The Trace of Modernism on O, Dear’s Ilham Zoebazary more

The Trace of Modernism on O, Dear¶s Ilham Zoebazary 1. Introduction This poetry entitled O, Dear uses metaphor on representing its idea. From the first, we will get some information that this poetry develops naturalistic genre. It can be proven from the word to build the setting, such butterflies, leaf, rainbow, morning dew or the cloudy sky. It conveys an enchantment about the beauty of nature or it also can be a longing on the real condition of human life, something natural. It can be understood that for the last five decades, people begin to question about the progress in the world. In fact, although technology and industry grow fast, it also emerges side effect on ecology. The voice of green world sounded by some groups, even countries to make revolution on the way of life by the slogan ³back to nature´ is rising in our life. The idea of this huge movement is the symbol of rejecting modernism where the position culture is higher than nature. A little voice from this poetry is simple example of parade on enchantments, when human being do not feel interesting to nature- Weber calls this as disenchantment. The issue of ecology is brought by the poetry as if it conveys the rejecting of modernism, but it is still maintain the principle of modernism in some aspects. Therefore, this paper tends to analyze the trace of modernism in the poetry by using Barthesian semiotic. How the poetry is still using modernism principle although it conveys a lot about natural enchantment. 2. The Trace of Modernism in O, Dear The self image of modernism is the promise of progressivity and the pale of tradition. This is the world of social progress and the development of industry and technology. But modernism is also signed to the world war, the poverty, or natural destruction. Weber (in Ageval, 2005:87) said that the condition of modernity brought a good effect on the development of human being, but also took them into new darkness. On literature, modernism emerges on the mid of 19century, the task of modern literature is to find expression tools that are used to catch ³inner reality´ in the world (Eagleton in Potocco, 2009). Some literary men such Eliot, Kafka or Joyce tends to give in deeper meaning and myth. They consider that there is a single force of reality that constructs the appearance. Barthes is one of philosophers that criticize the concept of reality. His argument is influenced a lot by Ferdinand de Saussure about language. Barthes argues that meaning increases from the real sign to single sign with multiple meaning. Connotative brings the expressive values from sintagmatic to paradigmatic. When connotative is naturalized as something hegemonic, it accepts as something normal. It acts as conceptual map where the people comprehend his world. It is myth. Myth is cultural construction, but it seems as universal truth. Orr (2005) said that myth then as well as ideology, it works on sign area. In the sign, it will form a sign or symbol, a word is symbol from an existing concept at the opposite of word "The sign that make up language are not abstractions but real objects." (Saussure, 1977:353). The opinion given by Saussure in course in general linguistic : ³I Propose to retain the word (signe) to designate the whole and to replace concept and sound-image respectively by signified (signifie) and signifier (signifiant); the last two terms have the advantage of indicating the opposition that separates them from each other and from the whole of which they are parts´ (Saussure,1977:251) This concept is adopted by Barthes to develop his theory; he adds ³sign´ as symbol of language and reality. Now, we look at this poetry: The beauty of nature (sign) Cherry blossom (signifier) flowing wine, butterflies, morning dew (signified) This concept considers that there is a single meaning of reality, where´ certainty´ is the most important thing in modernism. Meaning is still deemed as the constant one, or mathematically, it is still considering that 1+1= 2, this is Comteian paradigm. Something doubtful, if it is used social reality, even natural reality. Tjapra also argues that natural experts nowadays does not comprehend that in nature, there is a deterministic relation in its process. They only say that all occurrences in the world are only probabilities. Therefore, without flowing wine, butterflies, morning dew, it is still possible to get cherry blossom or even beauty of nature, all of the phenomenon are plural. ³A´ cannot cause ³B´ and vice versa, something ³Z´ or ³Y´ can cause ³A´ or ³B´, there is no single cause such on the last stanza in this poetry: O, dear How will get the rainbow If we have no cloudy sky? In this poetry is still considering on single deterministic cause. Cloudy sky =rainbow, this is the characteristic of modernism; Derrida (Orr, 2005) said that modernism regard reality as a mixing of archia (source) and telos (purpose). Cloudy sky here is single cause for rainbow, it does not comprehend that the cause is plural, and there must be sun, intensity of the light, the rain, the position of the sun and another ³ X factor´ that cannot reduce on single factor. According to Barthes (1972:55), this reality will be The Myth; it works by naturalizing a particular interpretation of individual characteristic historically. Therefore, myth makes a certain world view looks like undebateble one because it looks very normal or is caused by God¶s destiny. Myth gives historical desire of a natural justification and makes some occurrence looking an eternal one. It uses second signifier to construct the meaning of sign; it can be seen as the table below: Rainbow 1.signifier Rainbow is caused by cloudy sky 2.signified 3. Sign Signifier I : 4. Signified II : The beauty of Rainbow is an evidence Rainbow is the symbol of of enchantment beauty. 5. Sign III The beauty of Rainbow as a symbol of nature is cloudy sky. If there is no cloudy sky, there will be no rainbow. The Cloudy sky becomes a myth that it only one thing can give the rainbow, there is no another factor outside this cause. This is a characteristic of modernism. Another side conceiving this poetry still involved in modernism principle is the position of the Cloudy sky that is to be guidance such Becket¶s waiting for Godot. In his drama, Estragon and Vladimir hang his life to Godot, he considers that there is a guidance outside himself to be the savior. This condition is called by Derrida as Logocentrism, modernism always holds ³certainty´ or Nietzsche calls this a New God such progressivity ,technology ,or consciousness. In this poetry the guidance is the cloudy sky, the rainbow hangs his condition to something outside, it will be deterministic thing and the only thing can help the rainbow. This is the portrait of modernism, where the subject hangs to an assurance. He feels can do nothing without the source, he feels worried if living is something without guidance. 3. Conclusion This poetry is conveying about the enchantment on nature- an act to appreciate natural world. In modern era, people tend to leave nature; they consider that nature is just something to develop human life. Nature is the second hand of the culture. Actually, this poetry is an evidence of rejecting modernism that does not regard well, but it is still saving the trace of modernism in some cases such trapping on logocentrism, deterministic reality, and essentialism- the certainty of a meaning. Reference : Agevall, Ola. 2005. The Max Weber dictionary: key words and central concepts. Stanford University Press. Barker, chriss.2000.cultural studies: theory and practice. London: Sage publication Barthes, Roland.1972.Mythologies.trans,Jonathan cape.New York: the Noonday press. Orr, Leonard. ³Modernism and the Issue of Periodization´. Purdue: Volume 7 Issue 1 (March 2005) Article 3. Saussure, Ferdinand.1977. Course in General Linguistics. Trans, W. Baskin. Glasgow: Fontana/Collins.