Into the 21st Century: Figures of Speech in the Select Prose Poems of Conchitina Cruz

This study aimed to identify and examine the figures of speech in the selected prose poems of Conchitina Cruz. Moreover, it employed a descriptive qualitative method that focuses on content analysis. The primary source of the study was ten chosen prose poems. In exploring the data, New Formalism was employed as the research paradigm and the types of figures of speech according to Laurence Perrine – by comparison, association, and contrast. Findings revealed that twenty-eight figures of speech were obtained in the study. It is also discovered that there are eight types of figures of speech in Cruz's prose poems. In comparison, eighteen (20) excerpts were determined, which yields to (71.42%). In terms of association, the data suggests that it occurs four times leading to (14.28%). With regards to contrast, it appears four times which yields to (14.28%). Thus, simile occurs five times which yields to (17.85%), metaphor occurs three times (10.71%), personification occurs nine times (32.14%) while apostrophe occurs three times (10.71%). With regards to association, synecdoche occurs three times and had garnered (10.71%), symbol occurs once (3.57%). In terms of contrast, hyperbole occurs three times (10.71%), while paradox occurs once (3.57%). Personification mostly dominates and consists of the highest frequency percentage resulting to (32.14%) and appears nine times. After analyzing the data, the findings revealed that identifying the figures of speech would help the students enhance their writing and heighten their ability to comprehend. Based on the research findings, a lesson exemplar was developed to reinforce and support teaching figures of speech.