CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

1.1.

Background Dead Poets Society is a novel written by N. H. Kleinbaum, which was

written based on the American motion picture in 1989. Dead Poets Society is one of the classic films about poetry starring by Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, and Ethan Hawke. It was directed by Peter Weir and written by Tom Schulman and the script was written by Tom Schulman.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Poets_Society. retrieved: March 25, 2011) Dead Poets Society is an eminent movie. Tom Schulman, the writer of the movie, won the Academy Award for Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen). Besides, the movie was also nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Robin Williams), Directing (Peter Weir), and Best Picture. Dead Poets Society also won many other awards for the best foreign movie such as BAFTA Awards in 1989 from UK, Csar Awards from France, David di Donatello Awards from Italy, and many other awards. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Poets_Society. retrieved: March 25, 2011) Dead Poets Society is set in the late 1950s in an East Coast boys' prep school, Welton Academy. Robin Williams plays the school's new English teacher and Welton alumnus, John Keating, who inspires his students to love poetry. He urges his students to not simply approach learning through structure and rote memorization, but to move to a deeper, more intuitive understanding of literature

and life. After discovering that their new teacher was once a member of the Dead Poets Society, a secret society that met and read poetry, Keating's students decide to resurrect the group. They begin sneaking off to the woods late at night to read Frost, Tennyson, and other poets, and in doing so learn to appreciate great poetry and form deep friendships. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Poets_Society. retrieved: March 25, 2011) The Dead Poets Society novel is similar to the movie. The whole writing in Dead Poets Society novel is only slightly different from the script of the movie version. Different with movie based on a book, novel based on the movie can cover almost all of the words on the movie. The novel grabs almost everything from the movie. The readers of the novel will not miss any poetry from the original version of the movie. Poetry is a form of literature. Poetry, derived from Medieval Latin potria, is the art or craft of writing verse (Collins English Dictionary, 1991). According to Hannah Arendt, poetry, which material is language, is perhaps the most human and the least worldly of the arts, the one in which the end product remains closest to the thought that inspired it. Edgar Allan Poe defined poetry as the rhythmical creation of beauty in words, while Kahlil Gibran defined poetry as a deal of joy and pain and wonder, with a dash of the dictionary.

(http://www.gardendigest.com/poetry/quoap1.htm. retrieved: March 25, 2011) Poems in this novel will be analyzed on their sound devices. Poems in this novel will be analyzed on their sound devices. Sound devices are resources used by poets to pass on and strengthen the meaning poetry through the use of sound.

Sound devices are employed by the poets to create imaginations of the readers (http://homepage.smc.edu/meeks_christopher/SOUND%20DEVICES%20USED %20IN%20POETRY.htm. retrieved: March 30, 2011). According to Ingarden (1926) on his work The Literary Work of Art, word sounds and phonetic formations includes the typical rhythms and melodies associated with phrases, sentences and paragraphs of various kinds. Dead Poets Society is an interesting novel with many beautiful poems from several popular poets such as Walt Whitman, William Shakespeare, Lord Byron, etc. However, the beauty of the poems cannot be understood if they are not analyzed.

1.2.

Research Questions 1. What kinds of sound devices found in the poems of the novel entitled Dead Poets Society? 2. Based on the sound devices what is the genre of the poems in Dead Poets Society?

1.3.

The Aims The aims of this study are: 1. To analyze the sound devices of the poems in Dead Poets Society. 2. To analyze the genre of the poems in Dead Poets Society based on the sound devices.

1.4.

Research Scope Since there are many poems in this novel, this study is focused on poems

which written by popular English poets, such as William Shakespeare, Lord Byron, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Abraham Cowley, Robert Herrick, and Raymond Calvert.

1.5.

Significance Dead Poets Society is a must-seen movie, especially for those who study

literary. There are many beautiful poems in the movie. However, it is quite hard to get the copy of the movie. Therefore, the novel helps people who havent seen the movie to have an extra time to comprehend the story and the poets deeper. The significances of the study are: 1. Theoretical significance This study provides information and knowledge for students, especially those who study literary, who wanted to learn more about poetry and their forms. This study helps literary students and tutors discover the parts of the poetry to find out the contents of the poetry. 2. Practical significance This study gives significant contribution to science, schools, universities, institutions, and organizations which concern with literary, especially poetry.

1.6.

Assumptions The early assumptions as the basic of this study are: 1. Sound devices can be found in Dead Poets Society are alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhyme, assonance, and rhytm. 2. The genre of most poems in Dead Poets Society is tragic romantic.

CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1.

Poetry Literature is the art of written works, and poetry is a form of literature.

Poetry has related term with poem, a piece of writing in verse form, especially one expressing deep feeling or noble thought in beautiful language, composed with the desire to communicate an experience (Hornby, 1973, The Advance Learners Dictionary of Current English). A famous poet, Edgar Allan Poe, defines poetry as the rhythmical creation of beauty (Tarigan, 1984). It means that poetry is series of words delivered beautifully. Poetry is about the expression of the way poets feel about particular things through their imaginations and emotions. Blair and Chandler (1935) in Tarigan (1984) derive Watts-Duntons definition that poetry is a concrete expression which is aesthetical from humans thought in rhyme and emotional language. At the same time, Abercrombie says that poetry is the expression of imaginary experience. Therefore it is accepted that poet is someone who creates experience, in line with Morriss (1964: 617) thought that the poet in a sense is a maker of experiences. Poetry has substance natures which help the readers understand and even enjoy the poems. According to I. A. Richards, an eminent literature critic, poetry includes overall significance or the total meaning which is a blend of poets sense of the essence of the poetry, feeling of certain objects, tone of the readers, and the

intention of the poet (Morris, 1964). Those four elements of the poetry are dependent and related each other. It makes poetry has a connection between a creation of a poet and perceptions of the readers.

2.2.

Sound Devices Poetry as one of literature form uses a different language with everyday

communication language. Poetry is the art of something unspeakable. The messages are hidden behind the words that the meaning must be uncovered beyond the written texts. Therefore, the language of poetry has many variations in meaning. According to Tjahjono (1987), literature generally uses connotative words, which have additional or secondary meanings beside the primary one. Poetry is limited art work which only can be expressed through the words to show the ideas or feelings. Understanding poetry can be easier with tools of the poets known as poetic devices. Poetic devices not only help poets string up the words become poetic sentences, but also to assist the readers in understanding the poetry (http://ezinearticles.com/?Poetic-Devices-in-Poetry&id=110584. retrieved: May 5, 2011). There are many terms in classifying poetic devices. The simple one, poetic devices can be structural, sense, and sound devices. Sound devices, also known as "musical devices", make poetry a special art form. Robert Frost called his poems "talk-song" as a means of conveying his perspective on the musical qualities of poetry

(http://www.frostfriends.org/sounddevices.html. retrived: May 5, 2011). Sound devices are important to make poetic effects and to create suitable and match

sounds of the contents. Sound devices significantly add the poems musical values when they are read aloud. There are several poetic devices which are identified as sound devices, such as: 1. Alliteration Alliteration is also called head rhyme or initial rhyme. It is the repetition of the initial sounds (usually consonants) of stressed syllables of words placed near each other within the same line or passage. The sounds of alliteration produce a gratifying effect to the ear and can also serve as a subtle connection or emphasis of key words in the line.

2. Assonance Assonance is repeated vowel sounds in words placed near each other, usually on the same or adjacent lines. Assonance should be in sounds that are accented, or stressed, rather than in vowel sounds that are unaccented.

3. Consonance Consonance is repeated consonant sounds at the ending of words placed near each other, usually on the same or adjacent lines. Consonance should be in sounds that are accented, or stressed, rather than in vowel sounds that are unaccented. Consonance produces a pleasing kind of nearrhyme.

4. Cacophony Cacophony is a discordant series of harsh, unpleasant sounds helps to convey disorder. Cacophony is often furthered by the combined effect of the meaning and the difficulty of pronunciation. Usually the use of words with the consonants b, k and p, for example, produce harsher sounds than the soft f and v or the liquid l, m and n.

5. Euphony Euphony is a series of musically pleasant sounds, conveying a sense of harmony and beauty to the language. It provides a pleasing effect to the ear, usually sought-for in poetry for effect. It is achieved not only by the selection of individual word-sounds, but also by their relationship in the repetition, proximity, and flow of sound patterns.

6. Onomatopoeia Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates the sound it represents, but the term is generally expanded to refer to any word whose sound is suggestive of its meaning.

7. Rhyme Rhyme is a pattern of words that contains similar sounds at the end of the line. Rhymes are said to be masculine and feminine depending on where the accent falls. The rhyme is masculine when the

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correspondence of sounds is based on the vowels and succeeding consonants of accented syllables. While feminine rhyme is the corresponding of sounds is between accented and unaccented syllables.

8. Rhythm Rhythm is the regular or progressive pattern of recurrent accents in the flow of a poem the rise and fall of stresses on words in the metrical feet. Metrical feet may be two or three syllables in length. There are five basic rhythms: a. Iamb/Iambic: one unstressed + one stressed syllable b. Trochee/Trochaic: one stressed + one unstressed syllable c. Anapest/Anapestic: two unstressed + one stressed syllable d. Dactyl/Dactylic: one stressed + two unstressed syllable e. Spondee/Spondaic: two stressed syllable Meter is measured by the number of feet in a line. The most common line lengths are: a. Monometer: one foot b. Dimeter: two feet c. Trimeter: three feet d. Tetrameter: four feet e. Pentameter: five feet f. Hexameter: six feet g. Heptameter: seven feet

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h. Octameter: eight feet (http://www.chaparralpoets.org/devices.pdf. retrieved: May 5, 2011).

2.3.

Death Poets Society 2.3.1. The Characters

-

Mr. John Keating: teacher, romantic. Neil Perry: student, static, liar, his life is an acting. Todd Anderson: student, very quiet and shy. Knox Overstreet: student, loyal, romantic Charlie Dalton (Nwanda): student, always control the situation, doesnt want to take consequences.

Steven Meeks: student, tends to be romantic, likes music and dance.

Richard Cameron: student, thinker. Pitts: student, tends to be romantic, likes music and dance. Dean Nolan: dean Mr. Perry Dr. Hager Mr. McAllister Chris Chet Danburry Virginia Danburry Mr. Joe Danburry

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Mrs. Janette Danburry (Kleinbaum, 1989).

2.3.2. The Summary In 1959, the Welton Academy is a serious but well-respected prep school where education is a pragmatic and quite boring. However, several students have thoughts to change the learning process when a new teacher comes to the school. John Keating is an unordinary educator who does not rely on textbooks and asks his students to stand on their desks to see the world from a new angle. Keating introduces his students to poetry, and his free-thinking attitude and the liberating philosophies of the authors he introduces to his class have a profound effect on his students, especially Todd Anderson, who would like to be a writer; Neil Perry, who dreams of being an actor, against his father; Knox Overstreet, a hopeless romantic; Steven Meeks, an intellectual who learns to use his heart as well as his head; Charlie Dalton, who begins to lose his unconcerned attitude; and practical Richard Cameron. Keating urges his students to seize the day to make their lives count, to leave a legacy of carpe diem. Unfortunately, this philosophy leads to an unexpected tragedy. The students start to act different than before. The climax is when Neil kills himself. Everything falls apart after that. At the request of Neil's parents, the dean conducts an investigation. Each member of Dead Poets Society is called to sign a confession statement indicating that

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Mr. Keating filled their minds and blaming him for Neils death. Mr. Keating has to leave the school and he isnt allowed to teach any longer. At the end all students express their respect to Mr. Keating by standing on their tables shouting: "O Captain! My Captain! (Kleinbaum, 1989).

2.4.

The Study of Sound Devices of Poetry According to Gustaf Sitepu (2006) in his research Analisis Strata Norma

Terhadap Kumpulan Puisi Nostalgi = Transendensi Karya Toeti Heraty, poetry can be analyzed by using Ingardens Strata. Those strata are Lapis Bunyi (Sound Stratum), Lapis Arti (Unit of Meaning), Lapis Objek, Lapis Dunia, and Lapis Metafisis. Moreover, Sitepu analyzes several important elements in the poetry. In his research about the sound, Sitepu (2006) almost completely analyzes all of the poetrys element. However, his analysis is too general. For the sound elements or devices, Sitepu only mentions few important sound devices, which are euphony, cacophony, klansymbolic, and klanmetaphor. His research about the sound devices has weakness for there are many more important sound devices can be analyzed.

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CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1.

Population and Sample The objects of the research are the poems contained in the novel Dead

Poets Society. The population of the study is all poems in the novel Dead Poet Society. The sample of the study is focused and limited to poems written by popular English poets. They are: 1. A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. 2. Sonnet XVIII by William Shakespeare. 3. She Walks In Beauty by Lord Byron. 4. Excerpt from Ulysses by Alfred Lord Tennyson. 5. The Prophet by Abraham Cowley. 6. To the Virgins, Make Much of Time by Robert Herrick. 7. The Ballad of William Bloat by Raymond Calvert.

3.2.

Data Collection This research is conducted by using descriptive method. According to

Asserts (1979), descriptive study is research involving the collection of data for the purpose of describing existing condition. The data collection is conducted is sequence ways as follows: 1. Reading the novel Dead Poets Society. 2. Collecting the poems in the novel.

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3. Sorting the poems based on the poets; English poets and American poets. 4. Specifying the poems written by English poets as the sample of the research. 5. Conducting literary research in the library in order to find references relating to theory of poetry, especially the theory of poetic devices. 6. Browsing on the internet to get more references about the poetic devices in poetry. 7. Examining the poetic devices of the poems and focusing on the sound devices.

3.3

Sample of Data There are several samples of the data as follows: 1. Sonnet XVIII by William Shakespeare Shall I compare thee to a summers day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summers lease hath all too short a date:

(rhyme ABAB)

2. She Walks In Beauty by Lord Byron Of cloudless climes and starry skies; (consonance s)

3. The Prophet by Abraham Cowley Teach me to Love? go teach thy self more wit; (alliteration t)

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3.4.

Data Analysis The data in this research are analyzed by described all the English poems

based on the sound devices. The collected data are then elaborated using the methods as follows: 1. Sorting and categorizing the sound devices found in the poems. 2. Describing each sound device of the poems. 3. Interpreting the sound devices based on the hints found in the poems. 4. Calculating the sound devices based on the category. 5. Concluding the research based on the sound devices found most on the whole of the poems.