Analyzing the Role of Conceptual Mechanisms in the Metaphorical Creativity of Sohrab Sepehri’s Poetry: A Cognitive Conceptual Model

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics, Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Farhangian University, Ahvaz, Iran.

Abstract

Abstract: Metaphorical creativity and cognitive poetics are key topics in cognitive linguistic theories, particularly in the frameworks proposed by Lakoff and Turner (1989). From a cognitive perspective, metaphorical creativity in poetry is the result of the poet’s skillful use of conceptual mechanisms such as questioning, complexity, conceptual blending, and conceptual elaboration. The primary aim of this study is to investigate metaphorical creativity in Sohrab Sepehri’s poetry through a cognitive analysis of the application of these conceptual devices. To this end, a corpus of 200 samples from Sepehri’s poems, drawn from his eight poetry collections, was compiled, categorized, and selected as the basis for analysis. The research method is qualitative and grounded in content analysis. In the first phase, selected poems were analyzed with a focus on the targeted conceptual mechanisms, and conceptual metaphors were identified. These metaphors were then examined and categorized in terms of structure and variety in metaphorical creativity. The findings indicate that Sepehri employs the aforementioned conceptual devices creatively and skillfully in the construction of metaphors. Based on the data analysis, conceptual blending showed the highest frequency in Sepehri’s metaphorical creativity, followed by conceptual elaboration and complexity with moderate frequency, while questioning appeared with the lowest frequency. The results also suggest that Sepehri used these devices both independently and, in some cases, in combination to generate novel and original metaphors.

Keywords

References

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Journal Of Linguistic and Rhetorical Studies
Volume 16, Issue 42
In Progress
December 2025
Pages 233-274

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