Synesthesia as a Conceptual Metaphor: Analyzing the Synesthesia Pattern in Sohrab Sepehri’s Poetry

Document Type : Research article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Graduate of Persian Language and Literature, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.

2 Associate Professor of Persian Language and Literature, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.

3 Professor of Persian Language and Literature, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.

Abstract

This paper gives an insight to synesthesia from the viewpoint of conceptual metaphor theory to analyze the synesthesia in the poetry of Sohrab Sepehri. With regard to Ullmann’s hierarchy of senses, some of cognitive science researchers have considered synesthesia as a type of conceptual metaphors; like in a conceptual metaphor, where a concrete conceptual domain is mapped to an abstract one in order to clarify and enrich it, in synesthesia, elements regarding weaker senses are mapped to the domain of stronger senses to give a richer understanding of concepts. This paper tries to review frequent synesthesia constructs in Sepehri’s poetry with an analytical method to show the embodiment implied in his apparently abstract work. Investigating multiple poems of Sepehri shows that almost all of his synesthesia constructs are instances of conceptual metaphors. In other words, all his synesthesia constructs give embodiments of abstract concepts and thus, his poetry is genuinely embodied and earthly, despite its abstract appearance.

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References

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Persian Language and Literature
Volume 78, Issue 252
2025
Pages 245-231

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History

  • Receive Date: 10 September 2025
  • Revise Date: 07 November 2025
  • Accept Date: 17 December 2025
  • Publish Date: 22 December 2025

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