An analysis of figurative language in the interpretation of contemporary English poetry

Abstract

This article examines the various facets of figurative language. This study considers figurative language from a traditional perspective as an embellishment of language and compares it with contemporary theory in literature especially in poetry. The main material for the analysis of figurative language in poetry is poetic texts of contemporary American poets like William Carlos Williams, Robert Frost, and Charles Bernstein. We selected 15 poems that contain a lot of figurative expressions and analyzed them namely “The Red Wheelbarrow”, “This Is Just to Say”, “To a Poor Old Woman”, “The Road Not Taken”, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, “Fire and Ice”, “Mending Wall”, etc. The authors conducted about evaluation of the use of metaphors, hyperboles, idioms, and similes. The most used figurative language in all the analyzed poems is metaphor. It occurred in all 15 poems. Figurative language adds an element of beauty and artistry to poetry. Metaphors, similes, and other figurative expressions infuse the language with color, imagery, and creative aesthetics that captivate the reader's senses.