact, and how they have been received
and interpreted by different audiences throughout history. By conducting this analysis,
we can gain insight into the ways in which music can express and interpret religious and
cultural themes, and how these themes can be understood and appreciated by different
audiences.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The problem statement is to explore how the narrative and discourse techniques used
in Seven Last Word songs convey the meaning of the seven statements made by Jesus
Christ while on the cross. The analysis will focus on the use of narrative techniques

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such as plot, character, and setting, and discourse techniques such as language, tone,
and style.

This research study primarily aims to know and understand the narrative and discourse
embedded on seven last word songs. Specifically, it will try to answer the following sub-
problems:

1.)What are the overall message of the song and it’s social and cultural significance

2.)What specific linguistic devices are used?

3.)What are the similarities and differences between the narrative and discourse
techniques used in Seven Last Word songs?

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

Scope

This analysis will focus on the narrative and discourse elements present in selected
Seven Last Word Songs, specifically those composed in the Western classical tradition.
The analysis will examine the lyrics and musical score of these songs to explore how
they reflect the narrative structure of the biblical account of the crucifixion and the
religious and cultural contexts in which they were created and performed.

Delimitation

This analysis will not provide a comprehensive overview of all Seven Last Word
Songs that have been composed throughout history. Instead, it will focus on a selected
number of songs as examples to illustrate the narrative and discourse elements present
in these songs. Additionally, this analysis will not provide a detailed analysis of the
musical composition or performance of these songs, but will instead focus on the
narrative and discourse elements present in the lyrics and musical score. Finally, this
analysis will not explore the theological significance of the Seven Last Words
themselves, but will instead focus on how they have been interpreted and expressed
through music.

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 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The analysis of Seven Last Word Songs through narrative and discourse analysis is
significant in several ways:

1. Understanding the biblical narrative: By analyzing the narrative structure of the

Seven Last Words as presented in these songs, we can gain a deeper
understanding of the biblical account of the crucifixion and the theological
significance of the Seven Last Words.

2. Exploring cultural and religious contexts: By examining the discourse elements

present in these songs, we can gain insight into the cultural and religious
contexts in which they were created and performed, and how they reflect the
beliefs and values of these communities.

3. Appreciating musical expressions of religious themes: By analyzing the musical

settings of the Seven Last Words, we can appreciate the ways in which music
can express and interpret religious and cultural themes, and how these themes
can be understood and appreciated by different audiences.

Overall, this analysis can contribute to a deeper understanding of the ways in which
music can express and interpret religious and cultural themes, and how these themes
are received and interpreted by different audiences throughout history.