Abstract
Flowers are among God's amazing creations in the mortal world. There are a variety of flowers in the Malay world, such as the hibiscus, various types of jasmine and the lotus. These flowers are recorded in old Malay texts. Therefore, this paper examines flowers in traditional or classical Malay literature as elements employed, mentioned or used metaphorically for a specific purpose, which clearly shows the wisdom of the Malays of old. The methodology employed for this study was library research as well as textual analysis to analyse relevant data. A conceptual framework related to literary aesthetics was used as the basis of the study. The study finds that in Malay texts, flowers are used for both their figurative and literal meanings. This study is important in demonstrating the ingenuity of the Malays.
Highlights
Studies of old more analysis reveals that the term “Melayu” (Malay) literary texts have shown that they were created by people who were very much influenced by nature
The conceptual framework used was that of aesthetics in order to understand how flowers were used by the Malays to function as symbols and metaphors, as decorative elements and in religious and cultural ceremonies
The six lines of Syair Dang Sirat fulfil this aspect of aesthetics as outlined by both Muhammad and Braginsky, that is, the stanza is complete with a regular rhyme scheme and arrangement of words, and it objectively depicts the character of the princess of the king of Pattani by making use of the lotus flower symbolism
Summary
Studies of old Malay literary texts have shown that they were created by people who were very much influenced by nature. The conceptual framework used was that of aesthetics in order to understand how flowers were used by the Malays to function as symbols and metaphors, as decorative elements and in religious and cultural ceremonies. According to Muhammad (2002a: 135), the symbolic use of elements of nature is what give Malay literature its unique identity.
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