Stylistic Analysis of Metaphors in Modern Pakistani English Poetry: A Linguistic and Literary Perspective

Abstract

Modern Pakistani English poetry reflects complex sociocultural, political, and personal realities utilizing a rich tapestry of metaphors. This article explores the stylistic role of metaphor in Pakistani English poetry, analyzing how metaphorical language constructs meaning and reveals poetic identity. Employing both linguistic and literary perspectives, the study investigates selected poems by prominent Pakistani poets such as Taufiq Rafat, Daud Kamal, Muneeza Shamsie, and Imtiaz Dharker. The analysis demonstrates that metaphors function not only as aesthetic devices but also as mechanisms for negotiating identity, expressing resistance, and articulating postcolonial sensibilities. Through a combination of textual analysis, stylistic critique, and discourse analysis, the article highlights how metaphors bridge the gap between local and global realities, contextualize historical trauma, and foster intimate connections between writer and reader. The findings underscore the contribution of metaphorical constructs to the evolution of Pakistani English poetry, suggesting future directions for research on transcultural poetics.