This document discusses types of language deviation that occur in Thomas Hardy's poem "The Ruined Maid". It identifies five types of deviation: lexical, grammatical, graphological, semantic, and historical. Specific examples of each type of deviation are provided from lines in the poem, such as the invented word "megrims" (lexical), omitting a verb (grammatical), unusual spellings (graphological), ambiguous meanings (semantic), and archaic words (historical). The document concludes that deviation is common in poems due to poets' creative license to bend language rules for artistic purposes.

1. DEVIATION IN THOMAS HARDY POEM
“THE RUNIED MAID”
Presented by Babar Ali (Reg No: UW-19-ENG-BS-022)

2. Deviation:
◦ Language deviation, means the use of language that does not follow the ordinary
rules of the language use.In writing a poem, every poet has a poetic license to gain
the beautiful poem even it creates language deviation.poetic license is the freedom to
change the normal rules of language.
◦ This poetic license creates the deviation of the language that usually occurs in a poem.
◦ These are lexical deviation, grammatical deviation, graphological deviation, semantic
deviation, and historical deviation.

3. 1 . Lexical Deviation:
◦ As Leech(1968) points out poem, neologism or the invention of the new ‘words’ is one of the
more obvious ways in which a poet may exceed the normal resources of the language It is
misleading to suggest that neologism is a ‘violation of the lexical rule’. So, we can conclude that
lexical deviation is the invention of new word by the author in the term of vocabulary.
◦ Lexical Deviation in poem :
◦ lexical deviation in the poem entitled The Ruined Maid by Thomas Hardy is occurred in Line 19. The Line
19 is as follow. “To know not of megrims or melancho-ly!” (Line 19)
◦ The word ‘megrims’ in Line 19 is regarding as the lexical deviation since it is an invention of a new word
by the author. The word is not state in dictionary. It becomes the author’s word which means ‘morbid
low spirit’.

4. 2. Grammatical Deviation:
◦ Leech (1968) states the types of grammatical deviation can be drawn between morphology and syntax. In
morphological deviation, it will analyze from the grammar of the word. While, the syntactical deviation is
more about the grammar of how words pattern with sentences.
◦ Grammatical Deviation in poem “ The Runied Maid”.
◦ The use of verb in sentence.
◦ The Line 13 is as follow.
◦ – “Your hands were like paws then, your face blue and bleak”. (Line 13)
◦ The bold words ‘your face blue and bleak’ in Line 13 above is the grammatical deviation. It does
not use ‘verb’. As a good correct sentence, it should add to be ‘is’. The correct sentence is ‘…,
your face is blue and bleak’.

5. 3. Graphological Deviation:
◦ Graphological deviation is deviation on the form of word, especially in spelling. According to Leech
(1968), to the extent that spelling represents pronunciation, any strangeness of pronunciation will be
reflected by strangeness of written form. But there is also a kind of graphological deviation which
need have no counterpart in speech. It is the characteristic line by line arrangement of poetry on the
printed page, with irregular right-hand margins.
◦ Graphological deviation in the poem entitled The Ruined Maid by Thomas Hardy are as follow.
◦ Graphological deviation in the word can be seen in Line 3,
◦ And whence such far garment. Such prosperi-ty?” – (Line 3)
◦ The correct word of the word for word prosperit-ty is word “prosperity”.
◦ And your little gloves fit as on any la-dy!”
◦ The correct word of the word for word la-dy is word “lady”.

6. 4. Semantic Deviation:
◦ Semantic deviation is the deviation of meaning. It means that the meaning of the word, phrase,
or sentence is ambiguous. It is also reasonable to interpret ‘semantic deviation’ into ‘non-sense’
or ‘absurdity’ (Leech, 1968). In poetry, transference of meaning is the process whereby literal
absurdity leads the mind to comprehension on a figurative term. It will be the characteristic of a
poem.
◦ Deviation in poem “ The Runied Maid”.
◦ Semantic Deviation is found in Line 17. The Line 17 is as follow
◦ – “You used to call home-life a hag-ridden dream”, Line 17
◦ The word ‘home-life’ in Line 17 is supposed to become the semantic deviation since there is a
double meaning in the word. The denotative and connotative meaning can distinguish in the
word. The denotative meaning of the word ‘home-life’ in Line 17 is life in a home, life with
family. The connotative meaning of the word ‘home-life’ in Line 17 is better life.

7. 5. Historical Deviation:
◦ Deviation of the historical period is a language deviation form that takes using archaic words.
Poetry or literary text, in general, should use the terms commonly used in its time. If the poetry
uses the words of the past, it means experiencing a historical deviation.
◦ Deviation in poem “ The Runied Maid”.
◦ Historical Deviation found in line 9
◦ “At home in the barton you said ‘thee’ and ‘thou’”.
◦ The word ‘thee’ in Line 9 is the archaic word of ‘you’. The word ‘thou’ in Line 9 is the archaic
word of ‘you’.

8. Conclusion:
◦ Deviation is commonly occurred in a poem. It happened since a poet has the poetic license to
create the beautiful poem which may be ignore the ordinary rule in making a word, phrase, or
even sentence.In Thomas Hardy’s poem The Ruined Maid there are five language deviations
which is occurred.
◦ THANK YOU .......