Cognitive Semantic Analysis of the Conceptual Metaphor "Heart" in Shams Tabrizi's Ghazals Based on Lakoff and Johnson's Theory

Abstract

The conceptual metaphor theory in cognitive linguistics, emphasizing the perspectives of George Lakoff and Mark Johnson (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980), demonstrates that abstract concepts are structured through the lens of concrete, sensory, and embodied experiences, with language serving as a reflection of these cognitive processes. Within this framework, Persian poetry offers exceptional potential for revealing the mental and emotional mechanisms of humans. This study focuses on Shams Tabrizi’s ghazals to examine the conceptual metaphors of “heart” and endeavors to clarify how internal experiences and abstract concepts become concretized in poetic language. In this context, the metaphorical representations of “heart” as a mechanism for organizing human perception, emotion, and experience within the poetic text are analyzed. The research methodology employs a mixed approach combining quantitative and qualitative methods. In the quantitative phase, verses related to the concept of “heart” were extracted and categorized, while in the qualitative phase, key examples were analyzed using a descriptive-analytical approach to uncover patterns of conceptual mapping formation. The findings indicate that the concept of “heart” in Shams Tabrizi’s ghazals possesses a dynamic and multi-layered structure, with metaphors organized into three categories: structural, directional, and ontological. The research contribution underscores that conceptual metaphors play a fundamental role in meaning construction and the transmission of embodied experiences in Shams Tabrizi’s poetry, providing a clear perspective for a deeper understanding of the poet’s mental world.