IMAGERY AND DICTION OF

JACK GILBERT “ALONE”

By : Vanny Putri Nur R

Abstract

In this presentation, the author tried to analyze

“Alone” by Jack Gilbert. The purpose of this writing is

to analyze the diction and imagery of Alone. The kinds

of diction that will be discussed in this study are

connotation and denotation. There are seven types of

imagery, but the writer will focused in analysing

visual, kinesthetic and auditory imagery.

Keywords: Imagery, Diction, Jack Gilbert, Alone

1. Introduction

1.1 According to X.J. Kennedy in Literature: An Introduction to Fiction,

Poetry, and Drama (1979:411), “Poetry appeals to the mind and arouses

feelings. Poetry may state facts, but, more important, it makes

imaginative statements that we may value even if its facts are

incorrect.”

1.2 By analyzing the poem, the readers can know the real meaning of

the poem, so the readers can feel the experience of the poem.

1.3 Analyzing poetry is an activity to understand what the meaning of

the poem is. The writers choose to analyze Jack Gilbert’s Alone and

focus on the diction and imagery.

2. Poet’s bio

Jack Gilbert was born on February 18, 1925 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was educated in Pittsburgh and San Francisco, where he later participated in Jack Spicer’s famous “Poetry as Magic” Workshop at San Francisco State College in 1957. His first book, Views of Jeopardy (Yale University Press, 1962) won the Yale Younger Poets Series and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Soon after publishing his first book, Gilbert received a Guggenheim Fellowship and subsequently moved abroad, living in England, Denmark, and Greece.

3. Theory and methods3.1 Diction

According to C. Hugh Holman in A Handbook to Literature (1939: 134), “Denotation is the specific, exact meaning of a word, independent of its emotional coloration or association”Connotation is the cluster of implication that words or phrases may carry with them, as distinguished from their denotative meanings (Holman, 1939: 105).

3.2 Imagery Imagery may be defined as the representation

through language of sense experience. Poetry indirectly appeals to our senses through imagery (Sound and Sense, 38).

4. Research ObjectThe objects of research are sorted into a material and formal object. Material object in this study is Jack Gilbert’s Alone poem and the formal object of this research is the intrinsic elements that is used in this poem. 

AloneBy Jack Gilbert

I never thought Michiko would come back after she died.

But if she did, I knew it would be as a lady in a long white dress.

It is strange that she has returned as somebody's dalmation.

I meet the man walking her on a leash almost every week.

He says good morning and I stoop down to calm her.

He said once that she was never like that with other people.

Sometimes she is tethered on their lawn when I go by.

If nobody is around, I sit on the grass.

When she finally quiets,

She puts her head in my lap

and we watch each other's eyes as I whisper in her soft ears.

She cares nothing about the mystery.

She likes it best when

I touch her head and tell her small things about my days and our friends.

That makes her happy the way it always did.

ParaphraseAlone by Jack Gilbert is a poem about loneliness.

Alone tells about the author’s distrustful toward Michiko, a woman that once always be him, and she come back, not for the author, but come back as somebody else’s wife. In this poem, Michiko seem to regret her decision, because she feel that her husband is too strict to her. Her freedom is bounded by her husband and she did not like it. 

5. Analysis5.1 Analysis TextualVisual ImageryLine 1

After she diedIn line 1, there is a word “died”. That can serve as both connotation and denotation. First, in denotation, the word “died” can be explained to stop living or existing, either suddenly or slowly. Second, in connotation, the word “died” can be interpreted as leave the author and stay with someone else.

Line 2It would be as a lady in a long white dress

In line 3, there are words “a lady in a long white dress”. That can serve as both connotation and denotation. First, in connotation, the word “a lady in a long white dress” expressed that Michiko is a bride. While in denotation, these words expressed that Michiko only wears a long white dress

Line 7

Sometimes she is tethered on their lawn

 

A word “tethered” here represent visual imagery. In this poem, Jack Gilbert tells that Michiko is always accompanied by her husband and she felt that she is being watched all the time. this made her feel restrained like she is being tethered by her husband.

Line 11

We watch each other's eyes

A word “watch” here represent visual imagery because Jack Gilbert make the reader imagine that Jack Gilbert and Michiko watch each other’s eyes.

Kinesthetic ImageryLine 4

I meet the man walking her on a leashThis line uses kinesthetic imagery, because ‘walking’ is a movement. In this poem, the word “walking” make the reader imagine the man walking with Michiko.

Line 10She put her head in my lap

This line uses kinesthetic imagery, because “put” is a movement. In this poem, the word “put” make the reader imagine that Michiko put her head in Jack Gilbert’s lap.

Line 14I touch her head

This line uses kinesthetic imagery, because “touch” is a movement. In this poem, the word “touch” make the reader imagine that Jack Gilbert touch Michiko’s head .

Auditory ImageryLine 5

He says good morningA word “says” here represent auditory imagery. In this poem, Jack Gilbert tells that he (Michiko’s husband) says good morning so it means that he produces a sound” and make the reader imagine that he says good morning to Jack Gilbert.

Line 6He said once that she was never like that with other peopleThis line uses auditory imagery. Because the word said encourage the reader to imagine when he said that it is strange for Michiko to like a new people, without knowing that Gilbert and Michiko was a lover back then.

Line 11I whisper in her soft ears

A word “whisper” here represent auditory imagery. In this poem, Jack Gilbert tells the reader that he whisper softly in Michiko’s ear.

5.1.2 Diction Denotation and ConnotationLine 1

After she diedIn line 1, there is a word “died”. That can serve as both connotation and denotation. First, in denotation, the word “died” can be explained to stop living or existing, either suddenly or slowly. Second, in connotation, the word “died” can be interpreted as leave the author and stay with someone else.

Line 2It would be as a lady in a long white dress

In line 2, there are words “a lady in a long white dress”. That can serve as both connotation and denotation. First, in connotation, the word “a lady in a long white dress” expressed that Michiko is a bride. While in denotation, these words expressed that Michiko only wears a long white dress.

Line 4The man walking her on a leash

In line 4, there is a word “leash”. That can serve as both connotation and denotation . First, in connotation, the word “leash” has the meaning of marriage, because when someone is married he or she loose their freedom to spend it time with friends. Second, in denotation, the word “leash” is mainly us for lead (animal).

Line 10Sometimes she is tethered

In line 10, there is a word “tethered” That can serve as both connotation and denotation . First, in connotation, the word “tethered” has the meaning that the women, Michiko is always accompanied by her husband and she felt that she is being watched all the time. This made her feel restrained. Second, in denotation, the word “tethered” has the meaning having no strength or patience left.

Line 11On their lawn when I go by

In line 11, there is a word “lawn” that can serve as denotation. In denotation, the word “lawn” means an area of grass, especially near to a house or in a park, which is cut regularly to keep it short.

 

6. ConclusionAlone by Jack Gilbert is a poem about loneliness. Alone tells about the author’s distrustful toward Michiko, a woman that once always be him, and she come back, not for the author, but come back as somebody else’s wife. In this poem, Michiko seem to regret her decision, because she feel that her husband is too strict to her. Her freedom is bounded by her husband and she did not like it. 

As for literary element, Jack Gilbert uses imagery and diction, including connotation and denotation to explain more of his intention in describes his feeling. He uses word alone to represent his feeling that makes Jack Gilbert fells lonely. That connotation explains he saw a beautiful lady in a long white dress it means that the author saw the women who ever he loved. Jack Gilbert also uses imagery in his poem so that the reader can feely imagine the situation he wrote in the poem. Jack Gilbert uses three kinds of imagery; they are visual, kinesthetic and auditory.

References

http://www.frostfriends.org/imagery.html

https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/jack-glbert

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/251070

http://literarydevices.net/imagery/

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/jack-gilbert