Stylistic Characteristics of Vocatives in Alisher Navoi's Lyrics: An

Example from His Poetic Collection "Garoyib us-sigar"

Mardon Rakhmatov

and Zokhira Khidralieva

†

Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature named after Alisher Navoi, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Keywords: Vocatives, Syntax, Stylistic Function, Metaphor, Metonymy, Synecdoche, Rhetorics.

Abstract: Mir Alisher Navoi is one of the masters of language who created numerous and outstanding works in the

Uzbek language, becoming an eternal figure with his rich literary heritage. He is renowned for his distinctive

prose and poetic works. Today, his literary, scientific-educational, philosophical-mystical works are

recognised and valued as the spiritual property of not just the Turkic world, but of all humanity. His works

are studied with great interest in Uzbekistan, and countries both near and far. In this article, the vocative forms

used in the text of the ghazals in the book "Garayib us-sigar" (Childhood Amusements) from Alisher Navoi's

collection "Khazoin ul-maoni" (The Treasure House of Thought) are explored. Considerations related to the

functional-stylistic nature of vocative forms are discussed and their role in poetic information transmission is

analysed. The unique nature of the vocatives, their differences and similarities with the verbal type, are

revealed. By studying and analysing the functional and stylistic features of the vocative forms used in the

poet's lyrics, it lays a foundation for determining the literary possibilities of the Uzbek classical poetic

language and supporting the opportunities for utilising the linguistic richness of the author.

1 INTRODUCTION

The nature of vocatives used in lyric works is unique.

If we compare the forms of vocatives with the form

of verbal speech, their singularity is evident: in verbal

speech, vocatives perform the function of naming the

addressee of the speech, directing it, distinguishing it

from others, indicating (deictic task), and establishing

contact. However, in lyrical works, their primary

function is to express the poet's literary objective and

to shape poetic speech.

It is also worth noting that vocatives in lyrical works

direct the speech towards the addressee, establish a

relationship with the addressee, fulfil an aesthetic

function, and evoke a potent expression. In addition,

there is also a stylistic function of vocatives in lyrical

works, which warrants academic exploration and

classification.

If in a stylistically neutral text, personal names,

kinship, social status, profession names, and the like

are used as vocative forms, then in poetic works filled

with expressiveness, various literary-historical and

traditional literary images are used as vocatives based

Corresponding author

on the direction and theme of the ghazal: proper

nouns, language units related to nature and celestial

bodies are actively utilised, performing tasks such as

not just naming the addressees, but also describing

them, revealing the speaker's attitude towards the

addressee, and ensuring the expressiveness of the

speech.

Vocatives that fulfil this purpose have a stylistic value

and perform a stylistic task. In Alisher Navoi's lyric

poetry, it is fitting to categorise vocatives into the

following types according to their stylistic function:

animated vocatives, metaphorical vocatives,

metonymic vocatives, figurative vocative

expressions, rhetorical vocatives, folklore vocatives,

archaic vocatives.

Experiment: In Alisher Navoi's ghazals, vocative

words are used actively alongside other syntactic

units. Their placement, content, aesthetic value in the

structure of a stanza or verse, who or what they name

or reveal, to whom or what the speech is directed, and

whether it is familiar or unfamiliar to the poet are

crucial factors. In lyrical works, vocatives are

directed to both animate and inanimate objects

386

Rakhmatov, M. and Khidralieva, Z.

Stylistic Characteristics of Vocatives in Alisher Navoi’s Lyrics: An Example from His Poetic Collection "Garoyib us-sigar".

DOI: 10.5220/0012488200003792

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 1st Pamir Transboundary Conference for Sustainable Societies (PAMIR 2023), pages 386-390

ISBN: 978-989-758-687-3

[Sayfullaev A.R. (1968)]. Any object of speech to

which the poet addresses, even animate and inanimate

objects, is envisioned as animate within the sphere of

speech influence.

For example, the poet names his interlocutor the

morning wind - nasimi subh, and turns it into an

object of vocative. Utilising the possibilities of poetic

speech, the poet fully transfers human characteristics

to the subject of speech - the morning wind, even

asking it for help and support. In particular, the

presence of the grammatical second person pronoun

"you" and its semantics create a wide poetic

possibility.

The candle (Sham) is the subject of the speech.

Addressing the candle, the poet establishes a trusting

relationship with it, akin to a human being, and speaks

to it. This is caused by the poet's perception or feeling

of the special characteristics of his beloved/lover,

thereby making it the object of vocative.

2 OBSERVATIONS AND

DISCUSSION

Animated Vocatives: It is evident that the usage of

vocative words varies between speech styles. They

are used naturally in verbal speech, and in literary

speech as an imitation of verbal speech. If vocative

forms in verbal speech are used to name the person or

objects to whom the speech is directed, drawing their

attention depending on the communicative situation,

then in poetic speech, this process occurs in a slightly

different manner.

That is, the poet initially brings to life the addressees

(persons or objects) to whom the speech is directed,

or imagines them as being alive, and names them

accordingly. According to some researchers, the poet

first identifies a connection with his feelings, a

similarity in an object/person, and names it based on

these characteristics, transforming it into an object of

address. An important aspect of the vocative form of

the addressee is the poetic information it contains and

the language elements used for its formalisation.

Indeed, as in a monologue, a person can address

themselves, but if we consider ghazals, from the

viewpoint of the speaking subject, in terms of time

and space, the reader does not perceive them as a real

speaker, and their identity is not immediately

apparent from the content of the lyrical work. In

general, any form of vocative used in a poetic work is

considered a conditionally animated vocative,

including metaphorical vocatives, metonymic

vocatives, figurative vocative expressions, rhetorical

vocatives, folklore vocatives, and archaic vocatives.

It is known that the phenomenon of figurative

language is linked to the evolution of language and is

characteristic of all historical periods of the Uzbek

language. Today, figurative language is considered a

research object for both linguistics and literary

studies. Figurative language enriches speech, making

it empathetic, and imbuing it with expressive colour.

Linguistic units that possess a figurative meaning in a

language do not appear accidentally. Their formation

depends on a person's perception of the world and

their acquired knowledge. By evaluating and

comparing a certain situation, a person gathers certain

symbols in their mind, and then clothes them in a

linguistic form... When meaning is transferred, a

person uses the existing words in the language's

vocabulary. This will act as a source area. The target

area is a new derived meaning created by ready-made

language units in the human mind [Yuldashev.I.

(2019)]. One such derivative meaning is the transfer

of meaning based on metaphor.

Metaphorical Vocatives: Metaphors are based on

analogy and comparison, and as a result of the subject

comparing and assimilating objects, a new derived

meaning is created. The emergence of metaphors

used in the text of ghazals reflects the realisation of

existing knowledge about nature and the world in the

author's mind, which is then transferred to the literary

language. In other words, the poet's objective is to

create a beautiful literary image based on similes and

comparisons.

If the author addresses various subjects and natural

and social phenomena, the poet attributes

characteristics of individuals to them. His sole

purpose in doing this is because he identifies these

individual characteristics within them. The aim of the

poet is not to establish a relationship (contact) with

the people, events, objects etc., of nature and society,

but to delve deeper into the essence of the described

events, to exaggerate their image in the reader's eyes,

and to connect them with the content of the ghazal.

Thus, envisaging inanimate image objects in the place

of people provides the poet with ample opportunity to

vividly express his emotional attitude.

For the poet, the image of the valentine in the poem

is of significant importance, and the poet's knowledge

assists in its depiction: the most significant image

element for this stanza is the lexeme of 'gul' (flower),

and there is harmony here: 'gul', 'sabza', 'bahor' - these

words harmonise.

Furthermore, vocatives expand with adjectives to

reference the quality and beauty of the image object

(addressee), and also perform the function of praising

Stylistic Characteristics of Vocatives in Alisher Navoi’s Lyrics: An Example from His Poetic Collection "Garoyib us-sigar"

387

the addressee by emphasising the beauty within the

vocative itself.

It is known that the word 'sham' (candle) is used in

classical poetry in addition to its literal meaning in a

mystical sense: divine light, symbol of the source

[Mullajo'jaeva K. (2005)]. Therefore, the poet

identifies such metaphorical signs characteristic of a

person in this traditional image, that is, in the image

object, and calls his visionary image by this name.

In the following stanza, the poet relates the word

'mushk' (musk) to a person. The poet identifies the

features of the image object within it and, with these

features in mind, turns it into an object of address. It

is known that musk is something black with a scent,

and blackness is a strong symbol of pleasantness, so

the author traditionally uses the word 'musk' to

imagine the hair of his beloved and the scent of her

hair combined. Therefore, the author, recognising this

characteristic of the musk, vividly expresses his

passion for his beloved and portrays the human

feelings of 'falling in love' with her, 'having the

opportunity to be with her all the time', and feeling

jealousy towards her. Indeed, there is a metaphorical

derivative meaning in feeling jealous of his beloved.

Simultaneously, it is worth noting that the poet used

words such as 'o’tlug’, 'oraz', 'sham', 'parvona',

'o’rtanmoq', 'aylanmoq', 'zulf', 'mushk', 'qarimchi' as

tools of literary imagery: their usage is also based on

mutual compatibility, which resulted in the

emergence of the art of proportion.

In ghazals, the object selected as the subject of the

image varies according to its content. For instance,

there are many metaphorical vocatives representing

poetic phytonyms and heavenly bodies, as well as

ornithological (bird) names:

- phytonyms – 'ey gul';

- heavenly bodies – 'ey gardun', 'ey quyosh', 'ey oy',

'ey sipehr', 'ey charx', 'ey falak' and others;

- ornithological (bird) names: 'ey bulbul', 'ey kabutar',

'ey andalib', 'ey mugʻ', 'ey mugʻbacha' and others;

- related to nature – 'ey subh', 'ey sabo', 'ey nasim' etc.

Synecdoche - Vocatives: While metaphor creates new

meaning based on comparing or simulating objects of

thought that are not actually connected with each

other but are independent from each other,

synecdoche bases its new meaning on the real

connection, the real relationship between objects.

These relations, which logically connect two objects

of thought, can be concepts of different categories

related to each other. In linguistics, two types of

synecdoche are distinguished: 1) synecdoche which

refers to a part; 2) synecdoche which refers to the

whole [Mirtojiev M. (1975).]. Concepts in such an

interconnectedness can be used interchangeably in

speech. This feature is also characteristic of ghazals.

However, in vocatives, it is observed that the entire

subject is more often expressed through parts.

According to the anthropocentric paradigm, in the

type of figurative language based on metonymy, the

task of the source area is solely to determine the

structure of the target area [Yuldashev.I. (2019)]. For

instance, in the aforementioned stanza, the source

area is the object - a human feature, the colour of the

eye - 'qora ko’z' (black eye), whilst the target area is

the image of the loved one; the whole is expressed

using the part.

Moreover, certain words denoting human body parts

are used to name a part of the whole, such as 'ey

jonim', 'ey koʻz', 'ey koʻngul', 'ey ishq', 'ey aql', 'ey

dard'. Initially, connotations related to the lexical

meaning of these lexemes arise in the addressee, but

they are understood and felt directly in connection

with a person, or it is comprehended through the

reader's associative knowledge that a person lies

behind these concepts, thus making it an effective

speech.

Figurative expression is a tool that represents an

object, event or phenomenon not by its name, but by

describing its essential feature. As a stylistic device,

figurative expression gives the speech an elevated and

imagery-filled tone. It enables the speaker to avoid

repetitions in the speech process, rendering the

speaker's discourse expressive and decorative, and

encourages the listener to undertake a literary-

philosophical observation.

Such forms of vocatives used in ghazals refer to the

addressee-object indirectly rather than directly, that

is, through its pictorial signs. It then becomes possible

to sense the object of the image through these

pictorial symbols, personifying it in one's

imagination.

The first line of this stanza is not grammatically

complete either - although it is an elliptical sentence,

the sentence section can be completed as 'forigʻ

aylagan', 'malul aylagan'. Thus, it can be inferred

from the meaning of the figurative vocative – 'ey meni

sargashtalikdan goh forigʻ', 'goh malul (gʻamgin)

aylagan (zot!)'. It is apt to regard the figurative

expressions (sentences) formed in this manner as a

form of vocative to the reader, crafted due to the

extraordinary (spontaneous) mood of the poet.

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Furthermore, there are numerous types of figurative

expressions in the Persian 'izofa' form in ghazals. For

example: 'ey sultoni husn', 'ey bahori husn', 'ey obi

hayvonim', 'ey zoli sipehr', 'ey sunʼi loyuzol'.

Rhetorical vocatives. In lyrical works, the poet

prioritises vocative words, and the primary rhetoric is

centred around the vocative words, not the sentence.

The aim of using rhetorical vocative is to respond to

the object of the image, to describe it. This enhances

the figurativeness, expressiveness, and colourfulness

of speech, ensuring natural and credible speech

output. Rhetorical vocatives form the foundation of

poetic works.

If we remove vocatives from the structure of the

speech, we wouldn't recognise the relationship of the

poet to the addressee, which is discerned through

vocatives. We would lose the direction of the verse

from the person to the subject or the object of the

addressee, as well as the poet's openly sincere or

insincere reactions. Hence, rhetorical vocatives are

deemed important in the stanza/verse structure and

sentence content.

Each form of vocative used in the text of ghazals can

be identified as rhetorical vocatives.

Obsolete vocatives. It is advisable to discuss obsolete

vocatives in the context of contemporary Uzbek

poetry. The forms of vocatives used in classical

lyrical works can be categorised as obsolete vocatives

from today's perspective, given they are no longer

employed by current Uzbek poets due to societal

evolution and their literary-stylistic characteristics.

For instance, 'ey shah', 'ey shayx', 'ey hakim', 'ey

soqiy', 'ey arab', 'ey roviy', 'ey zohid', 'ey solik', 'ey

mugʻanniy', and 'ey mayfurush' are not typical for

contemporary poetry.

Folklore vocatives. Among our people, there is a

mythological character known as "Khidr" ("Khizr",

"Khojai Khizr"), who is envisaged as a benevolent

patron. Various ideas exist about his specific

qualities, appearance, and functions. He is a mythical

character who consistently does good for people,

guides the lost, opens springs, provides water to

people, bestows abundant harvests to fields, and lives

eternally because he found and drank the water of life.

Mythological views related to Khizr's eternal life, i.e.,

never dying, are expressed in the concept of "Khizr's

life". There are written sources that offer various

interpretations of Khizr's image and epic plots in

which this mythical character participated

[Nurmanov F. (2007)]. This name is also mentioned

in historical sources. For instance, he is found in

Alisher Navoi's ghazals. In the ghazal, the lyrical

protagonist addresses the legendary Khizr and solicits

his aid.

It is clear from the content of the verse that Khizr is a

close friend and adviser to the lyrical hero. The hero's

attitude towards him is highly sincere, he refers to

him as 'qutlug’qadam - Farrux', and in another

instance, he calls him 'rahimli Xizr' (Khizr the

merciful), and they carry aesthetic value

(connotative).

Simultaneously, in Navoi's ghazals, the religious and

literary images that are extensively used in Eastern

literature are mentioned, such as 'ey Iso', 'ey Masiho',

'ey Xizr', 'ey Masih', 'ey Majnun', 'ey Navoiy', and

'Yusuf', among others.

3 CONCLUSION

In the lyrical works of Alisher Navoi, units of

reference fulfil a methodological function.

In these works, references primarily consist of

famous nouns, names of individuals, items, and

bodies, which are animatedly incorporated into the

poetic discourse. It's noteworthy that such reference

units stem from the poet's artistic thought process.

The functional-methodological value of reference

units lies in enhancing the content of the speech with

imagery, expressiveness, and emotionality, thereby

increasing their impact.

Reference units in ghazals generally align with the

content of the stanza or verse.

Reference units also bear connotation. If they possess

linguistic signs contributing to connotation, their

expressiveness will be amplified: examples include

my black eye (karako'zum), my soul (jonim), and my

dear (azizim).

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