This study aims to identify and analyze the forms and functions of phonological and morphological deviations in Iwan Simatupang’s Ziarah Malam poetry collection. The study employs a qualitative descriptive method with a stylistic approach. The data consist of linguistic forms, particularly words and other textual units, that deviate from conventional Indonesian linguistic forms. Data were collected through intensive reading and note-taking and were analyzed through identification, classification, contextual interpretation, and description. The findings reveal 9 instances of phonological deviation, consisting of 7 cases of phoneme omission and 2 cases of phoneme substitution. Phonological deviations contribute to rhythm, rhyme, sound harmony, and colloquial effects. Meanwhile, 26 instances of morphological deviation were identified, consisting of 14 neologisms, 5 suffix omissions, 4 prefix omissions, and 3 reduplication omissions. Morphological deviations demonstrate the poet’s creative manipulation of conventional word-formation processes and contribute to linguistic compression, rhythmic effects, semantic nuance, and stylistic originality. The findings indicate that phonological and morphological deviations in Ziarah Malam function not merely as departures from standard Indonesian but as deliberate stylistic strategies that enhance the aesthetic and expressive qualities of the poems. Thus, the creative manipulation of sound patterns and morphological structures constitutes an important feature of Iwan Simatupang’s poetic language.
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