Ei Mon Kyaw

English Education, Linguistics, and Literature Journal

Vol. 1(2), 2022

https://jurnal.unupurwokerto.ac.id/index.php/educalitra
e-ISSN 2809-5545

The Analysis of Figurative Language in Audre Lorde’s

Poem ‘From the House of Yemanjá’
Ei Mon Kyaw1

1 Hunan Normal University. E-mail: [email protected]

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT

Keywords: The goal of this study was to categorize the various figurative
figurative language, from the language that Audre Lorde employed in her poem From the House of
House of Yemanjá Poetry, Audre Yemanjá. The study of figurative languages such as paradox,
Lorde personification, hyperbole, simile, metonymy, synecdoche, irony,
antithesis, and symbolism are the subject of this study. A content
analysis strategy was employed in this study together with a
qualitative methodology. The researcher served as the main analytical
How to cite: tool for figurative language. The results of the analysis showed that
Kyaw, Ei Mon. (2022). The From the House of Yemanjá, a poem by Audre Lorde, employed
Analysis of Figurative Language figurative language 29 times. The researcher concludes that Lorde's
in Audre Lorde’s Poem ‘From use of figurative language to symbolize the sentences results in
the House of Yemanjá’. English beautiful language. The majority of her poems discussed her past
Education, Linguistics, and experiences, which were influenced by the history of prejudice against
Literature Journal, 1(2), 10-18. American-African women or black women.

1. Introduction
Language is a tool to interact or tools to communicate, in a sense, means to convey
thoughts, ideas, concepts, or even a feeling. The language activity is a “who speaks/writes
what language to Whom, when, and to what end.” Therefore, from the view of
sociolinguistics, language functions can be viewed from different angles, such as
speakers/writers, listeners/readers, topics, codes, and purposes (Chaer and Agustina, 2004,
p. 15).
In communication, people have two meanings (explicit and implicit) inside their language.
Language is a common way to express ideas, feelings, and desires through a system of
sounds and sound symbols. It can also be said, by language, people can share or deliver
what is in their minds. Because of the importance of language, people should understand
not only the form of language but also the meaning in it. There are many ways to deliver the
feeling and ideas that can be caught and understand the meaning. One of the ways is to
write a poem. The poem is one of the literary works that contain figurative language (Nur
and Miranti, 2018, p. 19).
Figurative language is used in literature, especially in poetry where poets/writers appeal to
the senses of the readers/listeners. Through figurative language, poets/writers usually use
specific phrases or words to express something beyond the literal meaning. Figurative
language is used in the literature to enhance the reading experience of the readers and it

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Ei Mon Kyaw

allows the readers to feel the same situation/feelings that the writers expressed in the
pieces of writing (Education Help, 2015, para. 1).
Figurative language serves as an excellent communication tool and is something people
encounter daily that helps them convey complex descriptions or emotions quickly and
effectively. Figurative language can be utilized to persuade, engage and connect with an
audience and amplify the intended message. Implementing figurative language takes some
careful thought and close observations to successfully convey the intended meaning
(Indeed Editorial Team, 2022, para. 1). Its creative wording is used to build imagery to
deepen the audience's understanding and help provide power to words by using different
emotional, visual and sensory connections (Indeed Editorial Team, 2022, para. 3).
Poetry is chosen as the object of study for several reasons; one of which is that poetry
contains more figurative language than other literary devices. The other reason is that
poetry needs more interpretation to understand the message that wants to be delivered to
the listeners/readers. The poetry writer usually uses many figurative languages to express
their feelings and ideas implicitly. Listeners/readers should improve their critical thinking to
understand the implicit meaning of every word in poetry (Nur and Miranti, 2018, p. 19).
Poetry also has significance in education. By understanding poetry students can develop
their reading comprehension, vocabulary mastery, and critical thinking analysis. Poetry is a
universal language used by poets to express their ideas in beautiful words. As a universal
language, poetry has existed almost in all periods. Poetry is a unique medium of
communication, it is created in the form of a brief language, and it differs from other literary
works (Nur and Miranti, 2018, pp. 19-20).
2. Literature Review
2.1 Fifteen Figurative Languages
Fifteen figurative languages are used in this study. Metaphor is a kind of figurative language
that made a comparison between two things that are different to identify one with another.
Metaphors are used in poetry to explain emotions, feelings, relationships other elements
that could not be described in ordinary language (Nur and Miranti, 2018, p. 20).
The metaphor is a direct comparison without using the comparative words "like" or "as."
Metaphors equate the two things being compared to elicit a stronger connection and
deepen the meaning of the comparison. Some metaphors, which continue for several lines
or an entire piece, are called extended metaphors. Examples: Her smile is the sunrise. Your
son was a shining star in my classroom. The tall trees were curtains that surrounded us
during our picnic. The ants soldiered on to steal our dessert (Indeed Editorial Team, 2022,
para. 7).
Personification consists of giving human characteristics to an object. Personification is a
figure of speech that describes something that is not human as though it could feel, think,
act, live, or die in the same way as people. For example, in Emily Dickinson’s poem, the title
is “Ambition cannot find him” (Nur and Miranti, 2018, p. 20). This personifies objects and
makes them more relatable. Examples: The chair squealed in pain when the hammer
smashed it. The tree's limb cracked and groaned when lightning hit it. My heart jumped
when my daughter entered the room in her wedding dress. The computer argued with me
and refused to work (Indeed Editorial Team, 2022, para. 8).

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Onomatopoeia is the use of descriptive words that sound or mimic the noise they are
describing. Examples: The water splashed all over the top of the car. Owls screech through
the night and keep us awake when we are camping. My stomach grumbled in hunger as we
entered the restaurant. Thumping and booming in excitement, my heart pounded to hear
the results of the lottery (Indeed Editorial Team, 2022, para. 9).
Hyperbole is the term used by someone who has a desire and expectation for the thing that
happens to make an object greater than the real object. For example: “I will die if I don’t
meet him tomorrow”, the word “die” is overexpression if the reader wants to think that in
the real life (Nur and Miranti, 2018, p. 20). A hyperbole is an over-exaggeration used to
emphasize an emotion or description. Sometimes hyperbole also implements the use of
simile and comparative words. Examples: I am so hungry I would eat dirt right now. My
brother is taller than a skyscraper. The concert was so loud the drums echoed in space.
Racing through the day was a marathon run for me (Indeed Editorial Team, 2022, para. 11).
A simile is a figure that makes a comparison between two different things, just like a
metaphor but in simile usually uses the word as, then, like, seem, so, appear, and more
than. In an example of the simile “He is as hard as nails”, the adjective here used to describe
behavioral and attitudinal characteristics of a person referred to as “he” via comparison with
concrete, physical hardness of nails, which are made of metal, typically steel (Nur and
Miranti, 2018, p. 20). The simile is often used to highlight a characteristic of one of the
items, similes rely on the comparison and the audience's ability to create connections and
make inferences about the two objects being discussed and understand the one similarity
they share. For example, they fought like cats and dogs (Indeed Editorial Team, 2022, para.
6).
Litotes are figures of speech that use understatement to make a point. It is often sarcastic in
tone. The statement is affirmed by negating the opposite. Examples: I can't say I disagree
with what you're saying. My dog is not the friendliest. He's not even a little tired after
staying up all night watching television. She's not unkind (Indeed Editorial Team, 2022,
para. 12).
Metonymy is a word or complex expression that stands for one thing, or it is also used for
one lexical thing connected with another through experience. It is also about part-whole
relationships, the kind which allows the same word to be used in many languages for “hand”
and “arm”, ‟ or for “foot” and “leg” (Nur and Miranti, 2018, p. 20).
An idiom is a commonly used expression that has acquired a meaning different from its
literal meaning. Idiomatic phrases vary by culture and language. They are often difficult to
grasp for language learners because the expression's true meaning is so different than what
is being expressed. Examples: My grandmother's garden is flourishing because of her green
thumb. The children could not play baseball because it was raining cats and dogs outside.
You must play your cards right to win at the game of life. Some people throw in the towel
before they should and never learn the value of working hard for success (Indeed Editorial
Team, 2022, para. 13).
Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonant sound at the start of one or more words
near one another. It is often used to emphasize an emotion or reveal a stronger description.
Examples: The pitter-patter of paws echoed down the hallway and woke me from my
slumber. The clamoring clash of dished cracking on the concrete burned my ears. Old

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creaking crates carry ages of dust within them and are about to burst open. The babble of
babies brings joy to my ears (Indeed Editorial Team, 2022, para. 14).
An allusion is a reference to a well-known person, place, thing, or event of historical,
cultural, or literary merit. It requires the audience to use their background knowledge to
understand the meaning. Examples: You stole the forbidden fruit when you took his candy.
He didn't do anything as bad as chopping down a cherry tree. She was Helen of Troy in the
class and made all the boys fight. My little girl ran faster than a speeding bullet when she
grabbed my lipstick (Indeed Editorial Team, 2022, para. 15).
Synecdoche is a figure of speech that a part that refers to a specific whole. Synecdoche
expresses either more or less than it is literary denotes. For example, In the sentence “I got a
new wheel from my father”, the word “wheel” represents the meaning of a car, so she got a
new car (Nur and Miranti, 2018, p. 20). Less commonly, synecdoche can be used when a
whole is used to refer to a part. The most common types of wholes and parts include a
physical structure and its parts, an object and the material it is made out of, a container and
what it holds, and a category and the items in those categories. Examples: The company
needs a more hands-on deck to get complete this project in time. The White House issued a
statement today. The captain commands 70 sails (Indeed Editorial Team, 2022, para. 16).
Antithesis is a figure speech that combines two things that are different or contradictory in
one sentence or negation. Antithesis is a device for placing opposing ideas in grammatical
parallel. Antithesis results when a pair or more strongly contrasting terms are presented
together, for Example: “Speech is silver, silence is golden” (Nur and Miranti, 2018, p. 20).
Irony statements are untrue, based on the reasoning that is interpreted by the hearer from
the speaker’s meaning. The irony is not praising but usually criticism. For example: “no
doubt, you are the best person that ruined my life” (Nur and Miranti, 2018, p. 20).
Symbolism is a kind of figure speech that uses symbols of animals, plants, or things to
substitute something. Symbolism is established from the result of personal; experience or
fantasies”. For example, Word “Rose” is a referent for beauty destroyed by time, sexuality,
secrecy, and guilt, all seem drawn in by the implications of these words (Nur and Miranti,
2018, p. 20).
A paradox is a figure speech that delivers two things which contradictory but this figure
reveals the real fact that makes sense even if the speaker or the writer uses a word that is
absurd. For example, “Experience is simply the name we give to our mistakes” by Oscar
Wilde. This quotes the fact that when we have to do something wrong in our life, we always
take it as an experience (Nur and Miranti, 2018, pp. 20-21).
2.2 Statement of the Problem
Audre Lorde’s poems have been a significant impetus behind the development of
postcolonial and cultural studies. There may have been much stated about Lorde’s poetry,
but to the researcher’s knowledge, figurative language has never been demonstrated
enough in any of them. Poems are intended to be examined and analyzed using the proper
tools. When given a thorough contextual study, ‘From the House of Yemanjá’ poetry of
Audre Lorde can be better understood for its rich meanings, background, and themes.
Therefore, the issue acknowledged by this study is that figurative language has not been
used to analyze and understand Lorde’s work. The researcher started studying ‘From the
House of Yemanjá’ poetry by Audre Lorde to find a solution to this issue.

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2.3 Biography of Audre Lorde

Audre Lorde (1934–1992), who identified as "black, lesbian, mother, warrior, and poet,"
devoted her life and her artistic talent to confronting and resolving the inequities of race,
gender, class, and homosexuality. Lorde was born to West Indian immigrants in New York
City. Indeed, Lorde weaves her personal experiences with more overarching political
objectives in her contributions to feminist theory, critical racial studies, and queer theory. In
canonical essays, Lorde was the one to discuss how race, class, and gender intertwine.
Lorde campaigned against the marginalization of identities like "black woman" and
"lesbian" (Poetry Foundation, 2022).
Audre Lorde played a crucial role in numerous activist groups and liberation movements,
such as second-wave feminism, the Black cultural and civil rights organizations, and the
fight for LGBTQ equality. The strength of Lorde's poetry's appeal for social and racial
justice, as well as its representations of LGBT experience and sexuality, are particularly well-
known. In 1997, Audre Lorde's Collected Poems was published. The black lesbian feminist
poet and activist reminds her audience that they risk their safety by ignoring human
distinctions. Differences in race or class should be a "cause for celebration and
advancement," according to Lorde (Poetry Foundation, 2022).
Lorde was a particularly talented narrator of childhood who, throughout her career, wrote
from personal experience. Her autobiographical lyrics frequently have a striking sense of
immediacy; in "Hanging Fire," for example, Lorde uses the voice of her 14-year-old self to
make the past present tense. The title of this poem from The Black Unicorn (1978) adopts a
more mythical viewpoint; it compares her mother to the mother Orisha, the Yoruba
goddess of rivers and oceans, and the opening stanza describes her as having "two faces"
and "cooking up her daughters / into girls / before she fixed our dinner." Such duality evokes
Lorde's mother, a light-skinned immigrant who instilled tenacity in Lorde but also despised
her daughter's darker skin tone (Voigt, 2022).
3. Research Methodology
3.1 Subject
The object of the study is poetry from Audre Lorde entitled ‘From the House of Yemanjá’.
3.2 Instruments
To conduct this research, the design content analysis with a qualitative approach is used.
Content analysis is the intellectual process of categorizing qualitative textual data into
categories of similar concepts, to identify consistent patterns or relationships between
variables of themes (Given, 2008).
Qualitative research is the understanding of social phenomena based on the participant’s
point of view. To increase information about a particular phenomenon, such as an
environment, a process, or even a belief (Gay, 2006).
3.3 Data Analysis Procedures
The researcher read line by line the poetry to find figurative language in it. After that, the
researcher put it in a table and classifies it based on figurative indicators. In analyzing the
data, the researcher uses qualitative data analysis theory by Miles & Huberman (1994), this
analysis uses three steps, data reduction, data display, or data representation, and
conclusion drawing and verification.

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The researcher chose the poem "From the House of Yemanjá" by Audre Lorde, which was
found on the website https://www.poetryfoundation.org, for the reduction process. In order
to identify any figurative language in the words, phrases, or sentences, the researcher
carefully read line by line. The data was then entered into a checklist table that includes
figurative categories as a means of data representation. The information is organized by
describing meanings, based on each figurative category. The researcher comes to a
conclusion about which figurative appears among fifteen figurative languages and which
figurative is primarily used in Audre Lorde's poetry from "From the House of Yemanjá."
4. Findings
In Audre Lorde's poetry entitled ‘From the House of Yemanjá’, the letter (P) codes poetry;
the letter (L) codes a line of poetry, and the symbol ∑ (Sigma) is a code for the sum of the
outcomes.
The poetry from "From the House of Yemanjá" contains 19 metaphors, 4 antitheses, 3
symbols, 1 allusion, and 2 similes. There was a total of 21 sentences that used figurative
language. The most figurative type of language was a metaphor. Several figurative
indicators were lacking a foundation because there was no sentence demonstrating how
they were indicated.
Table 1: Figurative Language Used in the Lines
No Kind of Figurative Language Lines ∑
1 Metaphor (L1), (L1), (L2), (L3), (L4), (L5), (L6), (L7), (L9), 19
(L10), (L11), (L12), (L13), (L15), (L19), (L20),
(L32), (L33), (L34)
2 Personification
3 Hyperbole
4 Simile (L29), (L30) 2
5 Metonymy
6 Synecdoche
7 Irony
8 Antithesis (L12), (L13), (L17), (L34) 4
9 Symbolism (L1), (L12), (L13) 3
10 Paradox
11 Onomatopoeia
12 Litotes
13 Idiom
14 Alliteration
15 Allusion Title 1
Total 29

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5. Discussion
The researcher summarized the information and found that Audre Lorde primarily uses
metaphor in her poems from "From the House of Yemanjá." Nevertheless, Audre Lorde did
use some figurative language in her poetry. Metaphor, antithesis, symbolism, simile, and
allusion were among the five types of figurative language used in the poetry. Twenty of the
sentences had twenty-nine figurative languages. A metaphor is made up of 19 sentences,
while an antithesis is made up of 4, a symbol is made up of 3, a simile is made up of 2, and an
allusion is made up of 1 sentence. The poetry did not have all fifteen figurative language
indicators due to some sentences’ lack of figurative language.
Table 2: Meanings of Figurative Language Used in the Lines
Types of Figurative
Lines Sentences Meanings
Language
Title From the House of Allusion Yemanja, the mother of all other gods in
Yemanjá Yoruba mythology (Njeng Eric Sipyinyu,
2004, para. 4).
1 My mother had two faces Metaphor The speaker's mother is employing social
and a frying pot Symbolism construction to mold her girls into the
Metaphor stereotype of white society.
Symbolizes the mother's desire to mold
her daughters, into something they are
not.
One concentrated on being white and its
benefits, the other on being black.

2 where she cooked up her Metaphor The mother tried to mold her girls into the
daughters shapes she preferred.
3 into girls Metaphor The mother tried to mold her girls into the
shapes she preferred.
4 before she fixed our dinner. Metaphor The mother tried to mold her girls into the
shapes she preferred.
5 My mother had two faces Metaphor One concentrated on being white and its
benefits, the other on being black.
6 and a broken pot Metaphor The pot is broken, as the speaker's
inadequacy has damaged the bond
between mother and daughter.
7 where she hid out a perfect Metaphor Her mother was shaping her other
daughter daughters to be better than the speaker
was.

8 who was not me

9 I am the sun and moon and Metaphor Desire her mother’s approval and love.
forever hungry
10 for her eyes. Metaphor Desire her mother’s approval and love.
11 I bear two women upon my Metaphor Two dual identity.
back
12 one dark and rich and Antithesis The speaker's conflict with the cultural
hidden Metaphor divide between whites and blackness.
Symbolism One is dark, rich, and genuine, whereas

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Ei Mon Kyaw

the other is white, fake, and tainted.

Black society.
13 in the ivory hungers of the Antithesis The speaker's conflict with the cultural
other Metaphor divide between whites and blackness.
Symbolism One is dark, rich, and genuine, whereas
the other is white, fake, and tainted.
White Society.
14 mother
15 pale as a witch Metaphor One is dark, rich, and genuine, whereas
the other is white, fake, and tainted.
16 yet steady and familiar
17 brings me bread and terror Antithesis Dual identity of her mother (good and
bad).
18 in my sleep
19 her breasts are huge Metaphor Her mother is terrifying to her.
exciting anchors
20 in the midnight storm. Metaphor Her mother is terrifying to her.
21 All this has been
22 before
23 in my mother's bed
24 time has no sense
25 I have no brothers
26 and my sisters are cruel.
27 Mother I need
28 mother I need
29 mother I need your Simile The child's black skin tone is likened to the
blackness now august dirt in that both require water to be
more appealing.
30 as the august earth needs Simile The child's black skin tone is likened to the
rain. august dirt in that both require water to be
more appealing.
31 I am
32 the sun and moon and Metaphor The speaker is like the "sun and moon"
forever hungry that are being split apart from her mother.
33 the sharpened edge Metaphor The speaker is like the "sun and moon"
that are being split apart from her mother.
34 where day and night shall Metaphor Even though day and night may meet, the
meet Antithesis speaker may never get her mother’s care.
The eternal separation between mother
and daughter.
35 and not be
36 one.

6. Conclusion
The researcher discovered some figurative language in Audre Lorde's poem "From the
House of Yemanjá" based on research findings. The researcher employed fifteen different
types of figurative language (Metaphor, Personification, Hyperbole, Simile, Metonymy,
Synecdoche, Irony, Antithesis, Symbolism, Alliteration, Onomatopoeia, Litotes, Idiom,
Allusion, and Paradox). First, 29 sentences in total contained figurative language. A

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metaphor is composed of 19 sentences, whereas an antithesis is composed of 4, a symbol of

three, a simile of two, and an allusion consisting of one sentence. Second, only five of the
fifteen indications were found in the selected poetry since some sentences do not fit into
the other indicators' categories. This indicates that not all of the figurative language was
offered in the poem. In Audre Lorde's poetry, the speaker describes her conflicts with her
mother, society, and her own dual identity, which might serve as inspiration for poetry
enthusiasts.
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