Types of Metaphors in Ashoora Poetry Based on Cognitive Linguistics

Taking a different approach from traditional rhetoric, Cognitive linguistics examines metaphor from a new and different perspective. In the cognitive perspective, metaphors are tools for understanding which are closely associated with one’s ideology and way of thinking. The semantic relationships between the words in conceptual metaphors make the process of understanding intangible things easier. The two areas of origin and destination on which conceptual metaphors are based have a significant place in literature. The way the trigger areas are selected and the implied meanings resulting from them represent the mentality of the speakers and their way of knowing the world. In this research, the conceptual metaphors in the poems of Ashoora poets are analyzed based on the conceptual domain of Ashoora, Imam Hossein, and the semantic domains related to these concepts. Extracting and analyzing the mappings of the domain, the widely used trigger areas, ideology and dominant discourse in poems, worldview of poets and cultural constructions in relation to the chosen areas are discovered. Among the results of the research is that various trigger areas such as “religion”, “valuable jewelry”, etc. are marked with a positive meaning to describe the conceptual areas of Imam Hussein and other related concepts have been used. Implicit meanings arising from the trigger areas express meanings such as “valuability”, “sanctity”, “resistance”, “righteousness”, and “vitality”. Also, different semantic areas such as “autumn”, “demon”, “Iblis” etc. have been chosen with negative meaning for the enemies of Imam Hussain. Finally, the strengthening of the discourse of right and its confrontation with oppression and injustice can be seen in the poems.