A Linguistic Analysis of the Conceptual Metaphor of Love in Contemporary Mystical Poetry: A Case Study of Ḥaidarī Wujūdī’s Ghazals

Abstract

Conceptual metaphor, as one of the fundamental pillars of cognitive linguistics, refers to a process through which the human mind understands and structures abstract concepts by means of sensory experiences and concrete domains. Within this framework, metaphor is not merely a rhetorical or literary device; rather, it functions as a cognitive mechanism for conceptualizing the world and conveying complex experiences. Drawing on this theoretical perspective, the present study analyzes the conceptual metaphor of love in the ghazals of Haidari Wujudi, one of the prominent contemporary mystical poets. It demonstrates that these metaphors, on the one hand, serve as tools for expressing inner emotions and, on the other hand, render the comprehension of complex and abstract notions of love more accessible and tangible for readers. The research adopts a qualitative methodology. The data were collected from Haidari Wujudi’s ghazals, within which the conceptual metaphors of love were identified and analyzed. The findings indicate that by employing a wide range of source domains—largely derived from bodily and perceptual experiences—such as fire, light, the sun, garden, rose garden, spring, autumn, pain, illness, healing, war, martyrdom, king, refuge, burden, university, school, and spiritual guide, the poet succeeds in representing abstract and complex concepts of love in a concrete, perceptible, and comprehensible manner. These metaphorical mappings not only articulate the poet’s personal and emotional experiences but also facilitate the processes of understanding and transmitting the intricate concepts of love. Overall, the results suggest that the metaphorical system in Haidari Wujudi’s ghazals elevates the experience of love from the level of individual emotion to a cognitive, analyzable, and communicable domain.