Semino Elena. Metaphor in Discourse

Cambridge University Press, 2008. — 260 p.In the course of the book, metaphor is discussed as a pervasive linguistic phenomenon, which is varied in its textual manifestations, versatile in the functions it may perform, and central to many different types of communication, from informal interaction through political speeches to scientific theorizing. More specifically, the fonns and functions of metaphor in a variety of texts and genres on a range of different topics are explored; the author considers the relationship between individual uses of metaphor in specific contexts and conventional metaphorical patterns in language generally; She emphasizes the tendency towards an interaction between conventionality and creativity in metaphor use in a variety of different genres; and reflects on the important but controversial relationship between metaphorical uses of language on the one hand, and mental representations and thought on the other.