STYLISTIC ANALYSIS OF SELF-REDISCOVERY IN DEREK WALCOTT’S LOVE AFTER LOVE

Abstract

This study examines Derek Walcott’s Love After Love (1976) to understand how the poem represents self-rediscovery and emotional restoration. The main issue addressed is how poetic language reveals the estrangement and later reintegration of the self. The objective of the study is to analyze the stylistic features of the poem, particularly foregrounding, metaphor, imagery, and syntactic patterns, to explain how Walcott communicates the theme of self-love and identity. The study uses a qualitative stylistic analysis as its method and applies foregrounding theory as the theoretical framework (Leech, 1969; Leech & Short, 2007). The analytical tools include the examination of lexical choices, syntactic structures, metaphor, and imagery through a line-by-line textual analysis. The findings show that imperative expressions, mirror imagery, and metaphors such as “the stranger who was your Self” highlight the process of psychological reconciliation and self-acceptance. The study contributes to stylistic and literary studies by demonstrating how Walcott’s poetic language constructs themes of identity and emotional healing. The novelty of the research lies in applying foregrounding-based stylistic analysis to reveal the poem’s deeper psychological and postcolonial dimensions.