Usman Awang's Use of Comparative Language Style: A Critical Analysis of His Poems

Most studies on Usman Awang's poetry are focused on themes, while those that touch on his language are not systematic, thus creating a significant gap in the study of his poems. With its objective to fill this gap and engage further interest in Usman Awang's language usage, this paper highlights relevant issues such as identification of language style, manipulation of language used, and the effectiveness of such manipulations. The analytical framework used is Henry Guntur Tarigan's Language Style Model particularly the four language forms related to comparison namely simile, metaphor, personification and anticipation. The analysis found that all four forms are present in Usman Awang's poems. He uses old similes and creates new ones to introduce unfamiliar elements that are forceful and refreshing in order to generate new meanings for his poems. His use of metaphors allows everyday language to shed its regular meanings and absorb new ones, thereby extending its semantic reach. His use of personifications allows objects to create meanings, develop atmosphere and convey messages, as well as explore sensitive or forbidden issues. He uses anticipation's property of foreshadowing and preceding to depict present and future realities simultaneously, thereby widening his poems' reach and forcefully convey his messages. The analysis also found that Usman Awang avails himself of Malay traditional heritage to enrich his poems although the latter are modern. This article's systematic study is expected to fill the gap and engage interest in scholarly works on Usman Awang's poetry.