Figurative Language in Verbal Communication - Literature review Example

It is evidently clear from the discussion that gaining knowledge of the function of figurative language in effective communication necessitates an understanding of the interpersonal processes of everyday interaction. Individuals express themselves figuratively for purposes of civility, to escape liability for the introduction of what is conveyed, to articulate insights that are hard to communicate employing exact language, and to articulate ideas in a dense and vibrant way (Jacques 2006). Hence, figurative language is employed to articulate and induce emotions in numerous forms of conversational contexts.

Politics is an excellent domain to view how figurative language may be used particularly to induce specific emotions (Jacques 2006), which may consequently affect an individual’s perception of several issues. Politicians are prominent, or controversial, for their application of figurative language to stir up emotions. Take for instance the deliberation that occurred in 1991 in the U.S. Senate over whether the nation should intervene militarily against Iraq for its attack on Kuwait (Sadri & Flammia 2011).

Figurative language was extensively exercised by the Democrats and the Republican to strengthen their arguments. For example, a Republican senator attempted to stir up the public’s emotional reaction to Hussein by portraying him in dramatic figurative expressions (Sadri & Flammia 2011: 156): Saddam Hussein is like a glutton—a geopolitical glutton. He is sitting down at a big banquet table, overflowing with goodies. And let me tell you—like every glutton, he is going to have them all.

Kuwait is just the appetizer. He is gobbling it up—but it is not going to satisfy him. After a noisy belch or two, he is going to reach across the table for the next morsel. What is it going to be? Saudi Arabia? He is going to keep grabbing and gobbling. It is time to let this grisly glutton know the free lunch is over. It is time for him to pay the bill. Hence, this paper argues that figurative language can communicate understated indications of meaning in a manner that exact language cannot.

Specifically, various figurative terms strongly express an individual’s figurative idea of the emotional encounter. Various empirical and linguistic scholars substantiate this assumption (Walch Publishing 2007). Moreover, according to Jacques (2006), one indication of meaning that metaphorical language may convey is the extent of emotion. In everyday life, individuals do not merely reveal emotional encounters with partners, friends, and family members, but these emotional encounters may comprise these family members and close friends in varied ways.

Due to this, emotional communication is prone to be moderated by issues of face management and by standards of self-recognition of emotions (Walch Publishing 2007). A number of studies have reported findings consistent with the assumption that face management issues and social standards influence emotional communication.