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Vol. 13 No. 01 (2026)
International Multidisciplinary Journal for Research & Development

Articles

POETIC CONTENT AND IMAGE RENEWAL IN LITERARY RIDDLES:A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF TRANSFORMATION MECHANISMS

Published 2026-01-20

  • Ozoda Alisher qizi Umedova

Ozoda Alisher qizi Umedova
master’s student department of Uzbek language and literature Bukhara pedagogical institute

Abstract

This article presents a comprehensive examination of the mechanisms governing poetic content transformation and image renewal in literary riddles across diverse cultural and historical contexts. The study investigates how traditional riddle forms undergo aesthetic evolution while preserving their fundamental cognitive structures, drawing upon theoretical frameworks from folklore studies, literary criticism, and cognitive linguistics. Through systematic analysis of classical and contemporary examples spanning from Anglo-Saxon enigmata to modern literary compositions, the research demonstrates that image renewal in riddles operates through three primary mechanisms: metaphorical displacement, semantic layering, and the creative tension between concealment and revelation. The investigation reveals that these mechanisms function not in isolation but as an integrated system enabling continuous generic adaptation. The findings contribute significantly to understanding riddles not merely as fossilized folkloric artifacts but as dynamic literary forms capable of sophisticated poetic expression and ongoing cultural relevance. This research offers new perspectives on the intersection of oral tradition and written literature, providing scholars with analytical tools applicable to broader questions of literary evolution and genre transformation.

Keywords

literary riddles, poetic imagery, folklore studies, metaphor theory, semantic transformation, genre evolution, oral tradition, cognitive poetics

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