Arabic Literature

A Study of the Conceptual Blending of Death in the Poetry of the Age of Ignorance Based on Gilles Fauconnier and Mark Turner’s Model of Four Mental Spaces

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Farzaneh Haji Ghasemi 1
Mehdi Abedi Jozeini 2

1 Ph.D student, Arabic Language and Literature, University of Isfahan

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, University of Isfahan

https://doi.org/10.22059/jalit.2019.255348.611882
Abstract
The concrete portrayal of abstract concepts (especially the concept of “death”) is very evident in the poetry of the Age of Ignorance. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the manner of portrayal and creation of conceptual blending of “death” in this age. In order to explore this subject, we have employed the “four mental spaces” model developed by Gilles Fauconnier and Mark Turner to study a selection of poems written during the Age of Ignorance (The selection includes poems of Antarah ibn Shaddad, Zahayr ibn Abi Salma, Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt, Abu Zueyb Hozalli.). Then, we have provided a linguistic evaluation of their image/thought-evoking boundaries based on the principles of cognitive semantic theory. The results of the study indicate that some of the created concepts in these poems are not limited to one blending and require more blending models. This is explained by the poet’s mind and its ability to choose words and arrange them in a way that a new conceptual blending is created and, as a result, multiple images are evoked in the mind. The semantic networks of these poems are a single-scope network (conceptual metaphor) of two states with average creativity and a double-scope network of four states with maximum creativity. The blending of subjective concepts in the advanced semantic networks indicates the creativity of the poets of the Age of Ignorance, who, inspired by their surroundings, had managed to create a new dynamic space between words. Based on the studies of cognitive linguistics, the arrangement of words and their blending in compounds demonstrate the poets’ abilities in this field. Also, the pragmatics of conceptual blending enables the readers to view the cognitive components of the poetry of the Age of Ignorance in a new light and, subsequently, their perception of these concepts is widened.

Keywords

Literary Criticism
Cognitive linguistics
Mental spaces
Gilles Fauconnier
Mark Turner
Poetry
Age of Ignorance
 
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Arabic Literature
Volume 11, Issue 2 - Serial Number 2
October 2019
Pages 151-166

  • Receive Date 07 April 2018
  • Revise Date 14 October 2019
  • Accept Date 20 November 2018

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