Conceptual Metaphor: Methods of Analysis in Poetic Texts
Abstract
This study examines the role of conceptual metaphors in Uzbek poetry, focusing on the conceptualization of homeland, friendship, and world. Drawing on cognitive-linguistic frameworks, particularly the theory of conceptual metaphor (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980) and conceptual integration theory (Fauconnier & Turner, 2002), it investigates how abstract concepts are structured through mappings from concrete experiential domains. The analysis identifies source and target domains, classifies metaphors into structural, orientational, and ontological types, and explores their semantic, cognitive, cultural, and emotional dimensions. Frame-slot structures are applied to model metaphorical cognition systematically. The findings demonstrate that metaphors function as a cognitive mechanism for conceptualizing abstract thought, mediating both linguistic expression and cultural consciousness, and facilitating the organization of human experience and emotion in poetry.