A TIKTOK-REVIVED CLASSIC: FOREGROUNDING IN BONNIE TYLER’S TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26740/jcnds.v2i1.57480Keywords:
foregrounding theory, stylistic analysisAbstract
Driven by its viral TikTok revival, Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 power ballad "Total Eclipse of the Heart" has captivated a new generation of listeners, yet its verbal text remains underexplored within formal literary frameworks. This qualitative study utilizes Leech’s (1969) framework of foregrounding to analyze the song's intrinsic linguistic structures, examining how they systematically construct thematic meaning and evoke intense emotional resonance. A rigorous, line-by-line stylistic analysis reveals that the lyrics rely on a sophisticated interplay of linguistic deviations and structural parallelisms. Deviations at morphological, syntactic, semantic, and discourse levels such as cosmic metaphors and grammatical ellipses mirror the narrator's progressive emotional unraveling and powerlessness. Concurrently, phonological, lexical, syntactic, and antithetical parallelisms, particularly cyclic repetition, structurally trap the speaker in an inescapable loop of grief and rising panic. Ultimately, this study validates pop culture lyrics as rich sites of literary inquiry, translating subjective musical impressions into concrete linguistic data that explains the enduring aesthetic gravity of vintage tracks.
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