Understanding the Abstractness of Poetry through the Concreteness of Lapidary: Niẓāmī’s Method of Elaborating a Classical Conceptual Metaphor

Abstract This article presents an examination of the utilization of a conceptual metaphor that maps the art of poetry onto the craft of lapidary in the works of Niẓāmī Ganjavī (1141–1209), a prominent Persian poet known for his innovative use of poetic imageries and literary devices. This conceptual metaphor, as defined in cognitive linguistics, originates from the Persian cultural context and serves as a tangible way for Niẓāmī to express his abstract ideas regarding poetry’s beauty, elegance, and worth. This study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the efficacy of this prevalent metaphorical framework in explicating the art of poetry and its related subjects through close reading and textual analysis of excerpts from Niẓāmī’s works, in which this metaphor operates as an underlying element. Additionally, this examination illuminates some aspects of Niẓāmī’s distinctive literary style. More broadly, relying on Niẓāmī’s poetry, this article delivers a perspective on the literary conventions of medieval Iranian courts, particularly with regard to the perception of poetry and the societal status of those who engaged in poetic production.