A SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS ON WILLIAM WORDSWORTH’S SELECTED SONNETS

Abstract

This thesis analyses the written literary text of William Wordsworth’s three sonnets: “Westminster Bridge”, “The World Is Too Much with Us” and “To Sleep”. This analysis concerns with Systemic Functional Linguistics which is proposed by M.A.K. Halliday and Semiotic System of Verbal Art Theory that is proposed by Ruqaiya Hasan. The problems of this thesis deal with two main dimensions, they are how to find subject matter, the deep level of meaning, the deeper level of meaning and the deepest level of meaning; and how to acquire a better comprehension of the selected sonnets. This thesis uses library research to find out the concepts relevant to the theoretical framework of the research. The type of data used in this study is qualitative data which is used to obtain the verbal descriptions in the three sonnets. In analyzing the sonnets, the writer uses the descriptive method to analyze semantics (ideational, interpersonal and textual meanings), lexical cohesion and subject matter. The foregrounded patterns create meanings in terms of the semiotic system of verbal art. The consistency of foregrounding makes the foregrounded patterns produce consistently foregrounded meaning which is called the deep level of meaning. The deep level of meaning functions as a sign, symbol, or metaphor of the deeper level of meaning. Then, the deeper level of meaning creates the deepest level of meaning of the selected sonnets.