An Analysis of Poetic Creativity of Hafiz in Conceptualization of LOVE

Cognitive Metaphor theory claims that in conceptualization of different concepts, ordinary and poetic languages are the same in some aspects, though different in other ones. This paper aims to an analysis of creativity of Hafiz in LOVE concept. In Hafiz poetry, LOVE is conceptualized by different, though related, conceptual mechanisms of metaphor, image, personification and metonymy. However, it seems that Hafiz has used more creative mechanisms in the conceptualization of LOVE. To find distinguishing influential factors in LOVE conceptualization, two important questions are raised: what is the difference between common metaphors of LOVE in Persian and those in Hafiz poetry? And among four mechanisms proposed by Kövecses (2010), which one is more influential in artistic creativity and novelty of Hafiz poetry? Close analysis of poems consisting LOVE concept shows that Hafiz language contains the same kind of conceptualization as ordinary languages of Persian and other languages. In other words, LOVE has been conceptualized as FIRE, JOURNEY, RAPTURE, etc. However, its conceptualization is different from that in ordinary language, because the poet has creatively used four poetic mechanisms of extension, elaboration, questioning, and combining which are less frequent in ordinary language. It seems that, as it is predicted by cognitive linguists, what distinguishes literary language from ordinary language is creative use of metaphorical conceptualizations, personification, image metaphors and conceptual metonymies. Besides, among four distinguishing mechanisms, combining and elaboration seems to be the most and questioning is the least effective factor in poetic conceptualization of LOVE. Moreover, Hafiz has used many creative, novel conceptual metaphors of LOVE along with conventional ones.