Transitivity System Analysis of Methought I Saw My Late Espoused Saint by John Milton from Perspective of Systematic Functional Linguistics

Abstract

John Milton, a literary giant of 17th-century England, expressed his profound longing and grief for his deceased wife through dream in his work Methought I Saw My Late Espoused Saint. Systemic function-al linguistics believes that language not only creates meaning but is also shaped and influenced by con-text and culture. The school focuses on the use of language in specific contexts and emphasizes in-depth analysis of texts. This article approaches Methought I Saw My Late Espoused Saint from the perspective of systemic functional linguistics, dividing the poem into several units of meaning and conducting a detailed analysis of its transitivity processes. Through analyses, it reveals how the poem uses its unique linguistic structure to display the poet' s emotional world and his deep remembrance of his deceased wife. This method of analysis not only allows readers to appreciate the artistic charm of the poem more deeply but also experience Milton' s complex and sincere emotional expression further. Transitivity system analysis is of great significance for poetry appreciation; it uncovers the unique value of the emotional connotations of poetry from linguistic perspective, providing new angles and methods for understanding literary works.