The Poetic Representation of the Werewolf Concept in English Fantasy Literature

Abstract

This article investigates the poetic representation of the werewolf concept in contemporary English fantasy literature through the lens of Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) and conceptual blending theory. Drawing on primary texts by J. K. Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, Stephen King, and Terry Pratchett, the study analyses how authors employ lycanthropic imagery to articulate themes of identity, liminality, social stigma, and human-animal duality. Employing a linguo-poetic methodology, the research demonstrates that the werewolf functions not merely as a supernatural creature but as a complex metaphorical construct encoding cultural anxieties about Otherness, masculinity, and bodily transformation. The findings reveal a coherent conceptual network structured around the source domain Beast and the target domain Deviant human identity, producing culturally embedded poetic meaning. The article contributes to the growing field of fantasy literature linguistics and opens avenues for further comparative study across cultural traditions.