Meaning making poetry: Words alone are certain good

Abstract

The focus of this linguistic investigation is on the poetry of Edwin Thumboo, which has contributed much to the shaping and definition of Singapore's English language poetic canon. A systemic-functional approach is adopted for analysing several of Thumboo's poems, including "gods can die", "David", and "Conjunction", examining the poet's technique, or, as in the poet's own words, "the chiseling of Language, the rearranging of language, the sound, the rhythm, the tautness, the layering". Linguistic analysis of Edwin Thumboo's poetry reveals an imagery projected through the poet's technique, in combination with metaphorical allusions to science, theology, mythology, and even numerology. Each of his poems is a highly textured, grammatically intricate work of art with multiple layers of meaning and metaphor.