Investigating Diction of Altruism and Heroism in Sudanese and American Modern Poetry

Abstract

This study investigated the similarities and differences that exist between the American and Sudanese poetry of altruism and heroism in terms of its dictional levels, description, and devices. The study assumes that The Sudanese and American poetry of altruism and heroism use various literary devices, diversified diction types, and levels. This research used descriptive-analytical and descriptive correlational methods to investigate the diction of altruistic and heroic poetry of the Sudanese and American modern poetic productions. The population of this study involves Sudanese and American poetry of altruism and heroism. However, the study used a stratified random sampling procedure to choose the sample of the study, which consisted is consisted of sixty poems, stanzas, and extracts. This study concluded that the two types of poetry rely heavily on the literary device of the metaphor. The device of metonymy is more important in the Sudanese poetry of altruism and heroism than its American equivalent. The American poetry of altruism and heroism has superiority over its Sudanese counterpart in using the devices of personification, synecdoche, hyperbole, allusion, and apostrophe. There is an unsubstantial lead for the Sudanese poetry of altruism and heroism over its American in the use of antithesis device. The literary device of simile plays a moderate role in both American and Sudanese poetry of altruism and heroism. The literary device of pun does not play a mentionable role in the American and Sudanese poetry of heroism and altruism. Likewise, the results indicate that pretentious and laudatory dictions dominate the two types of poetry. The American poetry of heroism is more detached than Sudanese poetry. Although the American poetry of heroism is more moralistic than the Sudanese is, it is less emotional in contrast to Sudanese poetry. Moreover, the American and Sudanese poems of heroism equally tend to be passionate in a lesser number of poems. Furthermore, the American poetry of Altruism and heroism beside its Sudanese counterpart reflect diversified diction types with various proportions. The American and Sudanese poetry of altruism and heroism do not display a big variation in the use of different levels of diction, even though both of them tend to use high and low level dictions comparing to using the neutral-level diction.