زبان کاوی کاربردی (Aug 2024)
Conceptual Metaphors in Badr Shakir al-Sayyab\'s Poetry Based on Lakoff and Johnson\'s Theory [In Persian]
Abstract
A significant theory concerning metaphor is that of George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, introduced in their seminal 1980 work "Metaphors We Live By." This theory asserts that through experience and perception, one concept can be represented within another; this relationship is based on correspondences between two sets that create a conceptual mapping. According to Lakoff's framework, metaphors are fundamentally about mapping. This research employs a descriptive-analytical approach to categorize conceptual metaphors associated with life themes such as city, oppression, wealth, freedom, homeland, love, nature, and death within Badr Shakir al-Sayyab's poetry. The analysis reveals that the poet effectively uses this metaphorical device to subtly articulate his underlying thoughts in a way that resonates with his audience. From his philosophical viewpoint, he envisions a content form encapsulated within both physical and mental dimensions where each element serves to complement and validate the other. The interplay between ontological metaphors and mental imagery allows him to express his thoughts through personification and objectification techniques aimed at clarifying his intended meanings via recognition. This expressive method is positioned after structural metaphors in selected passages. Al-Sayyab identifies patterns such as spirit and sun as having an upward trajectory; he suggests that the spirit ascends post-mortem while viewing the sun—symbolic of divinity—as necessitating an upward movement. Conversely, patterns with negative connotations represented by terms like bondage, blood, wine, bullet, and darkness indicate a downward trajectory that conveys adverse philosophical themes. These directional movements can shift from above to below or vice versa. In Badr Shakir al-Sayyab's poetry, philosophical themes predominantly reflect either an upward or downward orientation. Notably, "death" emerges as one of the most frequently occurring concepts among others in his work, with abstract ideas of journeying and life being associated with this notion.
