AN ANALYSIS OF DENOTATIVE AND CONNOTATIVE MEANING IN THE SONG " I SEE THE LIGHT" BY MANDY MOORE AND ZACHARY LEVI

Abstract

This paper investigates how denotative and connotative meanings are constructed in "I See the Light" by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, from Disney's Tangled. It examines linguistic and semantic features conveying literal and affective states, focusing on how lexical choices, syntactic structures, and contextual cues contribute to the shift from isolation to connection in the lyrics. The study also explores how the interplay of denotation and connotation supports the song's narrative of romantic realization. Using a qualitative semantic approach, this study applies componential analysis and semantic mapping to the lyrics, supplemented by contextual information about the film's narrative and the song's reception. The lyrics were analyzed in two stages: a line-by-line semantic classification into denotative and connotative categories, followed by a discourse-level analysis of meaning shifts across structural units (verse, chorus, bridge). The results reveal three dominant meaning clusters: (1) literal perception, marked by visual and sensory verbs (e.g., see, light, glow); (2) emotional awakening, conveyed through imagery of color, navigation, and contrast between past blindness and present clarity; and (3) romantic unity, expressed through first-person plural pronouns. Lexical items such as light carry both denotative [+illumination] and connotative features [+hope, +love, +knowledge]. The study concludes that "I See the Light" achieves emotional resonance through the systematic interaction of denotative grounding, connotative expansion, and narrative progression. Implications for lyric analysis and semantic pedagogy are discussed.