Chapter published in:
Dynamism in Metaphor and Beyond
Edited by Herbert L. Colston, Teenie Matlock and Gerard J. Steen
[Metaphor in Language, Cognition, and Communication 9] 2022
► pp. 205–222

Experiential viewpoint, simile and dynamicity in discourse

| The University of British Columbia

The proposal to consider the use of metaphor from the perspective of discourse dynamicity is becoming increasingly popular. In this chapter, I give the idea further support, but I also suggest two additions: a closer look at how dynamicity works in various discourse types and a clearer focus on how dynamicity is achieved through the use of various figurative forms. Besides, I argue for a more structured understanding of the link between discourse, figuration and experiential viewpoint. I consider a range of examples, from various discourses, including literary texts, to substantiate the types of research questions facing the idea of dynamicity.

Keywords: experiential viewpoint, simile, constructional form, signalling, elaboration, narrative discourse, dynamicity of figuration
Article outline
  • 1.Types of experience and experiential viewpoint
  • 2.Simile and metaphor: Constructional features and discourse
  • 3.Discourse dynamicity and figurative form: Simile and other tropes
  • 4.Non-figurative narrative elaboration
  • 5.Where does this lead?
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 09 September 2022
https://doi.org/10.1075/milcc.9.11dan
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