Farzana Aqib’s Poem Little Sparta in the Mind’s Eye: A Cognitive Stylistic Approach through Text World Theory

This research paper explores how readers build mental pictures and understand deeper meanings while reading Farzana Aqib’s patriotic poem "Little Sparta". Using Text World Theory, a cognitive stylistic approach developed by Werth (1999) and Gavins (2007), the study explains how the poem creates imagined worlds in the minds of readers. These "text worlds" help readers feel the emotions, ideas, and national pride expressed in the poem. Moreover, the study uses a qualitative method and applies close reading to examine how the poet’s language choices, such as imagery, references to military missions, and emotional tone, guide readers to create mental worlds. These worlds include not only the visible scenes but also inner thoughts, memories, and imagined futures, showing how the poem connects personal feelings with national identity. Lastly, the findings show that Little Sparta is rich with emotional and cultural meaning. It reflects themes of sacrifice, duty, and heroism while inviting readers to see the world through the poet’s lens. The use of Text World Theory helps uncover how language builds meaning beyond the surface and how readers engage deeply with the poem. This paper adds value to literary studies by showing that poetry can be explored not just for its beauty, but for how it shapes thought and emotion in the reader’s mind.