Metaphoric images of man in Russian poetic discourse (on the material of N.V. Pavlovichs Dictionary of Poetic Images

In the article the authorexamines metaphors by means of which the image of man is formed in Russian poetic discourse. The investigation is done within thebound of a cognitive-linguistic approach where metaphor is considered as a mode of thought but not as a means of thought decoration.This approach makes it possible to reveal how different fragments of reality are reflected in a corresponding linguoculture. Images ofmasculinity and femininity which form gender opposition are referred to as the culturally significant ones. Their ethnolinguistic peculiarityis also marked by conceptual metaphors. These images belong to cultural constructs and they keep evolving in historical perspective.The material for the investigation comprises metaphors from The Dictionary of Poetic Images by N.V. Pavlovich, whose directnominative meanings serve as a basis for metaphoric transfer for mans nomination. The semantics of metaphors under study is connectedwith the interpretation of gender oppositions. There have been singled out the metaphoric models actualizing specific featureswhich fix the stereotype of masculinity in the language. They are Man is an animal, Man is a bird, Man is a tree, and Man is agod or a mythological being. In the course of the analysis the following associative features uniting all the models have been distinguished:firstly, a heavily built man, physically strong, and usually tall; secondly, a brave, courageous, and bold man and, as a result,such characteristics allow to regard him as a defender of his family and motherland, and a valiant warrior; thirdly, a mighty man possessingpower. It is necessary to mark out other essential features forming the masculine image of man in the Russian language. Forinstance, characteristics which represent mental abilities are found in the metaphoric models Man is a bird and Man is a tree. Whileinterpreting the image of man within the models Man is an animal and Man is a bird the association is based on the actualization ofvarious ways of motion. Lexemes constituting the metaphoric models Man is an animal, Man is a bird and Man is a tree reveal thespecific characters of behaviour. Taking everything into consideration, the author concludes that the metaphoric models interact witheach other producing an integral image of man. The analysis of the metaphoric contexts has shown that in most cases metaphors valuateman positively, which is, in general, typical of poetic discourse.

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