Hope at the Height of Covid-19 Crisis in Hendrick’s Poem: A Pragmatic Study

Abstract

Though defining literariness is problematic, literary works are definitely known for making special use of language. Their main aim is to convey certain messages. In relation to pragmatics, the implied messages in literary works are shaped and interpreted by the collaborative utilization of pragmatic notions, such as relevance theory and others, by both writers and readers. Concerning poems, literary devices play a central role in the processes of their writing and interpreting. Hendrick , a priest and a poet, has had a message of hope to convey by a piece of literature, his “lockdown” poem. The intended message for him is to give hope on the current issue of COVID-19. COVID-19 is one of the highly effective global disasters of the age. It has made people depressed and hopeless. For its unprecedented fame and influence on people, the poem is chosen for investigation. Also, though it is possible that readers generally may fail in interpreting literary works, it seems that people could reach the intentions of the poet successfully and, thus, react deeply to it. The study, therefore, aims at showing the poetic effect of Hendrick’s poem and how the audience could reach the intended meaning. It investigates how the pragmatic theory of relevance contributes in shaping messages and directing people to grasp them. The study also tries to raise the awareness of people on the different literary devices that convey implied meaning and contribute in guiding readers to grasp the optimal relevant interpretation of literary works.