THE POETICS OF LANDSCAPE IN THE WORKS OF LOUISE GLÜCK AND HALIMA KHUDOYBERDIYEVA

Abstract

This article examines the poetics of landscape in the works of Louise Glück and Halima Khudoyberdiyeva through a comparative literary perspective. Although the two poets represent different literary traditions and cultural contexts, landscape occupies a central position in their poetic systems and functions as more than a descriptive element. The study argues that natural imagery in their poetry serves as a symbolic and psychological space through which personal experience, female subjectivity, memory, and philosophical reflection are expressed. Louise Glück employs landscapes characterized by gardens, flowers, seasons, rivers, and mythological settings to explore existential concerns, emotional isolation, and the cyclical nature of life. In contrast, Halima Khudoyberdiyeva's poetic landscapes are deeply rooted in the natural environment of Uzbekistan, where fields, mountains, rivers, trees, and rural scenery embody national identity, cultural memory, spiritual values, and the emotional world of women. Using comparative, descriptive, and textual analysis methods, the article identifies both common and distinctive features in the poets' use of landscape imagery. The findings demonstrate that while Glück constructs landscape as an introspective and metaphysical space, Khudoyberdiyeva presents it as a cultural and emotional continuum connecting the individual with family, homeland, and collective memory. The study contributes to comparative literary scholarship by revealing how landscape functions as a significant poetic category in articulating female consciousness across different literary and cultural traditions.