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Beyond Meaning
Edited by Elly Ifantidou, Louis de Saussure and Tim Wharton
[Pragmatics & Beyond New Series 324] 2021
► pp. 79–98

Conceptual mappings and contextual assumptions

The case of poetic metaphor

| University of Neuchatel

This chapter is concerned with what has traditionally been considered as ‘beyond meaning’: poetic metaphor. It specifically focuses on poetic metaphors of time, with the aim to address anew the relationship between pragmatic and cognitive linguistic approaches to metaphor (cf. Tendahl and Gibbs 2008; Wilson 2011). Such metaphors are shown to convey primarily an affective meaning, which can be best explained in terms of affective valence. At the level of metaphor comprehension, I argue for a synergy between metaphor theories but with appropriate adjustments in each framework: an extended view of encyclopedic entries for relevance theory, and a context-sensitive process of pragmatic inferencing for conceptual metaphor theory.

Keywords: poetic metaphor, time, affect, conceptual mappings, poetic effects
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Poetic metaphor: Cognitive linguistics vs Relevance theory
    • 2.1Cognitive linguistics: From time conceptualization to metaphorical creativity
    • 2.2Relevance theory: Pragmatic adjustment and poetic effects
  • 3.Poetic metaphors of time and affective meaning(s)
  • 4.Discussion and conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 10 November 2021
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.324.c5
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Cited by (1)

Cited by 1 other publications

Ifantidou, Elly & Anna Piata
2021. Metaphor and mental shortcuts. Pragmatics & Cognition 28:2 ► pp. 299 ff. DOI logo

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