The secrecy of the popularity of I. Yusupov’s poems among people can be explained by the fact that in his poems, I. Yusupov always expressed the most cordial feelings and wishes of people with great inspiration and deep lyricism.

The poet mostly chose his literary characters from real life, from his own time and tried to create their unique images. We can see this in the character of the first President of Uzbekistan I.A. Karimov created by I. Yusupov.

In the article we set a goal to reveal the original ways of creating I. Karimov’s character in the poetry of the poet. The poem “President” has been selected as the object of the research. Other poems of the poet were also studied in the process of scientific and typological analysis.

The poet’s poem “President” was first published in the newspaper “Milliy tiklanish” (National revival) and was well received by majority of the readers. Later, in 1999, the poet’s collection of poetry “Omir Saghan Ashykpan” (I Love you Life) was also published. The poet used skillfully numerous tropes, figures of speech, details, symbols, phraseological units, proverbs, legendary and mythological images in the poem in order to create the character of I.Karimov.    

For example:

Although the empire was a seven-headed dragon,

You went to it in spite of the fire coming out of its mouth,

And showed a great courage,

Just to free the phoenix from captivity. 

In these lines the poet successfully used the mythical images of Seven-headed dragon and phoenix in creating metaphors. The former Soviet Union is described as an empire; the poet likens it to a seven-headed dragon breathing out fire. As for the phoenix, it is used as the symbol of freedom. Thus, the author describes the activity of the first President I.A. Karimov for the sake of getting freedom for his country, his unexampled heroism with the help of metaphors peculiar to his own style.

Let’s pay attention to the next verse of the poem:

Hoping to reach a great future,

People were glad, with the happy music sounding,

The sun of independence rose,

At the far end of eastern sky.

In this couplet the line “The sun of independence rose” is used in the figurative meaning rather than the direct meaning.  Uzbekistan was one of the first republics of the former Soviet Union who declared its independence and started to build an independent state.  

 This historical event was expressed through the metaphor “The Sun of Independence”. The poet says that the hero of the poem is carrying the whole fate of the nation on his own shoulders, leading it forward without deviating from the right path. He also says that the people are obliged to him and wish him all the best in his endeavors.

You are carrying on your strong shoulders,

The fate of the people,

 The motherland is satisfied with you.

You’ll be greatly popular,

God save you, Mister President!

The lines “You are carrying on your strong shoulders,

The fate of the people. The motherland is satisfied with you,” in this couplet remind us the ancient Greek literary character of  Prometheus from the Aeschylus’s work “Chained Prometheus”. In that work the man who was cold and suffered steals fire and brings it to his children. Prometheus also teaches people different arts and grants them a happy life. People throughout the world start to live happily and peacefully. Zeus gets angry with Prometheus because of his kindness and puts him in irons and fastens in the mountain for a long time. However, he never gives up. He devotes himself to the happiness of the humanity. And his fidelity does not go unnoticed. The son of man Heracles frees him from the captivity.

The motive of  “Going to the fire breathing dragon to save the phoenix from captivity” described in the first lines of the poem is like the motive about how Prometheus was not afraid of the anger of Zeus and helped the humanity to free it. Apart from properly using legendary and mythological images, the poet relevantly points out his main principles in governing the state. This underlines the value of the poem.

Let the new generation respect us,

May God always be with us,

Let’s leave free and prosperous country,

To the future generation.

It is true that the idea of “Building an independent and developed Motherland, free and prosperous life” was the in the focus of this statesman’s attention. He laid the foundation of our well-being by developing both urban and rural areas.  In the phrases “Let them respect,” “Let the God be with us,”

“Let’s leave free and prosperous country” from the poem we can clearly see the impact of folklore genre.  

The artistic value of the poem is significantly high. The poet based the poem not only on the  thoughts that excited him, but also on the feelings seething in the heart of our people.  We think, therefore, I.A. Karimov was deeply touched by the poem and wrote the following letter to him:

“… “I was greatly touched by your poem published in the newspaper  “Milliy Tiklanish”(National Revival).  Each of its lines expresses cordiality and true respect … I am very much obliged to you for writing such a poem from the bottom of your heart and wish you good health and all the luck in your creative work.

Yours sincerely,

I.A. Karimov, the President of the Republic of  Uzbekistan.”

This letter of our dear first President has greatly encouraged and inspired the poet. The greatness of our first President’s policy is that he always put forward the concepts of  “peace” and “friendship” and enriched the whole spirit of our people with such good  ideas.

 Many nations suffer from confusion,

If you ask anyone from president to farmers,

What disturbs their sleep,

Only two words, peace and friendship.

The poem “Eki Soz” (Two Words), which was included in the poet’s collection of poetry titled “Har kimning oz zamany bar” (Everybody Has His Own Time), with its artistic and ideological orientation, serves to deeply reveal I. Karimov’s  image and diversify it. The poet describes wars and

hardships taking place in the world with the help of the metaphor “arasat azaby” (anguish of confusion ). Also the words “arasat” and “khader” are derived from the Arabic and Persian languages and strengthen the artistic value of the poem.

The first President of Uzbekistan said with good reason, “Uzbek people need peace and safety”. The poet I. Yusupov describes this fair policy in his poetry as follows:

Let fires burn in the oven,

Let horses race for the prize,

If anybody warms his hands spreading the fire of war,

He’ll be cursed and despised.

Let the rams clash with each other,

Let the cocks spar with one another,

If people fight everything will be ruined.

The poem calls on people to value peace and harmony among people. The style of parallelism  is used knowledgeably in the poem. In other words, the fire in the oven, the fire of war, the cockfighting and wars between peoples are described in parallel.  Apart from this, the phrases such as “Spread the fire of war”, “to be cursed”, “to be ruined” are also used in it. They, in their turn, also strengthen the artistic merit of the poem and its emotional impact on the reader. 

The great achievement of the Independence is the strengthening of the  Friendship between Uzbekistan and other countries of the world. It is the main policy of our independent country. Therefore, I.Yusupov set himself a main goal to praise the friendship and harmony among the fraternal peoples.  For example let’s pay attention to these lines from the poem “Tuwiskhanlykh” (Fraternity):

It is fraternity,

Which makes us share water,

Mixes  our peoples,

Likens our music to that of Turkmens.

Makes Kazakhs kill a horse,

And Kirgiz  kill a sheep,

Make us to set up a yurt and serve the head of an animal,

Fraternity with the same custom.

In this poem the poet says that we are closely related with all Turkic peoples and of the same origin, their happiness is our great happiness, and their misfortune is our grief. The word “Ghardash” (friend), used in the poem, carries its own artistic meaning.  If he used our own word “aghain” (friend), the poem would not have such strong influence. Besides this  our national tradition  of generously receiving guests is depicted by the metonymy “Set up a yurt and serve the head of an animal”

People still remember I. Karimov’s caring for Karakalpaks at the beginning of the Independence. In 1993, speaking at 48 session of UN, he said that the Aral Sea ecological  catastrophe is the worldwide disaster and aid should be rendered to people living there.  He was one of the first to bring up the issue at such a high level. Due to his dedication to people’s interests and love for Karakalpaks, he is deeply respected by them. Perhaps, therefore, some people thought him “to be a Karakalpak” and were very glad.  The fraternal relations between Karakalpaks and Uzbeks serve as a basis for thinking so, and we can see its description in these lines of the poet:

It is Fraternity,

which made Uzbek my own brother,

Offered great happiness,

Made us cook in one cauldron.

The poet described the cordial, brotherly relationship between Uzbeks and Karakalpaks with the help of the metaphor “agha” (brother) in the other example he used the phrase “made us cook in one cauldron” to express the unity of the two nations. Also, the poet’s lines,

Just as the saying “When my brother is here, I am calm”,

The great Tashkent is his favored brother.

The proverb “When my brother is here, I am calm”, from the folklore stories is used to show the relations between the two nations with the characteristic features peculiar to Karakalpak people.

In conclusion, we understand that I. A. Karimov’s devotion to the people of Uzbekistan, his activities for the sake of nations throughout the world, and his brotherly support of Karakalpak people should be honored forever. Therefore, I. Yusupov, who noticed it in time, wrote a poem about him.

We can be convinced of I. Karimov’s wise leadership, of his thinking not only of today, but also about the future of his people, and by the fact that he prepared a reliable, clever and honest man to lead our country after him.

In fact, Sh. M. Mirziyoyev’s measures directed to glorify I.A. Karimov’s name, and the monument build in honor of Karimov is the symbol of honor and dedication to him. As a result of this, our new president Sh. M. Mirziyoyev has got people’s confidence and love in a very short time of his presidency and

won their hearts.

Therefore, I.Yusupov wrote:

The person who mounts you on the high marble,

Will always be respected,

The country for which you wanted the freedom,

The Independent Country will remember you.

In conclusion, the ideological and thematic, artistic and atesthetic, and emotional knowledge used by I.Yusupov in the process of creating the character of

I.A.Karimov will serve for the education of the young generation.

Ayimbetova Zamira Maksetbai kizi,

Master of Karakalpak State University named after Berdakh.