DISSECTING DIVINE AND GRIEF DISCOURSE IN BULLAH SHAH'S 'MY NEIGHBOR FRIEND BREATHING HIS LAST'!

Abstract

This research used Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to analyze Baba Bullah Shah's moving poem "My Neighbor Friend Breathing His Last," specifically looking at how the poem influences readers' views on death, bereavement, and religion. The study utilized Teun van Dijk's (1985, 1989) sociocognitive paradigm, which highlighted the interaction between linguistic usage, social power relations, and mental models. This research applied critical discourse analysis (CDA) concepts to the poem in order to analyze how its language triggers certain mental models in the readers. Using CDA and van Dijk's framework, better understand the poem's power to make us feel complicated emotions and make us more compassionate when we think about people's losses. This analysis was based on A.R. Luther's English translation of the poem. This analysis delves deeper than a literal reading of the poem to consider how the poet subtly but effectively challenges preconceived notions about death and grieving through the use of words. This research examined Shah's use of imagery and metaphors to see how they shape readers' perceptions of death and mourning practices, as well as their feelings and attitudes about these topics. The language of the poem was analyzed to reveal its effect on the human experience of loss, transience, and mourning. These mental models are aided by Shah's linguistic choices, which include his depiction of grief, reliance on God, and melancholy. It is intriguing to consider how the poem might question societal standards by highlighting the effect of death on human emotions and how it affects everyone. This could make people uncomfortable with the concept of being stoic when faced with grief. Findings showed that deeper meaning is uncovered by dissecting the words. Because it showed how language impacts our knowledge of death and grief, the poem discreetly nudges readers to rethink their current views on these topics. Consequently, this critical study helps shed light on Bullah Shah's poetry in a more complex way.