THE MEANING OF GRASS IN CARL SANDBURG’S POEM “GRASS”

Abstract

The poem Grass by Carl Sandburg becomes the main source that is analyzed since the poem has a hidden message behind its title. The present study investigated the general meaning of the poem and to explain the meaning of grass as the symbol that represents the connection between the nature and human beings. Therefore, in analyzing those problems, the writer uses the semiotic and Socio-historical approach since the problems fits to it. This approach brings the theory of semiotics to get the meaning and symbols of grass in the poem and socio-historical approach to get the historical background related to the poem. The writer concludes that the poem has a very important hidden message behind its title Grass. The result of this analysis indicates that the word grass has various meanings. Grass is not merely a simple plant that grows covering the land but it also represents the connection between the nature and the human beings. As the speaker in the poem, grass represents as a cover for the horrible wounds of the history of the past and it is also as the commentary of the svorld's forgetfulness of the horrors of war and destruction.