A STYLISTIC ANALYSIS OF FIGURES OF SPEECH IN THE TEXTBOOK ENTITLED PATHWAY TO ENGLISH FOR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADE XI PROGRAM PEMINATAN

Abstract

This research aimed to (1) identify the most frequent type of figures of speech appeared in the textbook entitled Pathway to English for senior high school grade XI (program peminatan); and (2) identify the most frequent function of figures of speech employed in the textbook entitled Pathway to English for senior high school grade XI (program peminatan). This research was a descriptive study. The data were collected from the reading texts in the textbook Pathway to English for senior high school grade XI (program peminatan). The primary instrument of the research was the researcher herself and the secondary instrument was the data sheets. The researcher used the theory of Perrine’s classification of the figures of speech and its functions to analyze the data. To attain the data trustworthiness, the researcher was assisted by triangulation to check the data. The results of the data analysis showed that there were eleven types of figures of speech appeared in the textbook. They were metaphor (23 times), simile (20 times), personification (35 times), apostrophe (3 times), metonymy (2 times), synecdoche (2 times), allegory (2 times), symbol (7 times), paradox (2 times), hyperbole (15 times) and irony (5 times). The functions of figures of speech used in the textbook are to give the imaginative pleasure (36 times), to give additional imagery (50 times), to add emotional intensity (46 times), and to qualify the meaning in a brief compass (19 times). In conclusion, the most frequent type is personification. It visualizes the literal meaning in human form. Meanwhile, giving additional imagery is the most frequent function employed in the texts of the textbook entitled Pathway to English for senior high school grade XI (program peminatan). Both the most frequent type and the most frequent function were employed by the textbook author to ease the students in comprehending the texts of the textbook.

Keywords: stylistics, figures of speech, Pathway to English