Hossein Mohtadi

The concept of image schemas has emerged from the research conducted by contemporary scholars in cognitive linguistics, such as Johnson and Lakoff, who sought a deeper understanding of metaphor. Johnson referred to this modern interpretation as "conceptual metaphor", which was grounded in abstract concepts that the human mind endeavors to express tangibly through lived experiences within its environment. Image schemas situated within the framework of conceptual metaphor represent bodily images of abstract concepts that we comprehend through our spatial and kinetic experiences. These experiences are shaped by the culture to which we belong, influencing our collective and individual identities, as well as our emotional and unconscious connections within the cultural patterns that define our worldview and life practices, including the expressive culture that characterizes us. This research employed an anthropological semiotics approach, utilizing a descriptive-analytical method to uncover the cultural and human significance of Arabic linguistic-aesthetic expressions embodied in image schemas within the poetry of Karim Ma'touq. The study investigated the system of rules constituting Arabic expressive discourse, its heritage roots, and the individual and collective poetic experiences that shape it. The research yielded several important findings, revealing that the poetry of contemporary Emirati poet Karim Ma'touq was infused with a heritage spirit and an Arab cultural essence that significantly impacted his work. It also demonstrated that the collective memory of the poet's society, along with its foundational elements and primary images, had influenced the image schemas he employed, which were characterized by rooted opposing dualities within the cultural framework of Gulf Arab society. Additionally, the poet utilized various forms of heritage invocation in his image schemas.