Ontological metaphor in Nazik Al-Malaika's work (in light of the thematic metaphor theory of George Lakoff and Mark Johnson)

Abstract

Metaphor is part of the linguistic heritage that humanity has inherited as a means of expressing things, situations, and emotions by attributing one thing to another, thereby conveying a simple meaning and concept to the event or occurrence. Rhetoricians and modern linguists offer various theories about metaphor, including the thematic metaphor theory of George Lakoff and Mark Johnson. This study, from a descriptive-analytical perspective and primarily based on cognitive linguistics, seeks to clarify the metaphorical concepts of ontological metaphors introduced by Lakoff and Johnson in their theory and to find practical applications of these concepts to the poetry of Nazik al-Mala'ika.

This study is unique in its content;  The research attempts to simplify George Lakoff and Mark Johnson's theory of thematic metaphor by applying its principles to the poetry of Nazik al-Mala'ika, taking into account the poet's distinct social and environmental context. However, the study goes beyond this, delving into the psychological depths of al-Mala'ika's poetry to provide a clearer picture. The research findings indicate that al-Mala'ika focused her metaphors on conveying themes of sadness. Her inclination towards poetic innovation significantly contributed to a modernity in both her poetry and her metaphors, which, in turn, served to solidify the theory of thematic metaphor.