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Analysis of the Meaning of Diction and Figures of Speech in

Chairil Anwar's Poetry "I" and "Not Worth It": Stylistic Study
Diva Nur Harismaa* ,Muhammad Yesa Sb ,Sulaichah Bachtiwahyuni c

Aulia Rahmadhinad
aBCD
State University of Malang, Malang, Indonesia

Submitted: Accepted: Published:

K E YWORDS ABSTRACT

Diction , This research attempts to analyze the diction and figure of speech in
Figures of the poems entitled "Me" and "NotConsidered " by Chairil Anwar. The
Speech,
research was conducted using a qualitative descriptive method with the
Stylistics,
main focus describing the use of words and figures of speech in poetry.
Me,
Meanwhile, the analysis was carried out using a stylistic approach or
Not considered
the study of language which includes these two elements. The aim of
this research is to explore hidden meanings in poetic texts, as well as
understand how the use of diction and figures of speech can strengthen
the message the poet wants to convey. Thus, it is hoped that this
research can provide deeper insight into the beauty of language in
poetry and the way poets express their ideas through the use of words
and figures of speech. diction, figures of speech, stylistics,

K E YWORDS ABSTRACT

Diction, This research tries to analyze the diction and figure of speech in the
Figure of poems entitled "aku" and "Tak Disconsider" by Chairil Anwar. The
speech,
research was conducted using a qualitative descriptive method with the
stylistics,
main focus describing the use of words and figures of speech in poetry.

*
Corresponding author name:
E-mail address: author@institution.xxx
2 Author name(s), Short Title

I, Meanwhile, the analysis is carried out using a stylistic approach or

Not considered language study which includes these two elements. The aim of this
research is to explore hidden meanings in poetic texts, as well as
understand how the use of diction and figures of speech can strengthen
the message the poet wants to convey. Thus, it is hoped that this
research can provide deeper insight into the beauty of language in
poetry and the way poets express their ideas through the use of words
and figures of speech.

Introduction

Literary works are a form of self-expression of the author regarding his views or
feelings towards a condition, so oftenLiterary works appear in the character of the type of
literature chosen by the author(Yuliantini, 2021).Each literary work has its own
characteristics according to its author, even the truth and reality in literary works may be
different from life in general. One type of literary work that has high popularity and is
considered an old literary work is poetry. According to Nurjannah et al 2018, poetry is a
literary work which contains interpretive experiences in rhythmic language. Poetry as a
literary work is widely admired because it is able to stimulate the imagination and arouse
the reader's feelings (Adiyanti et al. 2021).At this time, etymologically the meaning of
poetry has narrowed, poetry is defined as a literary work whose words are bound by certain
conditions such as rhythm, rhyme and figurative words, because basically it is to give birth
to poet poetry.concentrate all the power of language and ideas in a poem(Dirman et al.,
2019).

Generally, writing poetry emphasizes the choice of words and beautiful language style
so that it can attract the reader's attention. However, choosing beautiful words does not
always provide meaningful meaning, so when writing poetry, poets must have creativity in
determining its structure.In the manufacturing process, the author focuses on the intrinsic
elements and extrinsic elements, namely the inner elements and physical elements
(outwardly).(Yulianto et al., 2023).In decidingthe birth structure or method of poetry the
poet must be able to create imaginative sentences, channel or suggest words (diction),
create figurative symbols or figures of speech, verify the poem, compose the layout of the
poemand make it easier to understand the selected words(Dirman et al., 2019). Therefore,
Language and Arts: Journal of Language, Literature, Arts and Their Teaching,49(1), (2021), 1–14 3

when composing poetry, the language used must contain deep persuasive meaning,
because language is the most important element (Nurgiyanto in Tresnawati, 2023).

One of the famous poets in Indonesia is Chairil Anwar, he was nicknamed "the Bitch"
because of his extensive work of almost 70 poems. Chairil Anwar is known as a famous
figure in poetry creation. The works produced have various themes and deep meanings so
they are widely known. The themes of the poetry he wrote were varied, such as; rebellion,
existentialism, and most of the poetry he wrote refers to death. Examples of popular poetry
by Chairil Anwar are the poems entitled 'Aku' and 'Not Worth It'. Each of Chairil Anwar's
works is characterized by the phrases, figures of speech and language style used. As in
these two works, the diction and figure of speech really encourage readers to work hard to
understand them. The meaning presented is implied so that without in-depth analysis the
original meaning will not be easy to understand.

Poetry as a work is able to provide encouragement and motivation to society,

especially writing lovers who are interested in the implied meaning contained in poetry.
Based on this statement, the purpose of writing this article is to analyze the poems entitled
"Aku" and "Tak Disconsider" by Chairil Anwar using a stylistic approach. According to
Faizun(2020a)Stylistics is an approach to studying language style, especially literary
works.Selection of poems entitled“I” and “Not Considered”based on the author's
interesting findings to further examine the meaning and content of the poem. The focus of
this research study is the use of diction and figure of speech, because these two aspects
form the meaning of a poem. Diction is the ability to choose words that a person uses to
express what they feel by combining good words and style (Djafar, 2023). While the figure
of speech isfigurative or supporting language that contains various meanings(Faizun,
2020a).Previous research analyzed poetry in terms of language, meaning, body/structure of
poetry using linguistic methods, there are several studies that aim to analyze the meaning
of Chairil Anwar's poetry, but the poem entitled Aku and Not Worth It has never been
analyzed.This article was prepared using a descriptive qualitative method so that it was
able to analyze the content and meaning of the two poems in depth.

Method
4 Author name(s), Short Title

The research method used to analyze this poetry is qualitative using a statics approach
to analyze the data. according to(Anggi Febrianti et al., 2022)The statics approach is a
scientific discipline from the branch of linguistics that describes and studies language
styles. The statics approach is used to study typical language, namely the process of
rearranging and selecting and combining words(Fransori, 2017). This research places
poetry as data and research object. The research was carried out according to qualitative
research criteria, namely data analysis that was carried out carefully and narrated well so
that the research results could be said to be appropriate(Fadli, 2021). Data or information
was obtained by researchers from the expressions of words or sentences in the poems
entitled "Aku" and "Not Sepadan" by Chairil Anwar which were obtained through in-depth
reading techniques. The analysis used in this research focuses on content. This analysis is
used systematically by recording important elements in the object of analysis to describe
the content and process the message contained(Sumarno, 2020). The data obtained is
described or described in detail as a result of the research.

Theoritical review

Poetry is a very popular literary work because it contains deep meaning. To

understand a poem, it is important to study the language style used. One approach used in
studying poetry is stylistics. According to Chintyandini&Qur'ani(2021)Stylistics is one
approach used to study the beautiful aspects of words in poetry. This is because in a
literary work the writer's choice of words forms a difference between the literary work
created and other works, thereby providing authenticity and uniqueness to each. This
difference can be seen in aspects of the author's depth, characteristics of the literary text
and literary reception(Faizun, 2020b). When studying literary works, this approach
generally includes word choice or diction, sentence structure and figure of speech.

1. Diction

According to Keraf in Meldiana et al.(2021)The definition of diction includes 3

things, namely word selection, grouping and determining style. Based on this
statement, in simple terms, diction can be interpreted as the process of choosing
words by a poet or author to create a certain meaning while providing a certain
artistic or artistic effect to his work. According to Suyani et al.(2020)Diction is
used for the author to convey his ideas, so the author must be able to distinguish
Language and Arts: Journal of Language, Literature, Arts and Their Teaching,49(1), (2021), 1–14 5

nuances or feelings so that the ideas conveyed can be understood by the reader. In
determining diction, you already understand the language style that will be used.

2. Figure of speech

Figures of speech are included in language style, figures of speech are used to
convey certain ideas or ideas to attract the reader's attention. Figure of speech is a
technique for expressing a meaning implicitly or implicitly(Putri et al., 2023). The
use of figures of speech in a work can create a figurative effect thereby adding an
artistic impression or beauty, besides that the use of figures of speech will be able to
show the author's personality (point of view) because the author always provides a
different language style in each of his works.

Results and Discussion

Analysis of Diction and Figures of Speech in a Poem entitled "Aku"

If it's my time

The first line is a strong and broad sentence that confirms the author's decision. The
word "if" is used to describe an event or an assumption that will happen, giving a nuance
of certainty about what will come. The words "until my time" describe boundaries as
crucial points or moments facing important events in life. The use of language style in this
line describes firmness or a loud decision without hesitation. The use of the word "if" as an
anticipation of the future shows that the author estimates the possibility that will occur in
the decision taken. Even though it has a simple structure, the sentences in the first stanza
reflect the volume of emotional strength that is ready to face any challenges in the future.

Researchers did not find direct use of figures of speech. Figure of speech is grammar
used in a literary work with beauty and aesthetic values in it with the aim of attracting
readers(Anggi Fembrianti et al., 2022). In this line the author prioritizes clarity and
decisiveness in his narrative by using appropriate rhetoric and diction.

I don't want anyone to seduce me

This line uses simple word choices, describing the author's determination and
firmness. The word "Ku Mau" is an abbreviation of I, which means a writer who has a
6 Author name(s), Short Title

strong desire and will to express his decision. The use of the words "No One Seduces"
which refers to the phrase that the author does not want anyone to seduce him shows the
firmness he takes. The word seduction refers to the act of asking for something you desire.
This sentence shows that the author refuses to be asked and submits to temptation and
seduction. The language style in this line emphasizes simple direct sentences without
excessive words which are characteristic of Chairil Anwar's work.

There is a figure of speech used in the second stanza, namely (personification) found
in the word "Someone". According to(Keraf, 2009)Personification is a figure of speech
that makes inanimate or inanimate objects as if they were alive and even describes human
nature. The word someone refers to a human being which the author uses to show an
attitude of not being able to be seduced and refusing to be influenced, in other words the
author attaches human characteristics to someone as if that person has a seductive attitude.

Neither do you

In the stanza "neither do you" has the meaning of expressing the writer's firm attitude
in rejecting someone's advances. The word "no" means refusal which shows a firm attitude
in making a decision. Strengthened by the affirmative word "also" which shows that the
author will not be tempted by this seduction. The word "You" is a personal pronoun that
refers to the person you are talking to or the person you are addressing. The language style
used is very simple and has a strong soul power. Concise writing without using figures of
speech conveys directly the form of assertiveness and rejection in conveying the message
without reducing the meaning of what will be conveyed. Researchers did not find clear
figures of speech, the language used was straightforward without using figures of speech
but gave a strong impression in conveying the firmness of decisions towards someone.

No need for the sobbing

The word "No need" is a form of diction that describes the expression of not (refusing)
which contains an element of rejecting the decision not to do something regarding needs
and interests. Followed by the words "sedu and sedan" which refer to the author's feelings
of sadness and a stiff formal impression of that person. The choice of words are simple but
have a strong meaning with a clear impression, apart from that there is also an element of
irony implied in this stanza which is found in the word "sobbing" at the same time which
Language and Arts: Journal of Language, Literature, Arts and Their Teaching,49(1), (2021), 1–14 7

gives an interesting light. This really gives an atmosphere of intelligence and foresight in
choosing diction to convey a deeper meaning.

The figure of speech used is the antithesis figure of speech. This figure of speech uses
words that have the opposite meaning to each other.(Imanniarti and Karina, 2023). This
figure of speech is contained in the words "sedu and sedan" which refer to sadness and
sedan which is a symbol of formality or stability which creates contrast, showing the lack
of importance for sadness and formal stiffness which is the essence of the meaning of
Chairil Anwar's poetry.

I'm a bitch

In the act "I am" has the meaning of a single pronoun that refers to the author
indicating something specific. The word "bitch" has the meaning of a living creature, but in
this context it refers more to the natural nature of humans, namely freedom without the
control of other individuals. The word “bitch” refers to something that is free and has no
attachment to anything. In this stanza the choice of diction is more towards complex
comparisons, the language style used is also simple with strong meaning in it so that it
depicts a wild and free attitude. This line of poetry contains a simile figure of speech,
namely a figure of speech of comparison according to(Mukhlis, 2018)A simile figure of
speech is a style of language that compares one thing with another thing using comparative
words or meanings to paint a more lively atmosphere. Apart from that, there is also a
personification figure of speech in interpretation where humans are likened to having the
character of a bitch with a wild, free and uncontrolled attitude.

From the castaway crowd

In this stanza, there is a phrase about human nature that gives personification to a non-
human. In this case, the word collection, which is an object, has the meaning of being able
to throw away or expel something that only living things can do. The use of a simple
language style is characteristic of Chairil Anwar's work. The word "wasted" has a very
sharp meaning, describing feelings of sadness or exclusion that occur in groups that are
usually considered as gathering places. In this stanza the researcher finds a figure of speech
for personification
8 Author name(s), Short Title

Let the bullet penetrate my skin

This line conveys the meaning that wounds on the body will not diminish or stop the
spirit of struggle. The sentences used have connotations, bullets are used to symbolize the
obstacles and obstacles a person faces in their life. Meanwhile, the use of the words
"penetrating my skin" describes how big the impact of this obstacle or challenge is. The
type of figure of speech used in this line is personification. Personification figure of speech
is a figure of speech that depicts inanimate objects as if they were living objects. In this
poem, Chairil's bullet, which is an inanimate object or weapon, is interpreted as a living
object so that it can penetrate the skin. an obstacle or obstacle in life.

I'm still inflamed

This line emphasizes and describes a strong and compelling ego or ambition as a form
of determination in fighting for life. The word "Meradang" is defined as a very strong
anger, emotion or ambition, while "Crashing" is defined as a strong action that will not be
stopped by any obstacles. The figure of speech used in this line is hyperbole which
attempts to exaggerate a statement in order to emphasize a sentence so that the reader feels
interested. The word inflamed describes something big and strong that can be felt by the
subject of the poem, while the word crash gives the meaning of this line, a spirit of struggle
that will not stop because of any obstacles.

Wounded and I can take it running

This line contains a connotation, "Wound" is connoted as deep suffering and sadness.
"I can run" is interpreted as a person's attempt to escape from the suffering they are
experiencing. Apart from that, this sentence gives an idea that no matter how big the
wound they get, it will not stop their struggle. This sentence seems to give the meaning that
the wound as a suffering is ignored in order to continue the struggle. and achieve goals.
The figure of speech used in this line is the figure of speech of synesthesia, this figure of
speech tries to express feelings from one sense to another. “Wound” can be interpreted as
the heart or feeling while “running” refers to the feet. In the context of this sentence, it
gives an idea that no matter how big a person's injury or suffering is, it will not reduce the
Language and Arts: Journal of Language, Literature, Arts and Their Teaching,49(1), (2021), 1–14 9

spirit of struggle that exists in the subject of the poem. In this case, there is an expression
of a person's feelings which is described through the effort to continue running.

Run

This line has a connotation as a re-emphasis on firmness and speed in a person's

actions. Running shows a firm effort not to give up and retreat when facing challenges.

Until the pain disappears

This line provides a metaphorical picture or description of the healing or recovery

process from the emotional wounds or pain experienced by the subject of the poem. The
word "Until" is used to describe the process of slowly eliminating pain, such as the healing
process of a physical wound which slowly removes the pain, "gone" describes the process
of healing or recovery from the suffering and "painful pain" is used as a description of
suffering or sadness experienced. This line does not use figures of speech, it is just a
description of a process, the meaning contained is the actual meaning (denotation).

And I would care less

The diction in this line shows a tough attitude and mentality in facing obstacles. The
sentence "more indifferent" describes the subject of the poem as not being affected by the
obstacles or difficulties that have been experienced and that will come. This line does not
contain any figures of speech, the sentence also has denotation or actual meaning.

I want to live another thousand years

This line of poetry describes a person's strong desire and determination to continue
living. The sentence "another thousand years" contains the connotation of someone's desire
to live for eternity or a long time. This line also contains a person's enthusiasm to continue
living and believe in surviving all existing challenges. The figure of speech used in this
line is hyperbole, this figure of speech tries to exaggerate something. In the concept of this
sentence, Chairil Anwar uses hyperbole to highlight the strong desire of the subject of the
poem to live in that time period. This figure of speech is able to strengthen a person's
intensity of belief and steadfastness, even though if we look at it based on the facts of life
over a thousand year period, it is very impossible for humans to do so.
10 Author name(s), Short Title

Analysis of Diction and Figure of Speech in a Poem Entitled "Not Worth It"

I thought: This is how it's going to be

In the first line you can see the use of an informal language style, namely in the word
"I" referring to the author. In this line we can also see confirmation or justification of the
author's views, namely in the words "This is how it is". In the sentence that says "I thought:
This is how it will be" which is a description of someone who feels disappointed, this is the
opening of the poem which can make readers curious, because they will wonder what
disappointment they are experiencing. Researchers found a simile figure of speech in the
phrase "I think". According toKhairussibyan&Tamara(2022)Simile is a figure of speech
that uses words as an analogy that compares something to the thing being compared or a
hope that is being compared which describes the author's feelings about something..

You marry, give birth and be happy, while I wander like Ahasveros.

In the second sentence there is a foreign word, namely "Ahasveros". This is a parable
given by the author which is intended to represent the fate of the king (Ahasveros). In this
second sentence, it is a parable or hope that every human being wants in his life, namely
that he will live happily and live according to the hopes he wants. The use of language
style in this line is very strong so that it is able to convey opposing feelings and inner
problems in a simple but very strong way. In the second stanza the researcher found the
same figure of speech as the first stanza, namely a simile figure of speech. The simile
figure of speech lies in the comparison between the author and the narrator of the life of
the legendary Jewish traveler Ahasveros which reflects a clear painting of the author's
loneliness and instability. The use of simile figures of speech strengthens the author's
feelings by comparing them with the strong image of the legendary figure Ahasveros, thus
creating a false life between a happy person and an endless wanderer.

Eros cursed

Then in the third line there is an emphasis on the feeling of disappointment he feels
with the words "Cursed-Sworn" which are words that describe a person's highest level of
disappointment. This line contains hyperbole because the use of the words "cursed" and
"swear" excessively describes the intensity or strength of feelings towards "eros" which is
very strong.
Language and Arts: Journal of Language, Literature, Arts and Their Teaching,49(1), (2021), 1–14 11

I crawled over blind walls. Not a single door opened

In the fourth line "Climbing the blind wall" is an effort he is making in the downturn
he is currently experiencing, there is an effort he is making to recover from the problems
he is facing, even though the results he gets do not match the expectations he expressed in
the sentence " Not a single door is open." Then in the words "I crawled over the wall
blindly" there is a hyperbolic figure of speech which in this sentence seems like an
exaggeration and these words were made by the author to dramatize the poem.

So it's good for us to extinguish this fire pit

The word "Padami" in the fifth line is trying to make peace with the situation, trying
to leave everything that has disappointed him so far, because why do we keep lamenting
about things that have happened. In the sentence "so it would be good for us to put out this
bonfire" is a mythonymic figure of speech, whereas in the sentence "fire pit" is another
word or object that describes the problem or disappointment experienced by the writer.

Because there's nothing wrong with you. I'm roasted and reduced to a skeleton.

In this last line he realizes that no one cares about him even if he is in this downturn,
only he himself can help himself, not other people. Because in essence other people are
just additional figures in our lives, we ourselves are the ones who control it all, so even if
we fall, no one can help us apart from ourselves. In these lyrics there is a metonymic figure
of speech where in the sentence "roasted" is another word for shackled or trapped, which in
this line is an expression that seems to let him go so that he is happy and he is still trapped
in an unpleasant condition.

Conclusion

Stylistic studies are used to examine a literary work through the language style used.
This article was prepared to examine two poems by Chiril Anwar entitled Aku and Not
Separable. This study focuses on the use of diction and figure of speech to find out the
meaning of poetry. The study was carried out in depth by analyzing the poem line by line.

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