THE CONCEPT OF “LOVE” IN J.R.R. TOLKIEN’S EPIC NOVEL “THE LORD OF THE RINGS”

The article presents the main approaches to the definition of the concept as the central term of theconceptual apparatus of cognitive linguistics. The authors adhere to the understanding of the concept as a carrier ofcultural meaning, a unit of consciousness of the writer, verbalized in the text of the work. The research material was J.R. R. Tolkien’s epic novel “The Lord of the Rings”. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that for the first time theanalysis of the concept of “love” in the individual picture of the world of the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien was carriedout. The study showed that the concept of “love” in the epic novel “The Lord of the Rings” turns out to be culturallymarked due to the author’s belonging to the English linguistic culture. It is established that in the text space of the epicnovel, love appears in various manifestations: in the form of romantic, patriotic, comradely, intra-family Christian love.The conceptual component of the concept “love” is considered in the etymological aspect: from the original nominationto the modern one based on the data of authoritative English dictionaries. The figurative component of the concept of“love” is explicated when describing the love feelings experienced by the characters, as well as their subjective ideasabout the object of their love. The value component of the concept of “love” is found in the study of the oppositions“love – hate”, “love – money”, “love – despair”, etc., presented in the novel. It is revealed that the concept of “love” is also closely related to the concepts of hope, honor and beauty. The article presents a rich illustrative material representing the national and cultural specifics of the concept under consideration.