Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Bu-Ali Sina University

10.22059/jalit.2024.377989.612837

Abstract

The theory of text worlds is a model of human linguistic processing that not only studies the entire text but also examines the contexts surrounding the production and interpretation of the text. The main assumption of this theory is that humans process and understand discourse through mental representations. This theory is comprised of the discourse world, text worlds with two components (world-building elements and function-advancing propositions), and sub-worlds, which themselves consist of deictic, attitudinal, and epistemic sub-worlds. The purpose of the present study is to identify the constructive elements of the poem "Al-Khayul" by the Egyptian poet Amal Dunqul, who is known as the "Prince of Denial Poets," based on a descriptive-analytical method and the theoretical approach of Paul Werth's text world theory and its complementary theory by Stock well and Gavins. The research findings indicate that in the discourse world, the tenor of the poem is accompanied by a type of mockery and contradiction, and the mode of discourse is biting and reproachful. In the context of text worlds, the world-building elements are character and object, specifically the horse, and the time primarily operates in the past and present. Regarding the function-advancing propositions, the micro-worlds are embedded within a macro-world, accompanied by commands and orders, and no type of disjunction is observed in these worlds. The referential sub-worlds initially focus on the past and then shift to the present, the attitudinal sub-world's frequency is towards goals, and the epistemic world does not manifest significantly.

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