The course looks at different definitions of metaphor and reviews various theories that have been applied to figurative language. It presents the identification and analysis of metaphor as a tool in the study of texts of all kinds, and introduces approaches which see the study of metaphor as a key to understanding human cognition and experience. The course shows how questions about metaphor are at the heart of debates about meaning and interpretation across the humanities and social sciences, and illustrates the role of metaphor in fundamental ideological discussions. The course equips students to analyse a range of texts in terms of metaphor and gives them a grounding in longstanding debates about meaning, interpretation and the relationship of language to reality.
Definitions of metaphor; Literal vs. metaphorical meaning; Metaphor and metonymy; Nonlinguistic realizations of conceptual metaphors; The scope of metaphor; Metaphor, politics, & ideology; Metaphor in literature; Metaphor in history
- to identify metaphors in a sample sentence or multimodal text;
- to gain a grasp of the basic terminology in the domain to figurative language;
- to discuss how debates about metaphor are key to contemporary debates in domains such as politics, economics, and history;
- to analyse metaphors and evaluate their functions in different contexts.
- to understand metaphor in relation to basic literary forms such as the autobiography and novel.
The course will comprise lectures, seminars, class activities and on-line responses.
100% coursework consisting of:
- Individual Essay (60 %)
- Group Project – oral presentation and written report (15 %)
- Weekly postings to on-line discussion (15%)
- Participation in class activities: (20 %)
The primary readings include selections from scholarly considerations of metaphor. The course will explore metaphor (and its relationship to allegory) through reading of a variety of literary texts, including Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography (1793); Louise May Alcott’s Little Women (1868-69), and more. (Course material subject to possible revision.)
Additional supplementary readings will be provided at the beginning of the course.