Unlocking Themes through Figurative Language: A Stylistic Analysis of Maki Kureishi’s Cripple and Curfew Summer

Abstract

This study examines the use of figurative language in Maki Kureishi's two selected poems, Cripple and Curfew Summer. The research aims to investigate how Kureishi uses various literary devices to convey complex emotions and ideas, especially related to the themes of both poems. This study is based on qualitative method that finds out what figures of speech are used in both poems by applying stylistic techniques in it. This analysis interprets these devices and how they act in supporting and enhancing the overall purpose of the texts. The material for this research is collected from the original text of the poems, and also from other resources, including scholarly articles, books, and literary critiques. The analysis of poems through close reading helps in highlighting the figurative language, and how it pursues the reader towards comprehension of the poem’s themes more effectively. In this analysis, major figures of speech are explored such as metaphor, personification, symbolism, and imagery. In the results, Kureishi's employment of figurative language is central to her poetic style. For example, in Cripple, she uses elements such as metaphor and imagery to examine themes of social isolation and personal resilience. Whereas In Curfew Summer, the use of personification and symbolism highlights the tensions and anxieties faced by people during the time of crisis. The research concludes that personification and metaphor are prominent devices in these poems. It emphasizes the importance of figurative language in uncovering the key themes in Kureishi’s poetry and develops the reader's connection to the experiences described in the poems.