SEMANTIC DEVIATION IN WILLIAM BLAKE’S “AH, SUNFLOWER.”: A STYLISTIC ANALYSIS

Abstract

The primary aim of the study is to investigate William Blake’s poem “AH, SUNFLOWER.” through the level of semantic deviation in the theory of foregrounding. This study focuses on how, through figurative devices such as metaphor, personification, and symbols, the semantic deviation employs different and hidden meanings of the text.  Through the use of metaphor, the theme of loyalty and consistency, adoration and devotion, and natural beauty and youth is conveyed. Through the use of personification, the meanings of measuring time, a reminder of the passage of time, the connection between god and humanity, and natural creativity are uncovered. The use of symbols employs the concepts of a place of peace, paradise and heaven, romantic past, death of a young girl, purity and innocence, emotional numbness, place of isolation, cycle of life, and spirituality. William Blake’s poem “AH, SUNFLOWER.” may further be analysed through different tools, such as the Fairclough three-dimensional model and the Text-world theory.