Poets Omer Tarin and William Blake, despite coming from different religious and cultural backgrounds (Pakistani and English), use identical symbols—Pipe, Woman, and Bird—to express the soul's ineffable union with the Divine. A comparative cognitive analysis applying Mental Spaces theory from Cognitive Poetics and Perennialism from Comparative Mysticism shows that these symbols function not merely as artistic decoration but as cognitive tools for meaning construction. The analysis demonstrates a shared unitary poetic-mystical consciousness between the two poets, revealing a commonality in how abstract mystical experiences of Divine Love are grounded in concrete symbols. The study calls for further cross-cultural research on mystical language and poetry.
The poetry of indigenous peoples, specifically Palestinians and Native Americans, predominantly operates within a sensual or self-consciousness framework, reacting against the brutish consciousness of oppressors who deny their rights to life, liberty, and happiness. However, poets Mahmoud Darwish and Joy Harjo strive to transcend this limited perspective and adopt a broader cosmic consciousness or universal vision. Their peaceful, universal outlook is frequently disrupted by harsh realities and the inhumane actions of their oppressors. Their verses do not entirely abandon the particular or sensual; rather, it remains present but tempered by a universal perspective.