THE RIVER THAMES AS A SYMBOL OF TIME, MEMORY, AND ENGLISH CULTURAL EXPERIENCE

This article examines the symbolic significance of the River Thames in English cultural discourse through the interconnected concepts of time, memory, and cultural experience. The study explores how the physical characteristics of the Thames gradually evolved into metaphorical meanings associated with continuity, transformation, and historical consciousness. Drawing upon historical, philosophical, literary, and cultural sources, the article argues that the Thames functions not only as a geographical object but also as a symbolic structure through which English society interprets temporality, collective memory, and social change. The findings reveal that the Thames became one of the central metaphors of English cultural imagination because it simultaneously represents continuity and transformation.