Metaphor Research Articles

From Evictions to Shame: Exploring Hysterectomy Through Metaphor

The present study analyzes metaphorical expressions related to hysterectomy in a diverse corpus comprising scientific texts, Reddit forums, and patient-authored articles and blogs. The research aims to understand how hysterectomy is discursively constructed and experienced by women. The corpus reveals a range of metaphors from clinical descriptions to personal and creative expressions. The analysis shows that metaphors not only reflect but also influence women's perceptions of their bodies and the procedure. The study identifies metaphors including the uterus as a 'tenant' or 'kidnapper,' and the procedure as an 'eviction' or a 'robbery', highlighting the emotional and psychological aspects of hysterectomy. Limitations include the corpus size, lack of metadata to establish more correlations, and its Western-centric perspective, suggesting the need for more inclusive research. The study contributes to the discourse on women's health, emphasizing the role of language in shaping medical experiences. It underscores the need for understanding metaphorical language to improve communication and support for women undergoing hysterectomy.

PERCEPTIONS OF HUMAN-NATURE RELATIONSHIPS IN JOY HARJO'S AMERICAN INDIAN POEMS

The connection between nature and Joy Harjo's American Indian poems is worth discussing because nature impacts human existence. To confirm and consider ideas about the environment, particularly the environment's vulnerability to human activity and exploitation, this study examines metaphorical language in some of Harjo's works. By examining the complex interactions between the environment and humans, this study advances our knowledge of how issues of ecology are portrayed in literature to promote environmental awareness. This research examines ecological themes in two American Indian poems by Joy Harjo, Talking with the Sun and Once the World Was Perfect, using Garrard's ecocritical theory and qualitative methodology. The research shows how Harjo's works demonstrate the detrimental effects of human activities on ecosystems and, as a result, criticize anthropocentrism through qualitative ecocritical analysis. Talking with the Sun explores the spiritual bond between humans and nature, while Once the World Was Perfect highlights the damages caused by environmental degradation and human exploitation. This research contributed to the discourse of ecocriticism by highlighting how literature can highlight issues of the environment.

Animals as a Stereotyping and Characterising Element in Slovenian Name-Callings

The article discusses deeply rooted linguistic comparisons as stereotypical images in the form of name-callings. A very common element of these comparisons are animals as living beings with their own characteristics, living in a common environment: A human characteristic is compared to a prescribed, but not necessarily intrinsic, characteristic of a particular animal. The characteristics ascribed to animals are socially stereotyped and disseminated as generalised images using a metaphorical language that form so-called collective symbols.

Metaphor patterns in Sesotho fiction: The case of the novel Chaka

In this study, we examine the nature, distribution, and stylistic effect of metaphors used in the Sesotho novel Chaka. Previous studies have discussed the metaphoric language in Thomas Mofolo’s work, revealing that, among others, Mofolo uses metaphors to articulate his themes and for stylistic effect. We begin our analysis by identifying and listing all the linguistic and underlying conceptual metaphors used in our sample data. We then analyse the linguistic and conceptual metaphors in terms of whether they are conventional or novel and whether they are creatively employed or not. We also explore the distribution of linguistic metaphors across word classes. Lastly, we explore the stylistic effects of these metaphors. The metaphor patterns in Chaka reflect a strong influence of Sesotho cultural and cognitive structures, including orature. The majority of the linguistic metaphors in the novel are the conventional and non-creative ones whose metaphorical meanings are found in Sesotho dictionaries and whose function is to create a text that can resonate with early 20th century Basotho. Our analysis shows that, to a lesser extent, the metaphors were used to create a text similar to Western literary texts and to promote Christianity. Seemly, it is this attribute of having a deep relationship with other Sesotho texts and cultural practices, including Sesotho orature, that led to the delay in the publication of the novel after it had been completed.

Effects of metaphorical communication on vaccine confidence in the adolescent population

Abstract Vaccine hesitancy, defined as delay or refusal of vaccination despite the availability of vaccination services, has been included by WHO among the top 10 global health threats. Individual decision-making process can be strongly affected by communication. The use of metaphors is common in public health communication and increased during the COVID19 pandemic. Although some evidence has supported the persuasive potential of metaphorical language over scientific language, further research is needed. Our study aimed at comparing the effects of neutral scientific talk with war and protective metaphors on health communication. An online survey was conducted on a convenience sample of Italian teenagers randomly allocated to three study arms. Each participant was invited to watch a specific version of an informative video on infections and vaccines (group 1: neutral-scientific approach, group 2: metaphorical-war, and group 3: metaphorical-protective approach). After watching the video, each participant responded to an ad-hoc questionnaire. A total of 2681 subjects were randomly allocated to the three groups. No significant differences regarding age, sex and geographical area were detected between groups. Median age of the sample was 17 years (mean 16,8) and 56.8% were girls. The general attitude towards vaccination in group 2 and 3 was largely positive, with the majority agreeing (strongly or tend to agree) on the fact that vaccination is important (group 2: 89%; group 3: 92%), safe (group 2: 91%; group 3: 92,5%), effective (group 2: 85%; group 3: 88%), and does not generate anxiety (group 2: 80%; group 3: 83%). Higher level of distrust against vaccines was found in group 1, where 32% of participating adolescents are strongly or tend to be anxious about getting vaccinated. The results of our survey suggest that emotional involvement evoked through the use of metaphorical language may have, at least in the short run, some positive effect on vaccine confidence. Key messages • Use of metaphors can be successfully used in public health communication. • Messages evoking either war or protecting concepts are more efficacious than plain scientific language.

Chinese-English Translation Strategies for Metaphors Based on Domestication and Foreignization

As an essential rhetorical device in language expression, metaphor deeply reflects the cultural background and social cognition. Metaphor translation needs to convey the meaning of language as well as the cultural connotations behind the metaphor. This study found that when the metaphorical images contain the same symbolic meaning in Chinese and English cultures, applying foreignization to reproduce the original metaphorical images can maintain the uniqueness and writing style of the source text and avoid the loss of cultural connotations in the translation process. Instead, in the case of different metaphorical images, using domestication to replace or omit the original symbolic images in the target language can improve the readability and acceptance of the translation. However, no studies explore applying metaphor translation strategies based on comparing the similarities and differences of metaphors in different languages and cultures, causing subjectivity in selecting metaphor translation strategies. This study compares the symbolic meanings of metaphors in Chinese and English cultures and provides a reliable and objective basis for selecting domestication and foreignization for metaphor translation, which help to achieve more effective faithfulness and cultural transmission. This analysis provides practical references for translation strategies of metaphors and promotes the depth of cross-cultural communication.

Cultural, Cognitive, and Ecological Dynamics of Individual Religiosity

In the following, I consider how to better link the study of cognition and behavior to the evolutionary origins of cognitive mechanisms, within the framework of embodied cognition theory. Specifically, I attempt to show this by examining the topic of individual commitment, its origins, and its relationship to beliefs and identity. I then go on to point out that the way we talk about cognition and cognitive processes can be misleading, and although we cannot dispense with the use of metaphorical language, it might be worth considering some of the shortcomings of the metaphors in order to rid ourselves of misconceptions.

Enhancing Metaphor Recognition of Literary Works in Applied Artificial Intelligence: A Multi-Level Approach with Bi-LSTM and CNN Fusion

ABSTRACT Understanding metaphorical language is essential for AI to interpret and communicate with humans accurately. However, current methods often struggle with the complexity of metaphors, making it difficult for AI systems to understand human language fully. Recognizing metaphors is challenging because they are frequently ambiguous and depend on context. In this study, we propose a new approach using a combination of Bi-directional Long Short-Term Memory (Bi-LSTM) networks, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), and uni-directional LSTM components to create a multi-level model for recognizing metaphors. Our model uses various features, including dependency, semantics, and part-of-speech, to improve its learning ability. Additionally, we introduce a new method for recognizing the emotional context of metaphors using a random walk model to determine the emotional tone of words. Our results show that this model improves performance in recognizing metaphors, enhancing AI’s ability to understand them.

Spiritual Healing: Ragam Bahasa Balian Sebagai Salah Satu Pelestarian Tradisi Lokal di Bali

This research aims to identify the language varieties of Balian and the factors that influence these language varieties. This research is descriptive qualitative with a linguistic and pragmatic theory approach used by Balian. Data collection was done by in-depth interviews with Balians in the hotel. The collected data were then transcribed and thematically coded to identify patterns in language use, such as the use of language, the use of metaphorical language styles, and the sentence structure used. The results found that the balian language variety when communicating with clients is the use of affirmative language, the use of spiritual metaphor style, and the use of imperative sentence structure to direct the client's experience and emotional response during the healing process. Meanwhile, the factors that influence balian language varieties are cultural, spiritual, social, economic, and personal factors. An understanding of these factors helps explain how balians navigate between local traditions and the needs of their clients, as well as how they integrate different elements of language to create effective and meaningful healing experiences. Future studies go more in-depth into analyzing balian language use when viewed pragmatically and therapeutically.

АРХЕТИПЫ И МИФОЛОГЕМЫ КОЛЛЕКТИВНОГО СОЗНАНИЯ В ФРАЗЕОЛОГИЗМАХ И МЕТАФОРАХ РУССКОГО ЯЗЫКА

In modern linguistics, one of the pressing issues is the problem of determining the essence of mythologemes and archetypes, as well as their functions. This article examines the archetypes and mythologems that form the deep semantics of Russian phraseological units and metaphors. Phraseologisms of the Russian language, which constitute a separate special layer of the vocabulary as a whole, have always been of interest to researchers. The formation of their stable semantics is the result of the historical development of mankind. Phraseological units of language and metaphors of collective consciousness always appeal to human experience. Since ancient times, humanity has sought to find an answer to the question of the creation of the world and man, to explain the reality around it, and this desire remains relevant for modern human society. Man's original desire to explain the essence of the universe is reflected in myths. Since man’s first attempts to explain the phenomena of reality are enshrined in myths, we turn to concepts such as “archetype” and “mythologem”, which are directly units of myth. This work analyzes several phraseological units and metaphors of the Russian language, the meanings of which are motivated by archetypes and mythologems of mass consciousness. From time immemorial, myths have never lost their relevance in human life and society. After all, a myth always establishes an idea as an ideal and at the same time is a guarantee of the stability of this ideal. It is in myths that the basic ideas of morality are contained (the ideas of good - evil, friend - stranger, Divine - Demonic, etc.), according to which orders are established in modern society. It is these ideas of morality, the binary oppositions of good and bad, which are preserved in mythologems, that perform the function of controlling the semantics of phraseological units and metaphors in the language. By comparing language and the mythological consciousness of society, we can determine the semantic core of phraseological units and the logic of the appearance in the language of certain metaphors that are associated with prototypes in the collective unconscious.

An emotional perspective on the Multiple Streams Framework

AbstractEmotions are central to human behavior and, consequently, play a significant role in policymaking. While the Multiple Streams Framework (MSF) incorporates the notion of “public mood” into the political stream, this concept primarily focuses on a fleeting, less intense, and diffuse emotional state that is not necessarily linked to a specific triggering event or policy‐related object. To address this limitation, the current article draws on robust findings from political psychology, viewing and interpreting the MSF through an emotional lens. It investigates the intersections between emotions, on the one hand, and the assumptions and structural elements of the MSF, on the other, by sharpening existing concepts—such as the emotional agenda (policy) window, emotional decision window, and emotional policy entrepreneurs—to examine emotionality in policy dynamics. It concludes by discussing how an emotional perspective on the MSF can help scholars generate nuanced hypotheses, overcome the MSF's metaphorical language, and gauge when policy may be in search of a rationale.

Metaphor in Music Pedagogy and Its Connection to Embodiment Consciousness

This paper provides a commentary on “Embodiment Consciousness in Music Performance Pedagogy” by Alves and Nogueira, developing the notion that metaphorical language and extra-musical information can allow expert teachers to convey various teaching strategies. I expand upon some of the themes that are addressed in the article and the concept of metaphor in particular. This opens up some interesting ideas around how metaphors are culturally understood phenomena, ones that expert teachers can use to their advantage. The authors provide a framework in which this can be understood in terms of embodiment consciousness. However, there is room for more nuance as it relates to process.

Boundary obsessions

Boundaries in contemporary art practice and education contexts are often conceived as distinctions between disciplines, inscribed through material conventions and discursive traditions. In art, a field that continually touts trans-disciplinarity and post-medium approaches, it is considered productive to occupy multiple disciplinary positions and effectively enlarge or re-draw the territory of possible creative action. This obsession with disciplinary limits reveals a language of spatial metaphors (fields, frontiers and domains) and breaching actions (breaking boundaries, expansion). In this article we highlight how the language of disciplinarity today is spatialized, and premised on notions of imperialist territoriality which are at odds with efforts to decolonize art. We speculate on other ways to approach disciplinarity without theorizing boundaries and their rupture, and re-consider discipline through: ecologies of teaching and learning, an imaginative burrowing under the surface, and working with discipline as an agential material.

Conceptual Metaphor Analysis in Advertising Slogans about Coffee Brands

This paper delves into the strategic use of conceptual metaphors in advertising slogans for coffee brands, exploring how these linguistic devices influence consumer perception and brand appeal. By employing cognitive linguistic theories, this study categorizes eight global coffee brand slogans into five distinct metaphorical patterns, revealing the underlying conceptual mappings that enhance brand messaging. The analysis underscores the importance of metaphorical language in simplifying complex ideas, evoking emotional responses, and establishing a connection between the product and the consumer’s everyday experiences. This paper concludes that the judicious application of conceptual metaphors in advertising is a powerful tool for creating memorable and impactful slogans that resonate with the target audience.

THE EVOLUTION OF METAPHOR IN THE DIACHRONIC ASPECT ON THE MATERIAL OF ENGLISH POETRY

Metaphor is a linguistic tool used to express ideas or concepts through comparison. In the diachronic aspect, metaphor can be observed over time as it changes and evolves in a language.The term "diachronic" refers to the study of language evolution over time, and in this context, the article is focused on the evolution of metaphor in English poetry. The use of metaphor has been a consistent feature of poetry throughout history, and this article analyzes the ways in which metaphor has evolved over time in the English language.Different types of English poetry are analyzed in the article, ranging from medieval to contemporary, and tracing the evolution of metaphorical language in each era. This analysis involves identifying specific metaphors or themes thatwere popular in each era, as well as examining how the use of metaphor has changed over time [1, p.24]. Such methods as literary analysis, descriptive analysis, and comparative historical method were used to study metaphor in the diachronic aspect.By analyzing the use of metaphor in English poetry across different time periods, researchers gain insight into the historical and cultural contexts that shaped language use. It also provides insights into the cognitive processes involved in metaphorical thinking and language use. By examining how poets have used metaphor to convey meaning and evoke emotions over time, researchers gain a deeper understanding of how the human brain processes and interprets language.In summary, the study of the evolution of metaphor in the diachronic aspect on the material of English poetry is scientifically significant because it sheds light on the historical and cultural contexts of language use, provides insights into the cognitive processes involved in metaphorical thinking, and has practical applications in fields such as language teaching and natural language processing.

Scaling Imagination: The Language Machine and Poetry

The article focuses on the specificity and functions of metaphors in the poetry of Radosław Jurczak, and more broadly in the work of the youngest poets, for whom life in the world of digital media and the prospect of the development of artificial intelligence is an important part of their formative experience. The paper uses the terms introduced by Mark Fisher for this purpose: the weird and the eerie. The analysis compares poetic devices in Jurczak’s poems with the concept of poetic language of the first avant-garde, pointing out the changes occurring in the poetics and aesthetics of the works, also focusing on figures relating to the technological sphere of modernity. The paper polemizes with the view expressed by Jerzy Jarzębski, who considers the phrase “artificial intelligence” to be a fashionable and harmful oxymoron that defines the pragmatic, reductionist worldview of its users. The article argues that the incorporation of terms that have the status of catachreses and over-lexicalized metaphors in everyday language into the language of poetry allows their creative potential and ambiguity to be recovered. Finally, the paper considers scaling as a characteristic feature of the new poetic imagination, which also requires readers to take a new approach to the language of the new poetry.

Conceptual Metaphors and Image Schemas in the conceptualization of Neoliberalism and Socialism in Presidential Inauguration Speeches. An infometric approach

Introduction: This study explores how neoliberalism and socialism are conceptualized through image schemas in political discourse. These conceptual frameworks are best analyzed using the Conceptual Metaphor Theory, specifically its analytical tool of image schemas. The metaphorical structures identified in the analyzed texts reflect a polarized stance, particularly opposing right-wing ideologies. Neoliberalism is metaphorically framed as something negative, associated with darkness, evil, and positioned downward. Objective: To analyze how neoliberalism and socialism are conceptualized in political discourse using image schemas. Methods: The study employed a bibliographic review to collect and analyze political texts, focusing on metaphorical language. Articles were selected based on relevance and discarded if they lacked clear metaphorical usage or did not align with the research focus. The analysis utilized the Conceptual Metaphor Theory to identify image schemas in the discourse. Development: The study highlights that the conceptual metaphors present in political discourse shape public perception by framing neoliberalism as inherently negative, using metaphors of darkness and downward movement. Conversely, socialism is portrayed through positive metaphors, symbolizing light and upward movement. This metaphorical polarization reflects broader societal and political divisions, where language reinforces ideological opposition. Conclusions: The study concludes that political discourse consistently uses conceptual metaphors to portray neoliberalism negatively and socialism positively. These metaphors contribute to reinforcing ideological divisions, emphasizing the role of language in shaping political perspectives. The objective of understanding these conceptualizations was met through the identification of recurring metaphorical patterns

Conversations from Arendelle: Children’s understanding of musical affect in a narrative, multimedia context

Children’s verbatim memory for song lyrics has been broadly investigated in the psychological literature, but little is known about the developmental course of children’s ability to construct meaning from familiar multimedia songs containing both concrete and metaphorical language. The present study examined age-related change in children’s understanding of the hit song “Let It Go” using a brief comprehension measure and a semi-structured interview conducted over Zoom. Participants included 51 children from 3- to 10-year-olds whose parents reported that they were familiar with and enjoyed Frozen. Participants’ comprehension of the song was assessed using a visual comprehension measure. They then co-viewed the music video, with the researcher pausing at several time points in the song to ask how the child thought Elsa was feeling and how the child knew. A grounded analysis of participants’ responses yielded five categories that comprehensively captured the range of cues (song lyrics, non-lyrical musical elements, observable action on screen, character appearance, and non-observable narrative elements). A median split of the sample revealed that older children referenced more converging cues to explain their thinking on Elsa’s emotion during the song and that older children referenced musical cues (both lyrical and non-lyrical) significantly more than younger children.

The Controversy of Understanding Wahdatul Hamzah Fansuri Mufti in The Sultanate of Aceh

Hamzah Fansuri was a Sufi figure, writer and Mufti in the Sultanate of Aceh Darussalam during the time of Sultan Alaudin Riayat Syah (1596-1604). The controversy about his thoughts is one of the reasons for the interest in this article. The interesting thing about his thoughts is about wahdatul wujud. At first glance, this thought is normal, but the interesting thing is the understanding that was developed in the process of Islamization in the archipelago when the two schools of Sufism, Sunni and Shia, met. Therefore, this article will discover this side of the controversy and of course its influence on the development of Sufism in Indonesia. Data obtained from library research. The data analysis technique was carried out using qualitative analysis techniques in a deductive manner. The results of this study show that the controversy over Hamzah Fansuri's thoughts about Wahdatul wujud is a Sufi concept that was influenced by the thoughts of previous Sufi figures such as Ibn Arabi and Al-Qunawi. Its influence on the development of Sufism in Indonesia lies in the understanding of Wahdatul Wujud, understood as a single form which is the ultimate reality. Being other than Allah are shadows or manifestations of a single being. Hamzah Fansuri understands that the essence of existence is only one, namely Allah SWT and everything is explained in metaphorical language.

A Study of Metaphor Translation Strategies in C-E Translation of The Seventh Day

Purpose: Taking the English translation of Yu Hua s novel The Seventh Day as a case study, this paper analyzes the metaphorical effects in literary works and examines the metaphor translation strategies employed in the English translation of The Seventh Day to provide insights for the metaphor translation. Methodology: Elaborating on the cultural implications of metaphors in the original text and using conceptual metaphor theory as a research framework, specific metaphor translation cases in its English translation are studied. Results: Through the study of the original text of The Seventh Day, it is found that the author employs various metaphorical rhetorical devices, imbuing the work with profound philosophical meanings and cultural nuances. Analysis of its translation reveals that translators utilize various strategies to handle metaphors, balancing the literary flavor and cultural implications with the acceptance of target language readers. However, challenges arise in fully conveying the deep meanings of certain metaphors due to cultural differences and differences in language expression habits. Conclusion: Metaphorical language often carries cultural characteristics. To achieve effective metaphor translation, translators should prioritize serving readers, deeply understand the cultural backgrounds of both source and target languages, and employ flexible translation techniques to faithfully convey the style and emotions of the original work.