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Language and Literature
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Towards a procedure for metaphor identification

Gerard Steen

Free University Amsterdam, The Netherlands, gj.steen{at}let.vu.nl

This article aims to demonstrate the possibility of a stepwise procedure for metaphor identification. It is situated against the background of a more encompassing and complete five-step procedure for deriving conceptual metaphorical mappings from linguistic metaphors. The mainly cognitive linguistic assumptions of this overall approach are explicated first, with an emphasis on the purpose of identifying metaphor in language rather than in language behaviour. The compatibility between this cognitive-linguistic and a more generally cognitive psychological approach to metaphor is guaranteed by then introducing the notion of metaphorical propositions as the bridge between linguistic metaphors and metaphorical mappings. Moreover, reliability is hopefully increased by adopting the strategy of beginning with clear cases, which means that the initial focus is on all nominal, verbal, adjectival and adverbial concepts. As a result of this, a minimal procedure for finding metaphorically used words and concepts may be presented in the form of a list of seven instructions. A demonstration of this procedure is finally provided in the form of a detailed analysis of Robert Browning’s ‘Parting at Morning’.

Key Words: Browning, Robert • cognitive linguistics • language behaviour • linguistic metaphors • metaphor identification • metaphorical mappings • propositions

Language and Literature, Vol. 11, No. 1, 17-33 (2002)
DOI: 10.1177/096394700201100103
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