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Authors: Terfa Godwin Ayaga
Keywords: metaphor, literature, science, philosophy
Abstract: This paper attempts to bring to light the various notions of metaphor as it stands to mean and function in various disciplines especially in the sciences, literature, linguistics, and life generally. The essay identifies different kinds of metaphors as they relate to specific fields and the sense they function in these environments. Among the kinds of metaphors explained here is the cognitive linguistic view which identifies the conceptual metaphor. Added to the cognitive-linguistic position is a distinction made of structural and ontological metaphors. The paper makes further distinctions between the orientational away from structural metaphors while ‘dead’ and ‘alive’ metaphors also receive clarifications here. The study also fulfills the knowledge of metaphors in existing theories as now a phenomenon that transcends both literal and linguistic landscapes. It, therefore, discusses Arthur Schopenhauer’s model of metaphor, the process metaphor theory, and implicit comparison theory of metaphor, the interactional theory of metaphor, the cognitive metaphor model and deviance model of metaphor. The idea of metaphors as encapsulated in the paper is proof that metaphors have become life surging ways of expression and like in literature and linguistics, they work to some reasonable extent to drive knowledge in various disciplines. The paper concludes that metaphor is life.