METAPHOR IN THE LITERARY PROSE OF LEV TOLSTOY

This article analyzes the structural, semantic and philosophical functions of metaphor in the literary prose of Leo Tolstoy. The study explores metaphor as a cognitive and artistic instrument that reflects the writer’s worldview and ethical system. Through textual analysis of “War and Peace”, “Anna Karenina”and “The Death of Ivan Ilyich”, the paper demonstrates that metaphor serves as a key means of psychological characterization and philosophical generalization. Special attention is paid to natural, light and path metaphors, which symbolize moral evolution, spiritual crisis and the search for truth. The research concludes that metaphor in Tolstoy’s prose is not merely decorative but represents a conceptual model of human existence.