Character Building on Figurative Language in the Lyrics of Maher Zain’s Songs

By Firdausi

Character building is the way to build mental and ethical traits marking a person or personality.  Character or personality of someone is based on formation from the society. The best way to shape personality is an education by inserting educational personality in the teaching and learning process. The government has the commitment for shaping character of Indonesian student as follows: character and culture is a part of national education, developing comprehensively character and culture as a cultural process, revitalization of national character (Mustofa, 2014, p. 56).

Figurative language is a language incorporating the speaker’s desire, to touch the emotions, to cause shock, and to persuade into action (Peter, 2002, p. 12). By using figurative language to induce parallel thoughts and feelings in others, the speaker can create a sense of persuasion in his speech. In other words, figurative language is a device that a speaker transfers his or her ideas or thoughts into audience minds. Thus, the speaker can persuade the audiences to agree with his or her ideas or phrase which is used for special effects and which does not have its usual or literal meaning (Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics, 1985). Broadly defined, a figurative language is another style of saying something than the ordinary style.

Figurative language is the kind of stylistics. Figurative language is usually used when someone says or writes something in creating the multiple meanings.  It is strengthened by Peter who said that when we describe someone’s manner of writing, speaking, or performing, we may say “she writes a vigorous style” or “she started off in fine style” (Verdonk, 2002, p. 03).

Language is not limited merely in spoken; it can also be expressed in written form. Spoken and written languages are commonly used by people as a mean of communication (Fitriyah, 2008, p. 15). Spoken language is an utterance in the form of sound, for example; conversation, speech, discussion, radio, television broadcast and song. The written language is an utterance in written form that can be found in poetry, lyrics, magazine, journal books, newspapers, letter, etc. Here, I as a researcher would like to discuss the songs as my subject of study. A song is a spoken language accompanied by music which becomes an entertainment for the society. However, this song should be understood and learned by the listeners especially for students because the songs virtually contains messages and implied meaning in the real life. (Yule, 1996, p. 47) stated that when people produced an utterance, the perform an action via that utterance. Speech acts concentrate on the utterances or sentence to perform an act aimed by the speaker. Sometimes, people sing a song without knowing the aims of song. Meanwhile, there should be aims and perposes of the song. So, researcher analyzes the song using character building values and figurative language to know the aims of the song itself.

Song is one of spoken language which is accompanied by music and lyrics. Song is a language who uses by society to express his idea or feeling. A lyric is a set of words that make up the song. It usually consists of verses. It is one of the belles-letters that the uses figure of speech or figurative language such as metaphor, simile, synecdoche, hyperbole, puns, personification, etc. Figurative language is a language which incorporates the speaker’s desire, to touch the emotions, to cause shock, and to persuade into action (Verdonk, 2002, p. 12). The figurative language is used to give multiple meaning than simple word which is commonly used in the lyrics of songs and is also used in the prose and the nonfiction writing as well.

Figurative language

Figurative language is a language which incorporates the speaker’s desire, to touch the emotions, to cause shock, and to persuade into action (Verdonk, 2002, p. 12). By using figurative language to induce parallel thoughts and feelings in others, the speaker can create a sense of persuasion in his speech. In other words, figurative language is a device that a speaker transfers his or her ideas or thoughts into audience minds. Thus, the speaker can persuade the audiences to agree with his or her ideas or phrase which is used for special effects and which does not have its usual or literal meaning (Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics, 1985). Broadly defined, a figurative language is another style of saying something than the ordinary style.

Figurative language is the kind of stylistics. Figurative language is usually used when someone says or writes something in creating the multiple meanings.  It is strengthened by Peter who said that when we describe someone’s manner of writing, speaking, or performing, we may say “she writes a vigorous style” or “she started off in fine style” (Verdonk, 2002, p. 03).

Character building

Character building is the way to build mental person to be better in some personality aspect such as how to love his or her country, respect the difference etc. Indonesia has many problems in criminality such as racism, ethnic war, corruption, rape, etc. So, the researcher believes that teaching a character building education for young generation can solve the problems above.  Character as personality of someone is based on formation from the society. The best way to conduct personality is an education by inserting educational personality in a teaching learning. The national education commitments for conducting character of Indonesian student are follows: character and culture is a part of national education, developing comprehensively character and culture as a cultural process, revitalization of national character (Mustofa, 2014, p. 56).

It is stated in our educational constitution that National Education System (Pasal 3 UU Sisdiknas) has the commitments   for conducting that a smart, prestige nation that the functions of them are conducting a religious, good attitude, healthy, capable, creative, autonomous, and responsible people (Pengembangan Pendidikan Buadaya dan Karakter Bangsa : 2). The Indonesian government expected to have a good educational system to develop the Indonesian people, especially for young generation. The Education system not only develops the intellectual but also the moral aspect. The main point of education system is intellectual and moral aspects to develop Indonesian better (Mustofa, 2014, p. 57).

Base on book of Pengembangan Pendidikan Buadaya dan Karakter Bangsa that there are eighteen character building: Religious, honest, tolerant, disciplined, hard-working, creative, independent, democratic, curious, nationalistic, patriotic, sportive and respectful, inclusive and communicative, peace-loving, studious, caring and compassion, empathic, and responsible.

Analysis Figurative Language on Maher Zain’s Song

      1.     Metaphor

There are two types of metaphor which are found in the song lyrics. The first, metaphor is used to compare two things without using the connection words “like”, “as” and “resemble”. The second, metaphor is commonly used in all form of linguistic expressions – in spoken as well as written language, and in all genres of written language, whether they are fictions, heterography, scientific formulation or legal discourse. From sixteen data, the researcher finds four data of metaphors. For example, the words “darkness” and “light” are classified into metaphor because the meaning of darkness is interpreted as immorality and the meaning of light is equated to the morality in all religions in the world. The character building values of the sentences above is a religious values because the history of prophet Muhammad that Mecca people prayed to many Gods, killed his or her female baby and considered that black people as a slave. And then, the Prophet Muhammad guided everyone in Mecca to pray for one God, to not kill the female baby, and to not enslave the people. So, we got a religious value in this datum where Prophet Muhammad brings us to the light era.

      2.     Simile

The researcher identifies one datum in song lyrics which belongs to simile. It is classified into simile because it compares two things unlike but it has the same essence. This kind of figurative language is used to describe that the bombs and rockets like the rain in the day. The word “like” is key word of simile. The value of the datum above is the nationalistic and patriotic values. A nationalistic message the datum is shows our love to fight for people will take our motherland but all of the acts are not happened without patriotic soul. The datum descripts the truth of the incident in Middle East. The incident here is a war that happens between Palestine and Israel. It describes the bomb attack which defeats the people and destroys the city of Gaza. So, this datum asks the reader and listener of the song to love his or her country and fight for freedom of his country.

      3.     Hyperbole

The researcher finds this kind of hyperbole in data 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Here, the song creator uses it to emphasize the statement containing an exaggeration. The use of it is to exaggerate an event more than the fact. Then, the hearers could be convinced through the depiction of the word itself. There are some values found in hyperbola data, they are empathy, religious, and peace loving.

      4.     Personification

The researcher finds one datum which belongs to personification such as in the datum 11 “I hear the flowers kind crying loud”.  It is characterized into personification because the song creator gives a human attribute. It is used to make listener feels the things alive. There are two values in this datum that the first is a peace-loving and the second is Nationalistic. The setting of place in this datum is that woman is considered as a creator of God who is beautiful as flower, and has the tender heart. It also describes about the woman who is crying because of war.  So, a peace-loving value is the important thing in this life. And the second is a nationalistic value. Belongs to explanation above is happened because people in the country is not united to fight or attack the people who take her or his motherland. So, it is a really important message for young generation of Indonesia to stand for our motherland.

      5.     Metonymy

The researcher finds two data metonymy such as the word “The messenger” and “Allahuakbar”  in datum twelve which is closely related to someone who is chosen by God. The value of the datum is religious value. There are some key words which indicate Islamic song “the one”, “Allah”, and “Allahuakbar”.  The word “the one” means only one God, the word “Allah” is the name of Moslem’s God, and the last word “Allahuakbar” means the greatest of Allah. Those words represent Moslem’s praises for their God. Every Moslem believes that God always guides, watches, blesses, loves us (Moslem). Therefore Moslems never worry about the life problem since they believe that God promises He will always be with them. The researcher concludes that the song creator uses metonymy to give another description of the discussed object.

       6.     Litotes

The researcher finds two data which belong to litotes. The utterances in datum 14 “there is only small planet” is an ironical understatement in which an affirmative is negating its opposite. The researcher believes that the song creator uses it to get the feeling of sympathy from the listener and be aware about situation. There are many values in this datum the first is nationalistic, patriotic, responsibility, empathy and peace-loving.

      7.     Irony

The last type of figurative language is an irony; the researcher finds only one datum of irony. The song creator uses it in order to get the people’s awareness and empathy to the victims of the war, since this irony is found in “Palestine will be free” song.  For instance, the utterance “what happened to our human right?” is a kind of ironical question where the concept of universal declaration of human right does not employ in Palestinian. The datum above belongs to responsibility value. It is a responsibility for everyone in the world who let Palestinian people die in his or her country because of an Israel attacking.

 Analysis Character Building Values on Figurative Language in the Maher Zain’s Song

1.     Religious

The researcher found religious values in metaphor, hyperbola and metonymy. All of religious values in the data above talk about a praise of Prophet Muhammad. There are some key words which indicate Islamic song “the one”, “Allah”, and “Allahuakbar”.  The word “the one” means only one God, the word “Allah” is the name of Moslem’s God, and the last word “Allahuakbar” means the greatest of Allah. Those words represent Moslem’s praises for their God. Every Moslem believes that God always guides, watches, blesses, loves us (Moslem). Therefore Moslems never worry about the life problem since they believe that God promises He will always be with them. So, religious really important thing for young generation of Indonesia to be better in the next their future because the basic value is religious value learning us about honest, curious, inclusive-communicative, caring comparison, studious, independent, and democratic.

 2.     Nationalistic

The researcher got the nationalistic value in simile datum. The message of simile datum is how Palestinians people love his country, event, the bombs attack which defeats the people and destroys the city of Gaza such as their homes, Mosques, schools, and family. Palestinians still fight for freedom of their motherland. So, this value asks the reader and listener especially for students to love his or her country and fight for freedom of his country.

 3.     Peace loving

Some values of peace loving are found in maherzaeins lyrics. It depicts the war situation such what happen to Israel and Palestine now. The lyrics implicitly tells us to keep each other relationship to have peaceful life in this world.  Besides knowing the figurative language of the lyrics, it also gives the message that can be taught to the students that fighting is a bad habit, and it will break their relationship to the friends. The peace loving values in the lyrics could be corralated to Islamic values. Moreover teacher can explain some other situations to persuade the students.

 4.     Empathetic

For most the lyrics that are sung by Maher Zein is telling about islamic value in which we have to help each other. For this case teacher can explain the student that we are neighbor, who also need each other. Some of the kindness of Prophet Muhammad is explained in the lyrics that can be an example for the students to have an empathy feeling to the other people, such as how the rich should help and share their happiness to the poor

 5.     Patriotic

From the lyrics there is merely one datum that contains patriotic value. The datum that contains the value of patriotic relates to nationalistic value. This is still telling about the war that happens between Palestine and Israel. From education side, the teacher can build students patriotic character by telling and conveying the meaning of the lyrics. The suffer of a child in the lyric of his country war will fire students spirit to keep and love their country and at the end it will contribute to their nationalism of the country.

 6.     Responsibility

In the last datum, it is telling about the responsibility of peaceful world. The lyric depits how that people die and suffer because of war . It also describes how ones care to other people problem. by reading the lyrics and understand the meaning, teacher can teach their student to build the feeling of responsibility such as from the small thing, when they see their friends fighting, that is their responsibility to separate the fighters and when they see their friend is sick that is their responsibility to taking care.