METAPHOR AND COGNITIVE WORLDVIEW IN UZBEK AND ENGLISH POETRY

Abstract

 This article examines the role of metaphor as a cognitive and stylistic device in shaping worldviews in Uzbek and English poetic traditions. The study is motivated by the growing interest in cognitive linguistics, which regards metaphor not only as a literary ornament but as a fundamental mechanism of human thought. By conducting a comparative analysis of selected Uzbek and English poems, the research aims to reveal how metaphors encode cultural values, emotions, and conceptual frameworks. A qualitative textual approach was employed, analyzing works by Alisher Navoi, Erkin Vohidov, William Blake, and T. S. Eliot. The findings demonstrate that Uzbek poetry often uses metaphors grounded in natural and spiritual imagery, reflecting a collective cultural orientation, while English poetry tends to employ metaphors linked to individual experience, philosophical abstraction, and existential reflection. The study contributes to cognitive stylistics by highlighting how metaphor functions as a cultural lens in poetry, with implications for translation studies and intercultural education.