1. Introduction
One of Li-Young Lee's poems, entitled “Water” is very unique and interesting to analyze. Poetry as an object of criticism is often analyzed by using the method of New Criticism. However, in this paper, I would like to approach the intrinsic aspect by using Greimas structuralism, especially his actantial model to analyze actions, and Freytag's pyramid to analyze the plot structure of the poem.
2. Object of Analysis
Water
The sound of 36 pines side by side surrounding
The yard and swaying all night like individual hymns is the sound
Of water, which is the oldest sound,
The first sound we forgot.
At the ocean
my brother stands in water
to his knees, his chest bare, hard, his arms
thick and muscular. He is no swimmer.
In water
My sister is no longer
lonely. Her right leg is crooked and smaller
than her left, but she swims straight.
Her whole body is a glimmering fish.
Water is my father’s life-sign.
Son of water who’ll die by water.
the element which rules his life shall take it.
After being told so by a wise man in Shantung.
after almost drowning twice,
he avoided water. But the sign of water
is flowing sign, going where its children go.
Water has invaded my father’s
heart, swollen, heavy,
twice as large. Bloated
liver. Bloated legs.
The feet have become balloons.
A respirator mask makes him look
like a diver. When I lay my face
against his – the sound of water
returning.
The sound of washing
is the sound of sighing,
is the only sound
as I wash my father’s feet –
those lonely twins
who have forgotten one another –
one by one in warm water
I tested with my wrist.
In soapy water
they’re two dumb fish
whose eyes close in a filmy dream.
I dry, then powder them
with talc rising in clouds
like dust lifting
behind jeeps, a truck where he sat
bleeding through his socks.
1949, he’s 30 years old,
His toenails pulled out,
His toes beaten a beautiful
Violet that reminds him
of Hunan, barely morning
in the yard, and where
he walked, the grass springing back
damp and green.
The sound of rain
outlives us. I listen,
someone is whispering.
Tonight, it’s water
the curtains resemble, water
drumming on the steel cellar door, water
we crossed to come to America,
water I’ll cross to go back,
water which will kill my father.
The sac of water we live in.
3. Theoretical References
Based on Propp's theories, Greimas proposed the actantial model. Theoretically, the actantial model can be applied to analyze any real or thematic action, but particularly those depicted in literary texts or images. In the actantial model, an action may be broken down into six components, called actants. Actantial analysis consists of assigning each element of the action being described to the various actantial classes. According to Louis Hebert, the six actants are divided into three oppositions, each of which forms an axis of the description:
1. The axis of desire: (1) subject / (2) object. The subject is what is directed toward an object. The relationship established between the subject and the object is called a junction, and can be further classified as a conjunction or a disjunction.
2. The axis of power: (3) helper / (4) opponent. The helper assists in achieving the desired junction between the subject and object; the opponent hinders the same.
3. The axis of transmission: (5) sender / (6) receiver. The sender is the element requesting the establishment of the junction between subject and object. The receiver is the element for which the quest is being undertaken.
Compare to his French version:
It is important to paraphrase the given poem to identify its sequence to analyze the narrative structure of “Water”.
1. The sound of 36 pines side by side surrounding the yard and swaying all night like individual hymns is the sound of water, which is the oldest sound, the first sound we forgot.
2. (a) At the ocean my brother stands in water to his knees, his chest bare, hard, his arms thick and muscular. He is no swimmer. (b) In water my sister is no longer lonely. Her right leg is crooked and smaller than her left, but she swims straight. Her whole body is a glimmering fish.
3. (a) Water is my father’s life-sign. Son of water who’ll die by water, the element which rules his life shall take it. After being told so by a wise man in Shantung, after almost drowning twice, he avoided water. But the sign of water is flowing sign, going where its children go. (b) Water has invaded my father’s heart, swollen, heavy, twice as large. Bloated liver. Bloated legs. The feet have become balloons. A respirator mask makes him look like a diver. When I lay my face against his – the sound of water returning.
4. (a) The sound of washing is the sound of sighing, is the only sound as I wash my father’s feet – those lonely twins who have forgotten one another – one by one in warm water I tested with my wrist. In soapy water they’re two dumb fish whose eyes close in a filmy dream. (b) I dry, then powder them with talc rising in clouds like dust lifting behind jeeps, a truck where he sat bleeding through his socks. 1949, he’s 30 years old, his toenails pulled out, his toes beaten a beautiful violet that reminds him of Hunan, barely morning in the yard, and where he walked, the grass springing back damp and green.
5. The sound of rain outlives us. I listen someone is whispering. Tonight, it’s water the curtains resemble, water drumming on the steel cellar door, water we crossed to come to America, water I’ll cross to go back, water which will kill my father. The sac of water we live in.
5. Actantial Analysis
After paraphrasing the above poem, I would like to analyze it by using Greimas structuralism to to analyze the actions of the poem. Then, based on the actions, I would like to use Feytag's pyramid to analyze the plot structure of the poem.
The senders of the poem are Sound of pines, Ocean, Wise man, Invading water, Washing water, Powder, and Someone. The receivers are Us, His brother, His sister, and His father. The collective receiver “us” refers to the combination of the narrator and the narratee. The receiver “us” ocures in action 1 and action 5. The helpers of the poem are Wind, Brother's body, Sister's left leg, Avoiding water, Respirator mask, Soapy water, Talc, and Lively water. The opponents are Swimming disability, Her lonely, Sound of water, Drowning water, Deadly water, Forgotten memory, Repressed memory, and Traumatic memory.
In line with Freytag's pyramid, the exposition is action 1, the rising action is action 2 a and b, the climax is action 3 a and b, the falling action is action 4 a and b, and the conclusion is action 5.
Based on functional transformation, the beginning situation is action 1, the transformational situation is action2, 3 and 4, and the ending situation is action 5. That is to say that the inciting moment of the poem lays in the first action, and the moment of last suspense lays in the last action.
6. Conclusion
The poem written by an Asian American poet Li-Young Lee has a complex structure. By using Greimasian structuralism, especially his actantial model, the poem can be analyze structurally to schematize its actions. Then, Freytag's pyramid can be applied to analyze the plot structure of the poem.
Based on the actantial model, the poem has actants that can be classified to human and non-human characters. The human actants are I the narrator, his brother, his sister, his father, we the narrator-narratee, wise man, someone, and memory. The non-human actants are water, ocean, wind, sound, and talc. Each actant has its own class and its own role as subject/object, helper/opponent, or sender/receiver.
In the axis of desire, the relation between subject and object can be divided into three categories. The first is conjunction between subject and object as expressed in his brother's and sister's relationship to water. The second is disjunction between subject and object as expressed in his father's relationship to water. The third is the combination of conjunction and disjunction—I would like to call it “adjunction”—as expressed in the moment of last suspense that the relationship between we the subject and water the object can be deadly or lively.
In the axis of power, the relation between helper and opponent can be classified into human and non-human actants. The human helpers are his brother's body and his sister's left leg; and the non-human helpers are wind, avoiding water, respirator mask, soapy water, talc, and lively water. The human opponents are his brother's swimming disability, his sister's right leg, forgotten memory, repressed memory, and traumatic memory. The non-human opponents are drowning water, sound of water, and deadly water. The function of the axis of power is to help or to oppose the axis of desire.
In the axis of transmission, the relation between sender and receiver can be classified into human and non-human actants. The human senders are wise man and someone. The non-human senders are sound of pines, ocean, invading water, washing water, and powder. The human receivers are us as the narrator-narratee, his brother, his sister, and his father. The function of the axis of transmission is to initiate and establish the axis of desire.
Based on Freytag's pyramid, the exposition of the poem is action 1, its rising action is action 2 a and b, its climax is action 3 a and b, its falling action is action 4 a and b, and its conclusion is action 5. Based on functional transformation, the beginning situation of the poem is action 1, its transformational situation is action 2, 3 and 4, and its ending situation is action 5. That is to say that the inciting moment of the poem lays in the first action and the moment of last suspense lays in the last action. Finally, it is important to quote the last line, “The sac of water we live in.”
References
Hébert, Louis. 2006, “ The Actantial Model ”, in Louis Hébert (dir.), Signo [on-line], Rimouski (Quebec), http://www.signosemio.com
Wardoyo, Subur Laksmono. 2004. A Road Map into Literary Research Method. In Cahyono and Widiati, eds., The Tapestry of English Language Teaching and Learning. Malang: State University of Malang.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramatic_structure
http://www.signosemio.com/greimas/actantiel.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Criticism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structuralism
http://www.revue-texto.net/Inedits/Broden_Evolution.html
One of Li-Young Lee's poems, entitled “Water” is very unique and interesting to analyze. Poetry as an object of criticism is often analyzed by using the method of New Criticism. However, in this paper, I would like to approach the intrinsic aspect by using Greimas structuralism, especially his actantial model to analyze actions, and Freytag's pyramid to analyze the plot structure of the poem.
2. Object of Analysis
Water
The sound of 36 pines side by side surrounding
The yard and swaying all night like individual hymns is the sound
Of water, which is the oldest sound,
The first sound we forgot.
At the ocean
my brother stands in water
to his knees, his chest bare, hard, his arms
thick and muscular. He is no swimmer.
In water
My sister is no longer
lonely. Her right leg is crooked and smaller
than her left, but she swims straight.
Her whole body is a glimmering fish.
Water is my father’s life-sign.
Son of water who’ll die by water.
the element which rules his life shall take it.
After being told so by a wise man in Shantung.
after almost drowning twice,
he avoided water. But the sign of water
is flowing sign, going where its children go.
Water has invaded my father’s
heart, swollen, heavy,
twice as large. Bloated
liver. Bloated legs.
The feet have become balloons.
A respirator mask makes him look
like a diver. When I lay my face
against his – the sound of water
returning.
The sound of washing
is the sound of sighing,
is the only sound
as I wash my father’s feet –
those lonely twins
who have forgotten one another –
one by one in warm water
I tested with my wrist.
In soapy water
they’re two dumb fish
whose eyes close in a filmy dream.
I dry, then powder them
with talc rising in clouds
like dust lifting
behind jeeps, a truck where he sat
bleeding through his socks.
1949, he’s 30 years old,
His toenails pulled out,
His toes beaten a beautiful
Violet that reminds him
of Hunan, barely morning
in the yard, and where
he walked, the grass springing back
damp and green.
The sound of rain
outlives us. I listen,
someone is whispering.
Tonight, it’s water
the curtains resemble, water
drumming on the steel cellar door, water
we crossed to come to America,
water I’ll cross to go back,
water which will kill my father.
The sac of water we live in.
3. Theoretical References
Based on Propp's theories, Greimas proposed the actantial model. Theoretically, the actantial model can be applied to analyze any real or thematic action, but particularly those depicted in literary texts or images. In the actantial model, an action may be broken down into six components, called actants. Actantial analysis consists of assigning each element of the action being described to the various actantial classes. According to Louis Hebert, the six actants are divided into three oppositions, each of which forms an axis of the description:
1. The axis of desire: (1) subject / (2) object. The subject is what is directed toward an object. The relationship established between the subject and the object is called a junction, and can be further classified as a conjunction or a disjunction.
2. The axis of power: (3) helper / (4) opponent. The helper assists in achieving the desired junction between the subject and object; the opponent hinders the same.
3. The axis of transmission: (5) sender / (6) receiver. The sender is the element requesting the establishment of the junction between subject and object. The receiver is the element for which the quest is being undertaken.
Compare to his French version:
Les six actants sont regroupés en trois oppositions formant chacune un axe de la description: Axe du vouloir: (1) sujet / (2) objet. Le sujet est ce qui est orienté vers un objet. La relation établie entre le sujet et l’objet s’appelle jonction. Selon que l’objet est conjoint au sujet (par exemple, le prince veut la princesse) ou lui est disjoint (par exemple, un meurtrier réussit à se débarrasser du corps de sa victime), on parlera, respectivement, de conjonction et de disjonction. Axe du pouvoir: (3) adjuvant / (4) opposant. L'adjuvant aide à la réalisation de la jonction souhaitée entre le sujet et l’objet, l'opposant y nuit (par exemple, l'épée, le cheval, le courage, le sage aident le prince; la sorcière, le dragon, le château lointain, la peur lui nuisent). Axe du savoir: (5) destinateur / (6) destinataire. Le destinateur est ce qui demande que la jonction entre le sujet et l’objet soit établie (par exemple, le roi demande au prince de sauver la princesse). Le destinataire est ce pour qui la quête est réalisée. En simplifiant, interprétons le destinataire (ou destinataire-bénéficiaire) comme ce qui bénéficiera de la réalisation de la jonction entre le sujet et l’objet (par exemple, le roi, le royaume, la princesse, le prince, etc.). Les éléments destinateurs se retrouvent souvent aussi destinataires.The conceptual network is generally depicted as a diagram. The actantial model represented as a square in original version.
And the following is the English version.
Destinateur -------> Objet -------> Destinataire Adjuvant -------> Sujet <------- Opposant
4. Sequential Analysis
Sender -------> Object -------> Receiver Helper -------> Subject <------- Opponent
It is important to paraphrase the given poem to identify its sequence to analyze the narrative structure of “Water”.
1. The sound of 36 pines side by side surrounding the yard and swaying all night like individual hymns is the sound of water, which is the oldest sound, the first sound we forgot.
2. (a) At the ocean my brother stands in water to his knees, his chest bare, hard, his arms thick and muscular. He is no swimmer. (b) In water my sister is no longer lonely. Her right leg is crooked and smaller than her left, but she swims straight. Her whole body is a glimmering fish.
3. (a) Water is my father’s life-sign. Son of water who’ll die by water, the element which rules his life shall take it. After being told so by a wise man in Shantung, after almost drowning twice, he avoided water. But the sign of water is flowing sign, going where its children go. (b) Water has invaded my father’s heart, swollen, heavy, twice as large. Bloated liver. Bloated legs. The feet have become balloons. A respirator mask makes him look like a diver. When I lay my face against his – the sound of water returning.
4. (a) The sound of washing is the sound of sighing, is the only sound as I wash my father’s feet – those lonely twins who have forgotten one another – one by one in warm water I tested with my wrist. In soapy water they’re two dumb fish whose eyes close in a filmy dream. (b) I dry, then powder them with talc rising in clouds like dust lifting behind jeeps, a truck where he sat bleeding through his socks. 1949, he’s 30 years old, his toenails pulled out, his toes beaten a beautiful violet that reminds him of Hunan, barely morning in the yard, and where he walked, the grass springing back damp and green.
5. The sound of rain outlives us. I listen someone is whispering. Tonight, it’s water the curtains resemble, water drumming on the steel cellar door, water we crossed to come to America, water I’ll cross to go back, water which will kill my father. The sac of water we live in.
5. Actantial Analysis
After paraphrasing the above poem, I would like to analyze it by using Greimas structuralism to to analyze the actions of the poem. Then, based on the actions, I would like to use Feytag's pyramid to analyze the plot structure of the poem.
According to Freytag, a drama is divided into five parts, or acts: exposition, rising action, climax (or turning point), falling action, dénouement (comedy) or catastrophe (tragedy). The exposition provides the background information needed to properly understand the story, such as the protagonist, the antagonist, the basic conflict, and the setting. During rising action, the basic conflict is complicated by the introduction of related secondary conflicts, including various obstacles that frustrate the protagonist’s attempt to reach their goal. The third act is that of the climax, or turning point, which marks a change, for the better or the worse, in the protagonist’s affairs. During the falling action, the conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist unravels, with the protagonist winning or losing against the antagonist. The comedy ends with a dénouement (a conclusion) in which the protagonist is better off than at the story’s outset. The tragedy ends with a catastrophe in which the protagonist is worse off than at the beginning of the narrative. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramatic_structureAction 1.
Action 2 a.
Sound of pines -------> Sound of water -------> Us Wind -------> We <------- Forgotten Memory
Action 2 b.
Ocean -------> Water -------> His Brother His body -------> Brother <------- Swimming disability
Action 3 a.
Ocean -------> Water -------> His sister Her left leg -------> Sister <------- Her lonely
Action 3 b.
Wise man -------> Sign of water -------> His father Avoiding water -------> Father <------- Drowning water
Action 4 a.
Invading water -------> Deadly water -------> His father's body Respirator mask -------> Father <------- Sound of water
Action 4 b.
Washing -------> Father's feet -------> His father Soapy water -------> I <------- Repressed memory
Action 5.
Powdering -------> Father's feet -------> His father Talc -------> I <------- Traumatic memory
The subjects of the poem are We, Brother, Sister, Father, and I the narrator. The the collective subject “we” is the combination of the narrator and the narratee. The subject “we” ocures in action 1 and action 5. The objects are Water (Sound of water, Sign of water, Deadly water) and Father's feet.
Someone -------> Water -------> Us Lively water -------> We <------- Deadly water
The senders of the poem are Sound of pines, Ocean, Wise man, Invading water, Washing water, Powder, and Someone. The receivers are Us, His brother, His sister, and His father. The collective receiver “us” refers to the combination of the narrator and the narratee. The receiver “us” ocures in action 1 and action 5. The helpers of the poem are Wind, Brother's body, Sister's left leg, Avoiding water, Respirator mask, Soapy water, Talc, and Lively water. The opponents are Swimming disability, Her lonely, Sound of water, Drowning water, Deadly water, Forgotten memory, Repressed memory, and Traumatic memory.
In line with Freytag's pyramid, the exposition is action 1, the rising action is action 2 a and b, the climax is action 3 a and b, the falling action is action 4 a and b, and the conclusion is action 5.
Based on functional transformation, the beginning situation is action 1, the transformational situation is action2, 3 and 4, and the ending situation is action 5. That is to say that the inciting moment of the poem lays in the first action, and the moment of last suspense lays in the last action.
6. Conclusion
The poem written by an Asian American poet Li-Young Lee has a complex structure. By using Greimasian structuralism, especially his actantial model, the poem can be analyze structurally to schematize its actions. Then, Freytag's pyramid can be applied to analyze the plot structure of the poem.
Based on the actantial model, the poem has actants that can be classified to human and non-human characters. The human actants are I the narrator, his brother, his sister, his father, we the narrator-narratee, wise man, someone, and memory. The non-human actants are water, ocean, wind, sound, and talc. Each actant has its own class and its own role as subject/object, helper/opponent, or sender/receiver.
In the axis of desire, the relation between subject and object can be divided into three categories. The first is conjunction between subject and object as expressed in his brother's and sister's relationship to water. The second is disjunction between subject and object as expressed in his father's relationship to water. The third is the combination of conjunction and disjunction—I would like to call it “adjunction”—as expressed in the moment of last suspense that the relationship between we the subject and water the object can be deadly or lively.
In the axis of power, the relation between helper and opponent can be classified into human and non-human actants. The human helpers are his brother's body and his sister's left leg; and the non-human helpers are wind, avoiding water, respirator mask, soapy water, talc, and lively water. The human opponents are his brother's swimming disability, his sister's right leg, forgotten memory, repressed memory, and traumatic memory. The non-human opponents are drowning water, sound of water, and deadly water. The function of the axis of power is to help or to oppose the axis of desire.
In the axis of transmission, the relation between sender and receiver can be classified into human and non-human actants. The human senders are wise man and someone. The non-human senders are sound of pines, ocean, invading water, washing water, and powder. The human receivers are us as the narrator-narratee, his brother, his sister, and his father. The function of the axis of transmission is to initiate and establish the axis of desire.
Based on Freytag's pyramid, the exposition of the poem is action 1, its rising action is action 2 a and b, its climax is action 3 a and b, its falling action is action 4 a and b, and its conclusion is action 5. Based on functional transformation, the beginning situation of the poem is action 1, its transformational situation is action 2, 3 and 4, and its ending situation is action 5. That is to say that the inciting moment of the poem lays in the first action and the moment of last suspense lays in the last action. Finally, it is important to quote the last line, “The sac of water we live in.”
References
Hébert, Louis. 2006, “ The Actantial Model ”, in Louis Hébert (dir.), Signo [on-line], Rimouski (Quebec), http://www.signosemio.com
Wardoyo, Subur Laksmono. 2004. A Road Map into Literary Research Method. In Cahyono and Widiati, eds., The Tapestry of English Language Teaching and Learning. Malang: State University of Malang.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramatic_structure
http://www.signosemio.com/greimas/actantiel.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Criticism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structuralism
http://www.revue-texto.net/Inedits/Broden_Evolution.html
