Conceptual Metaphor of the Objectification of Hypocrisy and Deceit: A Cultural Approach in Hafez Shirazi’s Ghazals

Authors
Zeinab Kalantari
Ali Akbar Baqeri Khalili
Masoud Rouhani
Shahram Ahmadi
Abstract
Cognitive semantics, as a branch of cognitive linguistics, explores the relationship between human experience, conceptual systems, and the semantic structure of language. It draws on diverse theories and approaches and encompasses notions such as conceptual metaphor, which emerges through the mapping between a source and a target domain. Within this framework, conceptual systems and metaphorical patterns occupy a central role, as they are profoundly shaped by cultural and cross-cultural perspectives. The discovery and analysis of such patterns can yield deeper insight into a culture and a more nuanced understanding of literary texts. Among Persian poets, Hafez of Shiraz stands out for the intimate interweaving of his poetry with Iranian cultural consciousness—his verses are often considered the distilled essence of the cultural spirit of preceding ages. Adopting a descriptive–analytical method within a cultural approach, this study examines the conceptual metaphor of objectifying hypocrisy and deceit in Hafez’s Ghazals. The principal finding of this research is the identification of the overarching metaphor “hypocrisy is destructive.” Furthermore, most image schemas related to the objectification of hypocrisy and deceit are of a power-based type, signifying the destructive force inherent in hypocrisy. Hafez’s portrayal of hypocrisy and deceit as annihilating entities reflects his cultural and experiential worldview. Although some of these experiences exhibit cross-cultural dimensions, most of them are rooted in the intracultural context of Iranian thought and tradition, embodying the collective psychological aspiration of the Iranian people throughout history.
Keywords
Hafez Shirazi
hypocrisy and deceit
Conceptual metaphor
objectification
cultural approach
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