Semiotic of Symbolic Mode in Interpreting Mythology in English Poetry

• Main Author: Mulyoso Mulyoso
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Association for the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language in Indonesia (TEFLIN) 2015-08-01
• Series: TEFLIN Journal
• Subjects: semiotics, symbolic mode, interpretation, myth
• Online Access: http://journal.teflin.org/index.php/journal/article/view/119

This paper is primarily based on the assumption that we need theories of literature in order to interpret the literary texts and explain literature as a unique form of communication. The so -- far traditional efforts of treating literary study as an intuitive analysis has contributed to the harsh criticism on the study of literature as merely ' the reading and understanding of literature'. Literature teaching has given too much emphasis on the enjoying and understanding of a literary piece, that is to say that merely by understanding the meaning of the language of a text, its cultural references, one is said to be in a position to respond critically to that text thus there is no need for  interpretation beyond that. Therefore, this paper is an attempt to interpret a literary text (mythology in English poetry) beyond its literal level by the use of semiotics of symbolic mode approach which allows the intratextual and intratextual analysis.