LYRIC HERO IN CLASSICAL UZBEK POETRY: ARTISTIC IMAGE, SPIRITUAL-PHILOSOPHICAL CONTENT, AND LITERARY TRADITIONS

Abstract

This article offers a comprehensive scholarly analysis of the formation, artistic function, and spiritual-philosophical essence of the lyric hero in classical Uzbek poetry. The study examines poetic works of the 15th–16th centuries, with particular attention to the genres of ghazal, rubaiyat, and masnavi. It argues that the lyric hero is not merely a bearer of romantic sentiment, but a complex artistic subject embodying the inner world of the individual, spiritual maturation, ethical stance, and the aspiration to comprehend divine truth.

Through a comparative analysis of the works of Alisher Navoi and Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur, the distinctive features of the lyric hero are identified, and the reductionist approach equating the lyric hero with the author’s personality is critically reconsidered. The study employs comparative-analytical, historical-typological, hermeneutic, and structuralist methods. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the development of the human concept in classical Uzbek poetry and propose updated theoretical approaches for teaching and interpreting classical literary texts.