A systematic study of the conceptual metaphor of death in the poems of Sohrab Sepehri and Federico Garcia Lorca

Abstract

1. Introduction

Cognitive linguistics, like some other modern linguistic approaches, considers the study of language to be valid only when conducted within its authentic context of use. This branch of linguistics seeks to describe the systematicity of language, its structure, its functions, and the ways in which these functions are realized and applied. One of its subfields is conceptual metaphor Cognitive linguists believe that metaphor belongs to the realm of thought rather than language, and that metaphor is an essential and inseparable part of our conventional way of conceptualizing the world. Our everyday behavior reflects our metaphorical understanding of experience. By challenging the traditional view of metaphor, they regard this new approach as emerging from human perception and the conceptual system, functioning as an effective vehicle for accessing individuals’ mental and cognitive systems; since humans consistently use metaphor in practice to express abstract concepts.
 

Methodology

This study has been conducted using an analytical–descriptive method through the interpretation and comparative analysis of the poems of Sohrab Sepehri and the Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca. The aim is to demonstrate the extent to which the poets under discussion have employed the mental concept of “death” and how this concept is applied within the various schemas of their poetic works.
 

3. Discussion

The first prominent feature observed in the ontological metaphors found in the poetry of Sohrab Sepehri and Lorca is the anthropomorphic representation of the mental concept of “death,” which is strikingly evident in their works. Sepehri likens death to a human who is laughing, and elsewhere considers his unsteady runnings in life as an effort to reach and see the face of “death.” Lorca’s view of death is also noteworthy; he believes death is like a human who is not frightening, yet if someone fears it, they must carry it on their shoulders at all times and take it wherever it commands.
At times, the ontology of “death” appears in an animistic form, meaning that in order to grant existence to death, the poets endow it with life. This is not expressed through anthropomorphism, but rather through non-human living beings. Sepehri refers to “death” as a living being that his body constantly keeps at bay; this mental category can represent any living creature, from an insect to an animal, which the audience visualizes according to their own perspective. Similarly, Lorca describes death as a living being whose voice has fallen silent near the Guadalquivir River, whereas previously its song had been heard by everyone—an analogy that reflects its animistic portrayal.
In objectification metaphors, what stands out is the reification of the mental concept of “death.” Sepehri and Lorca have employed this cognitive mechanism to concretize the abstract concept of death, creating vivid imagery, although its frequency in Sepehri’s poetry is very limited. To express such an image, Sepehri speaks of a pit entirely covered by “death.” Lorca, like Sepehri, views death from a reifying perspective; for him, death resembles a long black cloak constantly draped over people’s shoulders. The emphasis on the color black indicates that the poet consistently maintains a negative attitude toward it.
In ontological metaphors and the objectification section, mental concepts appear as tangible elements that can be eaten. In this category, the mental concept of death is not objectified as edible elements in Sepehri’s poetry, and no relevant examples were found. However, in Lorca’s poems, there are instances in which death is depicted as food or drink. Lorca describes death as an edible element with a bitter taste that nonetheless contains life within it. This portrayal suggests Lorca’s consistently negative view of death, since those who perceive this mental phenomenon positively envision it as sweet and derive pleasure from consuming it.
Another topic examined in ontological metaphors is the spatialization of mental concepts. Sepehri, based on his perception of death, likens it to a valley in which he will one day behold his own existence. Lorca, like Sepehri, also refers to “death” as a place; he assigns boundaries to death and perceives those boundaries in the distance. As is evident, having boundaries is meaningful only for places, and anything likened to a place is assumed to possess limits. Thus, depicting death as having boundaries evokes its spatial nature.
Another aspect examined in ontological metaphors is the use of nature and its elements. Poets, drawing on their environmental experiences, use nature to concretize abstract concepts. Sepehri likens the mental concept of “death” to the darkness of night, confronting the audience with the truth that death is something unknowable; just as nothing can be distinguished in dark nights, death is likewise unfamiliar. Lorca, however, adopts a different perspective: he views death as a seed that has grown from the eyes of his enemies, nurtured in the swamp of feverish mire, bearing black flowers whose fruit destroys human beings.
Another issue discussed in conceptual metaphors is agency. Regarding the cognitive structure of these metaphors, it should be noted that they allow the speaker to understand the target domain in terms of the source domain through conceptual mappings between their elements. Sepehri and Lorca refer to the mental concept of “death” as an agent and attribute certain events in life to this abstract concept. Sepehri presents a distinctive view of death, considering it not as a force of destruction, but as a reason for the desire and pleasure present in the stem of the raspberry, revealing the flow of life within it. Lorca, like Sepehri, also treats death as an agent, describing it as a cause of silence that can even give rise to others’ laughter.
Among the mental concepts examined as conceptual metaphors are those associated with volume. In the poetry of Sepehri and Lorca, death is employed through volumetric schemas, though this occurs only once in Sepehri’s work. Sepehri portrays life as an unpleasant custom and considers its wingspan to be as vast as death, imagining an immeasurable, enormous volume for death—thus making the volumetric schema clearly evident. Lorca, too, attributes size and volume to the mental concept of death, but from his perspective, this volume is small, possibly indicating the poet’s perception of death as insignificant.
In directional schemas, Sepehri does not use the mental concept of death in a directional manner, and its frequency in Lorca’s poetry is also minimal. In one example, Lorca speaks of a death positioned at a very high direction, thereby assigning it an elevated status.
 
4.Conclusion
The findings reveal that both poets have employed ontological metaphors in various forms. Sepehri and Lorca refer to the mental concept of death anthropomorphically, attributing human characteristics to it, and at times depicting the abstract concept of death as an animal or a bird. The use of spatialization to concretize the concept of death is another strategy employed to enhance understanding; Sepehri envisions death as a vast space, whereas Lorca does not, reflecting their respective worldviews and deep poetic emotions. At times, the use of similar metaphorical tools by Sepehri and Lorca to express the concept of death is noteworthy; however, different approaches to the application of conceptual metaphors are evident in their poetry. Sepehri focuses on the beauty and gentleness of death, while Lorca adopts a deeper and darker view of the concept. This suggests that Sepehri’s perception of death is not anxiety-inducing, as he constantly senses it around him, whereas Lorca harbors an intense fear of it, leading to a more realistic and terrifying portrayal.