MEANING CONSTRUCTION PATTERNS IN EFL STUDENTS’ RESPONSES TO ROSSETTI’S WHO HAS SEEN THE WIND?

Abstract

This study examines how English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students construct meaning while interpreting Christina Rossetti’s poem "Who Has Seen the Wind?" Students were asked to give a written response to the poem, which later became the data source. This study employed a qualitative research design through the lens of Rosenblatt’s Reader-Response Theory (RRT). The collected data, students’ written interpretations of the poem, were then analyzed thematically by identifying, categorizing, and interpreting emerging themes. To illustrate patterns of meaning construction in students’ responses, the research findings are presented descriptively. The findings reveal three patterns of meaning construction: (1) the sensorial pattern– students interpret the wind considering its physical effects on nature; (2) the relational pattern– students connect the wind with personal experiences and emotional states; and (3) the reflective pattern– students develop broader philosophical interpretations of the poem. Transactions between textual cues and students’ personal experiences, emotions, and backgrounds were indicated through these patterns. The overall findings highlight the role of individual responses and personal associations in literary interpretation as well as demonstrate the relevance of Reader-Response Theory to EFL literature instruction.