Metaphorical Extension in Īhām-e-Tanāsob as the Dominant Stylistic Feature in Hāfiz’ Poetry: A Lexical Semantic Analysis within a Cognitive Approach

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Asistant Professor of Persian Language and Literature, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

10.22075/jlrs.2025.36913.2615

Abstract

This study examines the role of metaphorical extension in īhām-tanāsob (almost close to associative pun) as a dominant stylistic feature in Hāfiz’s poetry, adopting a cognitive approach to lexical semantics. Hāfiz employs this technique to use concrete words for abstract and multilayered concepts, thereby enabling multiple interpretations and semantic dynamism in his poetry. The research adopts a textual analysis approach, using Hāfiz’s Divān as the corpus of the study to investigate the process of semantic change in words. The theoretical framework is based on lexical semantics, drawing on cognitive linguistic concepts to analyze conceptual transfer and the formation of metaphorical meanings. The findings show that, by referencing the archaic semantic layers of words and their historical shifts, Hāfiz guides the reader toward metaphorical understanding and multilayered interpretation of concepts. These semantic layers, which align with Hāfiz’s rendi (libertinism), play a significant role in imagery, bridging the concrete and the abstract and fostering cultural continuity. In some cases, the boundary between metaphorical extension and grammaticalization can be observed. The results indicate that metaphorical extension in īhām-tanāsob enhance semantic depth, interpretive diversity, and a stronger connection between linguistic and conceptual layers in Hāfiz’s poetry. Thirty key words, which play a significant role in the construction of īhām-tanāsob and the creation of layered meanings, have been analyzed in this study, including sabab (cause), ʿaql (reason), wāqif (knower), mashrab (temperament), taʿallul (pretext), tajammul (elegance), sharḥ (explanation), and jabr (compulsion). Lack of awareness concerning the archaic meanings of these words often leads to incomplete or incorrect interpretations of the verses. Therefore, this study has revealed new semantic and rhetorical subtleties, offering a more precise understanding of Hāfiz’s poetry for readers and commentators. 

Keywords

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Journal Of Linguistic and Rhetorical Studies
Volume 16, Issue 41
In Progress
September 2025
Pages 215-256

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