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Metaphor is a kind of non-literal expression in which a linguistic term is used to refer not to its literal referent but to another one that is somehow ‘similar’, for instance, when Shakespeare describes the beauty of a lover as summer. However, metaphor is not restricted to rhetorical or poetic contexts, it abounds in everyday language as well, e.g., in the well-worn metaphor of life as a journey.
The seminar will commence by reviewing the phenomenon itself, and then discuss different theories that have been proposed for metaphor in the last two millennia. Finally, the theoretical part will focus on Conceptual Metaphor Theory, which has emerged as the dominant theory over the last 40 years. After a short detour through metonymy, a related yet different kind of non-literal expression, we will explore the impact of metaphor in different areas of the humanities, from literary theory to computational approaches to language. The seminar will wind up with an outlook at concrete applications of metaphor, e.g., in counselling or in advertisements.
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