The diachronic evolution of metaphors in the realm of English poetry: A comparative analysis of the literary works of Shakespeare, Wordsworth, and Eliot

This study explores the diachronic evolution of conceptual metaphors in the poetry of William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, and Thomas Stearns Eliot. Using a comparative method, quantitative frequency analysis, and qualitative examination of metaphorical features, it seeks to determine the transformation of metaphorical language from the Renaissance through Romanticism to Modernism. The works of the given authors were analyzed, and the metaphors were identified to accomplish the purpose. The frequency of use of metaphorical constructions, their typology, the use of metaphors in texts, as well as the comparison of the evolution of metaphorical language from the Renaissance (Shakespeare) through Romanticism (Wordsworth) to Modernism (Eliot), were considered. The study's methodological approach facilitates the expansion of corpus-based techniques to explore figurative language in literary texts. Its scientific importance is in its contribution to linguistics, literature, and history. The study’s outcomes give us an understanding of metaphor as both a linguistic device and a cognitive-cultural phenomenon. The practical value of this study is in its contribution to historical linguistics and language categories. This research offers a deeper understanding of how poetic metaphors have evolved in English literature throughout history, as well as demonstrating their role in creating cultural and cognitive models of world perception.