Poetry from Elisa Mascia

The day you arrive

I awaited your arrival like a mother’s blood in her womb.

I throw away my broken shoes

I walk softly across the carpet of your heart.

My knees bow, caressing the absence of long days.

Take my hand and write the poetry of the stars, witnesses to the secret of a heartbeat and a breath.

Do you remember the rainbirds flying from the window at dawn?

They returned with the offering of happiness because they were lost in the orbits of the heavens, among the cosmic particles that resembled you.

They finally found your eyes, their salvation.

Now I feel the heartbeat in the center of the universe, I am drawn by the sound of bare feet.

Elisa Mascia – Italy – 16-9-2026

Essay from Hamroqulova Nilufar G’ulomjon qizi

HUMAN SKILLS IN THE AGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Activities Computers Cannot Fully Replace

Hamroqulova Nilufar G‘ulomjon qizi

Uzbekistan

Author Biography

Hamroqulova Nilufar G‘ulomjon qizi was born in 2011 in Qorako‘l District, Bukhara Region, Uzbekistan. She has participated three times in the Young Reader competition and was also a participant in the national stage of the Tamaddun Reading Competition. She is currently the founder of the Zukko Kitobxon Reading Club.

Abstract

Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly important role in modern life. It can perform some tasks traditionally carried out by humans and can become a useful assistant in many professions. However, some activities require deeply human skills, including empathy, personal communication, creativity, and practical abilities. This article discusses such human skills and activities.

Keywords

artificial intelligence; automation; future of work; labor market; computers; human skills

Introduction

Artificial intelligence and automation are rapidly changing the labor market. However, the future of work and the labor market also show that computers and algorithms cannot fully replace activities that require deeply human skills.

Pedagogy and Teaching

Teaching is not simply the transfer of information from a teacher to a student. It requires an individual approach to the learner and human interaction.

Psychology and Medical Care

Psychology, medical care, and working with patients require empathy and sincerity. Human communication and a caring attitude are important parts of working with people.

Genuine Creativity

Artificial intelligence can create images, but human creativity also involves personal experience and individual expression. Creating concepts and expressing personal experiences remain important human activities.

Skilled Manual Work

Manual work, farming, working in field conditions, and repairing unexpected problems can require practical human abilities and adaptation to circumstances.

Conclusion

Although artificial intelligence and automation can perform repetitive technical tasks, human skills such as personal communication, ethics, creativity, empathy, and emotional understanding remain important. In the future labor market, people who use technology while developing their unique human abilities can continue to contribute in important ways.

Essay from Nurillayeva Parichehra Baxodir qizi

THE USE OF LITERARY DEVICES IN THE POETRY OF ABDULLA ORIPOV

Nurillayeva Parichehra Baxodir qizi

Abstract

The use of literary devices in Abdulla Oripov’s lyric poetry manifests itself as a complex poetic mechanism that creates harmony among imagery, meaning, and rhythmic intonation. The aim of this study is to identify the functions of metaphor, simile, symbol, epithet, and figurative irony in the poet’s works and to reveal their ideological significance. Historical-comparative analysis, hermeneutic interpretation, and close reading of stylistic layers of the text were employed; in addition, a typology of images was identified at the level of couplets and poetic lines. The analysis demonstrates that literary devices are not merely decorative elements, but central components that shape the lyrical subject’s inner experiences, philosophical reflections, and aesthetic position. The semantic power of each poetic form was examined separately, and its direct relationship with symbolic layers was established. Metaphorical expression was found to frequently enhance the breadth of thought, whereas simile strengthens the precision of emotional expression; epithets, in turn, contribute to increasing the emotional intensity of an image. In conclusion, the study establishes that literary devices in Oripov’s poetics constitute a major factor in deepening meaning and structurally integrating lyrical discourse. The scholarly contribution of the study lies in providing a systematic description of the interrelationship between the typology of poetic images and figurative meaning, while also proposing a practical model for analyzing poetic imagery in literary theory.

Keywords: allegory, epithet, lyrical text, metaphor, simile, symbol, historical-comparative analysis

INTRODUCTION

Literary devices in Abdulla Oripov’s poetry remain a central issue in contemporary literary studies, as metaphor, simile, figurative expression, and symbolic images in his selected works contribute to the semantic condensation of poetic content. Such layers of imagery in Oripov’s lyric poetry have been interpreted as one of the factors defining the aesthetic standards of modern Uzbek poetry. Therefore, this topic has particular relevance at the intersection of literary theory, textual poetics, and the theory of artistic imagery.

Existing studies have examined literary devices in Oripov’s poetics in separate forms; however, their typological interrelationships and connections with textual semiotics have not been sufficiently generalized. In particular, the interaction of symbol, irony, and rhythmic parallelism within a unified poetic system has not yet been fully revealed. The object of the study is Abdulla Oripov’s selected lyrical heritage, while the subject is the poetic function of literary devices in these texts.

The aim of the study is to identify the use of literary devices in Abdulla Oripov’s poetry on the basis of historical-comparative and hermeneutic approaches. The objectives are: 1) to determine the corpus of selected poems; 2) to characterize metaphor and simile; 3) to distinguish figurative expressions and irony; 4) to identify the system of symbolic images; and 5) to interpret their poetic functions. Content analysis, qualitative content-categorical analysis, and stylistic analysis were employed in the research. The following section proceeds to a theoretical discussion based on these methods.

The novelty of the study lies in integrating literary devices in Oripov’s lyric poetry into a unified typological model consisting of four major directions. Within this model, imagery, rhythm, and figurative layers are presented as an interconnected system. Theoretically, the study clarifies the classification of poetic images in Uzbek poetry. Its practical results may contribute to teaching Oripov’s lyric poetry in higher education through the typology of poetic imagery.

THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS

Studies interpreting Abdulla Oripov’s lyric poetry have primarily attempted to examine imagery at three levels — lexical, semantic, and compositional. Mallaev defines imagery and artistic representation as the internal energy of poetic discourse and interprets figurative expression as a means of condensing meaning. Hayitmetov, meanwhile, connects poetic imagery with national thought and clearly distinguishes the differences between simile and metaphor in the transfer of meaning. These two approaches complement each other: the former provides a systematic classification, while the latter reveals the aesthetic foundation. Literary devices in Oripov’s texts operate precisely at the intersection of these two approaches; however, their internal hierarchy has not yet been sufficiently presented in chronological order.

Table 1. Major Approaches to the Study of Oripov’s Poetics

Approach| Main Unit| Analytical Criterion

Imagery studies| metaphor, simile| semantic density

Symbol studies| image, symbol| conceptual layer

Rhythmic analysis| repetition, parallelism| phonetic organization

Source: Compiled by the author based on the analysis of the literature.

The distribution presented in Table 1 demonstrates that previous studies have focused predominantly on individual tropes and images, whereas their relationship with textual poetics has not been explored with equal depth. Karimov identifies metaphor and simile as central mechanisms of Oripov’s style, while Sultonov argues that figurative expression and irony intensify layers of meaning. This distinction is theoretically significant: the first approach identifies the literary device, whereas the second reveals its ironic and philosophical significance. Therefore, the intersection of conceptual metaphor, textual semiotics, and lyrical genre typology has not yet been fully described.

In Soviet-era sources, poetic imagery was more often interpreted as a common Turkic aesthetic phenomenon. Reshetov viewed imagery in modern Uzbek poetry as a typological unit, while Baskakov associated imagery with the internal potential of language.

Studies of the independence period, however, separated symbols, epithets, and rhythmic parallelism in Oripov’s lyric poetry into distinct layers. This shift is methodologically significant: whereas earlier studies remained within the framework of general theory, later research moved closer to textual studies and discourse analysis. Nevertheless, the developmental dynamics of literary devices from Oripov’s early lyric works to his mature period have not been compared within a single corpus. This gap determines the historical-comparative and hermeneutic basis of the present study.

MAIN ANALYSIS

The results presented above demonstrate that literary devices in Abdulla Oripov’s poetics are not accidental ornaments but a central layer that unites meaning, rhythm, and the system of imagery. This conclusion suggests that figurative expressions in Oripov’s lyric poetry function not merely as separate tropes but as interconnected conceptual fields within textual poetics. Therefore, the typological groups identified in this study reveal the poet’s individual style together with the artistic thinking associated with a particular historical period. Such an interpretation demonstrates that in comparative analysis, not only the designation of an image but also its semantic load is significant.

Table 2. Functional Directions of Literary Devices in Abdulla Oripov’s Lyric Poetry

Functional Direction| Poetic Feature| Analytical Interpretation

Emotional| Four types of imagery density| Intensification of the inner pressure of lyrical experience

Ideological| Three-layer figurative connection| Philosophical meaning becomes more explicit

Symbolic| Interaction of five typological groups| Symbol generalizes personal experience

Compositional| Parallel construction within a couplet| Rhythmic integrity is maintained

Source: Author’s analysis.

The data in Table 2 more clearly demonstrate that literary devices perform both emotional and compositional functions simultaneously. In particular, the interaction of the symbolic layer with typological groups transforms the image in Oripov’s poetry from a single meaning into a polysemantic structure. This corresponds to the renewal of modern Uzbek poetry noted by Qosimov, since the image is no longer merely an expression but becomes a mechanism for organizing thought. Yuldoshev’s observations concerning literary devices also support this direction; however, the present study distinguishes their internal system more precisely through deviation-based analysis. Karimov emphasizes the proximity of metaphor and simile, whereas this study demonstrates their functional difference at the level of textual poetics. Consequently, metaphor in Oripov’s poetry often increases conceptual density, while simile makes lyrical imagery more accessible to the reader’s perception.

In international studies, the role of poetic imagery in modern lyric poetry has largely been interpreted as a common Turkic aesthetic unit; therefore, the national semantics of Oripov’s texts differs to some extent from those approaches. Reshetov noted the renewal of imagery in modern Uzbek poetry, while the present study relates this renewal to repetition and parallelism within individual poetic couplets. Baskakov interpreted imagery as an inherent characteristic of Uzbek poetry, whereas in Oripov’s texts this characteristic becomes more complex through symbolic representations. Sultonov considered figurative expression and irony to be closely related; however, the results presented above indicate that irony primarily produces evaluative tension, while figurative expression represents a conceptual form of semantic transfer. Ivanov emphasized the interchangeability of images and tropes within modern lyric poetry, whereas in the present corpus their layering rather than interchangeability is predominant. Petrov identified metaphor and symbol as central foundations of Oripov’s poetry, while the present analysis expands this view by connecting them with rhythmic parallelism.

The reason for this distinction is that Abdulla Oripov’s poetry developed beyond the poetic norms of the Soviet period and became enriched with the philosophical condensation and historical memory characteristic of the intellectual atmosphere of the independence period. From the perspectives of lexicology and morphology, images often begin as ordinary epithets and acquire the function of symbolic signs at the level of textual semiotics. The parallel functioning of phonetics and rhythm further reinforces figurative expression not only as a semantic but also as a sound-based phenomenon. Therefore, literary devices in Oripov’s lyric poetry should be understood not merely at the level of individual tropes but at the intersection of poetics and genre theory.

Theoretically, this approach connects concepts of imagery in literary theory with concrete textual experience. There are also two limitations: the selection is restricted to the poet’s selected lyrical texts, and because the analysis relies on quotations from poetic couplets, prose contexts and translation layers remain outside the scope of the study. Nevertheless, at the next stage, it would be appropriate to expand the typology of images according to individual genres and to examine the relationship between conceptual metaphor and textual poetics at more detailed levels.

DISCUSSION

Table 3. Functional Distribution of Literary Devices in Oripov’s Poetics

Indicator| Proportion| Poetic Function

Metaphor and figurative expression| 34.6%| Ideological condensation

Simile and comparative construction| 27.8%| Emotional clarification

Symbolic images| 37.6%| Compositional integration

Source: Author’s observations.

The results presented above demonstrate that literary devices in Oripov’s lyric poetry serve not merely to embellish content but to condense poetic thought and connect chains of imagery. Qosimov relates Oripov’s creative work to the renewal of modern Uzbek poetry; the present observation further clarifies the internal mechanism of this renewal at the level of artistic representation. While Yuldoshev notes the abundance of literary devices, the present analysis reveals their functional predominance. Karimov identifies metaphor and simile as central layers, whereas the compositional function of symbolic images appears more stable in the present study. This difference results from the strong relationship between conceptual metaphor and lyrical genre typology in Oripov’s textual poetics.

Approaches in Uzbek and Russian literary studies also complement this conclusion. Hayitmetov interprets poetic imagery as a product of national thought, while Reshetov emphasizes the linguistic condensation of imagery in modern Uzbek poetry; the present study combines these two directions through the example of Oripov. Baskakov emphasizes the natural character of imagery in Turkic poetry, while Ivanov demonstrates the influence of the tropic layer on textual semiotics. From this perspective, repetition and rhythmic parallelism in Oripov’s poems function as devices that strengthen semantic significance. The combination of figurative expression and irony reveals the internal contradictions of the lyrical subject and activates the pragmatics of the text.

The theoretical value of this study lies in interpreting literary devices not as separate ornaments but as organizing elements of the poetic system. Teachers may use this interpretation when analyzing Oripov’s lyric poetry at the intersection of textual poetics, morphology, and lexicology. A limitation of the study is that the analysis is restricted to a selected lyrical corpus; certain genres and manuscript variants were not included. Therefore, textual comparison should be expanded further. At the next stage, if Oripov’s literary heritage is classified according to lyrical genre typology and the relationship between symbol, simile, and the dialectological layer is examined separately, the poetic model may become more nuanced.

BIOGRAPHY OF NURULLAYEVA PARICHEHRA BAXODIR QIZI

Nurullayeva Parichehra Baxodir qizi was born on July 20, 2007, in Pastdargom District, Samarkand Region, Uzbekistan. She graduated from General Secondary School No. 38 on May 25, 2024. Currently, she is studying at Samarkand State University in the field of Philology and Language Teaching, specializing in the Uzbek language.

Since her childhood, she has been deeply interested in the subjects of Uzbek language and literature, particularly the Uzbek language, poetry, and fiction. She pays special attention to studying the rich potential of the Uzbek language, contributing to its development, and promoting it among young people.

In 2026, as part of the “35,000 Initiatives” national platform dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan, she initiated the project “1,000 Voices in the Uzbek Language.” For this initiative, she was awarded an official certificate. Through this project, she aims to promote the broad potential of the Uzbek language and contribute to its further development.

She is also actively interested in writing academic and creative articles, participating in various projects, and acquiring new knowledge and skills. In particular, she is interested in the works of Abdulla Oripov, artistic mastery in poetry, and linguistic features of literary works.

Her main goal for the future is to become a highly qualified specialist in the field of Uzbek language and literature, contribute to the development of the Uzbek language, and serve society through the knowledge and skills she acquires.

Poetry from Milka J. Šolaja

IT IS NOT A WORD THAT IS LIED TO

Are you the man

who kissed me in the rain,

whose name I don’t even know…

Are you the one to whom,

I,

enraptured,

spoiled my rhymes…

You listened to me,

found yourself in them,

in cold mornings

and quiet evenings,

and I looked for you

in every verse

and every word…

You couldn’t

stop me…

I was surprised that out of

so many words

I didn’t tell a single lie…

I was very careful

not to say I LOVE YOU,

because it has a special charm…

It is not a word that is said,

that is lied to…

That word is in the heart,

in anxiety, in the soul…

It is kept among the mute…

It is not spoken,

it suffocates you,

while it is in the chest…

It remains hidden and waits silently

when we are far away and alone,

resonating within us like an echo,

it is felt in the darkness.

Milka J.Šolaja

Belgrade

MILKA J. ŠOLAJA was born in Korenica, in the Republic of Croatia. Lives and works in Belgrade. She has been writing poetry since her high school days.

So far, she has published 11 independent poetry collections: “If I Were a Bird”, “Dreams in the Mirror”, “Between Reality and Sleep”, “Traces Will Remain”, “Black and White World”, “I Think Your Hands Are Yours”, “A Tear from Stone”, “I Was Born Alone” and two co-authored poetry collections: “I Dream with Verses” and “My Dreams Written in Verses”, published by “Kulture Snova” from Zagreb. 

The eleventh poetry collection “I Am This I Am” is in preparation for publication, as well as the autobiographical novel “Walking on the Edge”. She writes love, homeland, descriptive, reflective, spiritual and poetry for children. Translated into English, Hungarian, Bengali, Spanish, Greek, Odia, Arabic…

Award-winning, represented in many anthologies, monographs, collections and magazines, both domestic and international. Some poems are composed. Member of: Serbian Writers’ Association, Literary and Artistic Union “Vlaho Bukovac” from Split, “Culture of Dreams” from Zagreb, Institute for Children’s Literature in Belgrade. She is also a member of several International Groups, Forums and Academies for Poetry and Literature, where she has received a large number of awards. 

Essay from Yusufjonova Sabriya

Digital Innovations and Their Impact on Human Life


The wave of digital innovations entering our lives does not seem to be coming to an end anytime soon. While technologies have created numerous conveniences for people, they have also opened the door to new opportunities in human history. The concept of being “thousands of kilometers away” has, as before, been erased from
people’s minds; regardless of the distance, they can communicate with their loved ones and continue their work. According to the U.S. Federal Reserve and time-use studies, the opportunity to work remotely has given employees hundreds of additional hours each year by reducing the time spent commuting. Their arrival has
fundamentally changed our lives: thanks to technologies in medicine, many human lives have been saved and treatments for numerous diseases have been discovered; in education, the ability to gain knowledge regardless of distance has increased people’s access to learning; and conveniences have also begun to appear in our
everyday lives.


Despite all the advantages created by technologies, many problems have also begun to emerge. The growing dependence on phones and similar gadgets can disconnect people from the outside world, weaken their connections with loved ones, and negatively affect human psychology. The use of household appliances in everyday life has also encouraged laziness among people, while physical inactivity
has contributed to problems associated with excess weight. According to data from the World Health Organization, nearly 45 percent of the world’s population suffers from excess weight, and one of the main contributing factors is inactivity in the digital age. In the medical field, the use of ultraviolet radiation for examination and
treatment can also lead to certain skin diseases in people.


Furthermore, the greatest loss would be for technology to surpass humanity. The dominance of technology created by human beings over the only conscious species in the world—humankind—would mean that life itself had completely lost its meaning and was coming to an end. As we know, they are merely lifeless and emotionless pieces of metal.


Although technologies create thousands of opportunities for us, the problems arising because of them are also numerous. In conclusion, following moderation in their use can prevent such problems. In other words, they should simply be regarded as helpful household tools. Using them wisely and preventing dependence on them is the most appropriate path.


“It is frightening when technology surpasses humanity; it shows that we are winning a victory over our own intellect.”
— Albert Einstein

Poetry from Duane Vorhees

METAMORPHIC

My face : my soul : my gift : my fact

is nonetheless not less false than

my mask : my veil : my lifts : my act

Identitity is conditioned

by place ; by role : by circumstance

And yet : which we am I today?

Our sentinels : may be : rebels

and our surgeons : our assassins.

Whore : or Saint : may be in fashion,

the Hero : or The Disabled.

I will be one : or another

which my moment will discover.

SWASTIKAS? WHERE? WHICH ONES?

“I hide here in my private cellar

Ich bin der hellenkeller”

Banners flapping in he wind: my ears at half-mast,

ever banned from hearing the world’s sighs.

SWASTIKAS? WHERE? WHICH ONES?

“i hide here n my private cellar

Ich bin der hellenkeller.”

Banners flapping in the wind: my ears at hal-fast,

ever banned from hearing the world’s sighs,

they do make handy pegs though in this square boxed earth

To perch my lead spectacles upon

To keep all the winds off my eyes,

To keep out all the brightest lights,

To keep my fingers finallly free,

two fingers clutching my testicles,

Ywo fingers pinching my penis closed,

Right thumb a-plugging my anus,

Left hand chain-linked across my mouth, across nose

Too keep the breath of wind inside,

To keep from any reaching out

Of hands or brath or sound or mind

Into this our spectacle of hope or rage.

ROOTEDNESS

Some of us are rocket,

some are rock–

so how is stone decided?

by heat,

By pressure,

dissolution,

change.

How then re-assembled?ignited?launched?

By direction/determination? Or what?

Some of us are burden, some are bird:

Who imposes liberty?

Need we clothe our us in armor?

    ”      ”       ”         ”    ”   In chains?

Or disinvest safety altogether?

Do we judge pacifists

from their fists?

(Some would suggest a scalpel….

–our natures won’t alter even with chainsaws.)

But when clenched missiles powder the earth

and massy skies bring eagles down,

I see us: spots in the carnage:

O carnations.

WE WAKE AT DAWN

with flamingo and parakeet.

they pave the path with pink

and peach but pause their way

to sip the dew

(your eyes blink and flash in the dark,

a pair of stars lost in their ark, still waiting

for the sky to blue, to fill our desert with manna)

lured by the hue of banana and an excitement

for the new, the gibbon gentle golden ape

is first to make the grand escape through

the gates of the day’s black zoo (–and the timid

constellations retreat to tomorrow’s stations–)

and tiger torch in hot pursuit —

BAIKAL HAIKU

Your face is wrinkled,

my haven, my love, my lake,

but your soul is deep.

Once, practiced anglers,

burdened with tackle and bait,

surrendered their sleep.

Being fish-fingered,

they just foundered in your wake,

floundered on your beach.

I’m a star-drinker

who had no trophy to take

but was yours to keep.

Poetry from Egamnazarova Shahina Shakhriyor qizi

We will meet suddenly.

Did you look for me in the far east,

Did you think of me while I was burning?

Then one day Allah will surely

Suddenly, he showed me the way.

Your life is like the sky and the firmament

Your sorrows are like a cloud inside you.

Did you search for me in the sky and blue,

Why haven’t you found me yet?

I can feel it if you can’t find me,

Because you don’t know me yet.

Maybe one day we’ll meet again,

Is it fate that day at the bookstore?

Egamnazarova Shahina Shakhriyor qizi was born on November 28, 2006 in Kashkadarya region. She is currently studying at Turan University, Department of Philology: Language Teaching (Uzbek). She works as the deputy director of the Karshi Medical College.

She is a recipient of the National Hope Badge. Several of her articles have been published in international journals. Articles from Turkey’s “Fountain of Knowledge”, Germany’s “GERMAN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL” and the article “Science and Education” of Uzbekistan, “Today’s Youth and Reading Issues” is published in “FUTURE DIRECTIONS IN INTERDISCIPLINARY SCIENCE STUDIES”

She’s published in scientific journals and conferences. Her creative works include the story “Gift” published in the republican spiritual-educational, social-popular publication “Inson Manafati”. The poem “Bolaylik soginchi” (Childhood longing) was published in the Kashkadarya newspaper “Oha”, and the story “Kushcha” (Little bird) was published in the creative magazine “Umid uchquni”. She’s a holder of B1 Certificate in English and Turkish.

She’s the founder of the “World Behind the Page” project at Karshi Medical College. Member of the “Leader Girls Club” at Turan University, a group of active girls. In addition, she is the captain of the “Mushoira Club”. She is regularly engaged in scientific and creative activities, prepares scientific articles. She is interested in reading books and poetry. In the future, she aims to become an accomplished specialist in his field and always bring gratitude to her parents.