Metaphors and periphrases in Fuzuli’s poetry

Abstract

This scientific article explores the distinctive features of metaphor and periphrasis in the ghazals of the great poet Fuzuli – their semantic load, poetic function, and aesthetic impact. It provides an explanation of the cognitive role of metaphors in shaping figurative thinking, as well as the imagery-enhancing function of periphrasis.
In Fuzuli’s poetry, metaphors emerge as one of the most important means of artistic expression, playing a leading role in the formation of deep philosophical, mystical, religious, emotional, and aesthetic ideas. Through the language of metaphor, the poet expresses real love, divine love, suffering, and the subtle experiences of the human inner world in a poetic form. The love celebrated in his ghazals is a spiritual path leading to divine truth.
Fuzuli’s metaphors are not merely superficial comparisons; they are also loaded with profound symbolic meanings, encouraging the reader to reflect within the realm of multilayered interpretations. These metaphors add both worldly and spiritual dimensions to his poetry. As can be seen, metaphors in Fuzuli’s poetry go beyond being simple figures of speech and become expressions of his deeply nuanced ideological and aesthetic world.
In the poet’s literary oeuvre, periphrases constitute an important component of artistic style, facilitating the expression of deeper semantic layers and maximizing the aesthetic effect of poetic discourse. In Fuzuli’s
poetry, periphrases play a significant role in creating semantic depth and artistic refinement. The use of “Haqq” instead of God, “Messiah” instead of Jesus, “Valley of Unity” instead of the path leading to divine unity, and “dahr” instead of the world are among the spiritual elements that realize poetic beauty.
The study of classical poetry from a contemporary perspective is of particular relevance, as the metaphors and periphrases found in the poet’s works occupy a prominent place in the вершина of Azerbaijani artistic thought and therefore require modern scholarly analysis.
This topic is significant for semantic and stylistic research, as metaphor and periphrasis are key elements in both semantics and stylistics. The article also highlights issues of national identity, since the metaphorical and periphrastic expressions used by the poet reflect national worldview as well as religious and philosophical perspectives. It is also important from a comparative literary standpoint, as Fuzuli’s metaphorical and periphrastic expressions can be found under different names in the Persian works of Khagani Shirvani and Nizami Ganjavi.