Abstract
The use of metaphors in political discourse is a linguistic strategy that has been used all over the world. Studies on metaphor have therefore been done in various parts of the world. This paper reviewed studies on metaphor in political discourse to assess the role metaphor played in political discourse. It aimed to contribute to the field of metaphor in political discourse by reviewing studies done in this field. The study aimed to show that a metaphor as a linguistic tool could be manipulated both for pragmatic and strategic reasons. The review showed that metaphors were used to help the voting public to make sense of different political issues and therefore to express their general attitudes towards politics. Further, they helped to make citizens identify with and understand their beliefs and goals for their country. The mapping principle of source and target domains was further used by the politicians to fulfill their persuasive and rhetorical goals in political discourse. Apart from being used as a face-saving strategy, the review showed that metaphors also revealed speakers’ ideological positions. Key words: Politics, political discourse, cognitive linguistics, conceptual metaphor.
Highlights
Studies on political discourse have been based on the view that metaphors play a central role in public discourse, political discourse
The studies reviewed earlier have shown that a metaphor is a cognitive device and pervades political discourse
The studies have revealed that political discourse has been studied using both Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT)
Summary
Studies on political discourse have been based on the view that metaphors play a central role in public discourse, political discourse. These studies have argued that metaphors have significant rhetorical and persuasive use in political discourse. This study reviewed seven studies on metaphor in political discourse both in and outside Kenya to assess the role metaphor played in political discourse. Pragmatics of Metaphor in Taiwanese Politics; Vestermark (2007), Metaphors in Politics: A Study of Metaphorical Personification of American Political Discourse, An Extended Essay; Taiwo (2010), Metaphors in Nigerian Political Discourse; Habwe (2010), Dialogue Drama in Kenyan Political Speeches and Its Pragmatic Implications; Sharifi et al (2012), Role of Body Members in Constructing Metaphors in Persian Political Texts; Clarissa (2012), Mafumbo: Considering the Functions of Metaphorical Speech in Swahili Contexts and Michira (2014), The Language of Politics: A CDA of the 2013 Kenyan Presidential Campaign Discourse
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