Paradoxical Metaphors in Poetic Song Discourse

Abstract

The paper focuses on highlighting the differences between recognition and interpretation of active conceptual metaphors indicating universal truth and specific author’s metaphors grounded in his own life experience. It has been proven that due to their complexity, paradoxical nature, and the variability of language expressions metaphors are effectively used to deliver universal truth in poetic discourse, namely in bard song lyrics and singing poetry. The analysis is based on the material of Leonard Cohen’s posthumous album “Thanks for The Dance”. The well-known features of active metaphors such as clarity and communicative power are opposed to unique paradoxical and mirroring metaphors used by the author to impose multiple levels of metaphor recognition in poetics song discourses. The metaphorical coding of poetry is achieved through establishing an intercode agreement between the recipients and the poet.