Using Metaphors in Language - Essay Example

An idea is a feat of association, and the height of it is a good metaphor” -Robert Frost Language in all its communicative efficiency is inherently incomplete without the frills that add splendour to it; just like art would be quite meaningless without its altruistic connotation. While the art of effective communication in English may lie in the simplicity and clarity of thought of express; the art of impressive communication is certainly bridled by the use of metaphor and poetic connotations. A metaphor, as is fundamentally accepted, is the use of two entities and equating them by drawing a building bridge between their similar or perhaps even dissimilar traits. It may be used to enhance the positive trait of one by banking on the negative trait of the other. E.g. the clause ‘the sun drowned in its yellow smoke ‘may quite literally imply the drowning of an object, which comes across as a negative. However, its metaphorical meaning expresses the Sun to be shining so bright and golden that all that is visible is a ball of glowing yellow gases. This metaphor thus adds magnitude to an otherwise hackneyed clause ‘the afternoon Sun shown brightly’. The use of metaphor in English language has been prevalent since the times of Chaucer, Shakespeare, Wordsworth and Blake but never has the metaphor found such strong ground as in the literature of the twentieth and the subsequent century. One timeless example of the use of powerful metaphor is Lord Tennyson’s poem ‘Crossing the Bar’, in which he describes the sailing of a ship on the river Thames after the twilight hours. The entire poem carries a powerful allusion to the concept of life and death. It is not until the last two lines when the poet mentions coming face to face with the Pilot of his ship that the reader’s perception goes rushing to the layered meanings. Such is the beauty of a strong metaphor that the foreground as well as the background merges together to form an impeccable work of art which cannot be pieced apart, yet stands staunchly on its parallel legs of the literal and the metaphorical. However, at times, a writer / poet may engross so deeply in the derived meaning of the text that the original interpretation loses its essence and all that remains of the text is a prognosis, not a diagnosis. In such situations, the lexical meaning of the words used may be lost to the reader. Worse still, if the reader fails to connect to the underlying meaning of the metaphor, it becomes a case of misconstrued language. Examples of loose metaphors may be ‘at this point in time’, ‘a wave of spontaneity’, ‘parallel crossroads’, ‘pretty ugly’ etc. In these cases two diametrically opposite dimensions are being brought together to produce a lyrical effect. However, in this case the positive connotation of one is being neutralized by the opposing connotation of the other; hence, a purposeless metaphor. “Metaphor is for most people device of the poetic imagination and the rhetorical flourish--a matter of extraordinary rather than ordinary language. Moreover, metaphor is typically viewed as a characteristic of language alone, a matter of words rather than thought or action. For this reason, most people think they can get along perfectly well without metaphor. We have found; on the contrary; that metaphor is pervasive in everyday life, not just in language but in thought and action” (Lakoff & Johnson, 1981:6). The current times, when language is going through its own growing pains because of an incontrollable spurt in business jargon, technical lexicology and contemporary semantics; the song ‘If you’re not the one’ by Daniel Bedingfield may be considered to understand the concept of metaphors through abstraction, relation and correlation. On a textual level, the song comes across as a love song tinged with elements of pain of separation and the realization of a perfect relationship. In the first two lines, ‘soul feels glad today’ and ‘hand fits yours this way’ ,the juxtaposition of the words ‘soul’ and ‘hand’ immediately build a connect between the physical and the spiritual plane thus establishing a sense of heightened emotion. In line 3, the use of ‘heart returns my call’ makes the reader/listener understand the level of commitment that the songwriter/singer wants to exhibit. Whereas the first seven lines goes on to make us believe that all is well and there is no love lost, the subsequent lines create a reverse effect. As the singer projects image after image of the pain that he suffers through phrases like’ name resound in my head’, ‘distance maim my life’, etc. The repeated use of ‘I don’t want to run away’ makes the intent of the singer unclear, if we were to interpret it literally. Why is he running away and from what? What can’t he understand? Is he a convict? Is he guilty of something? Is it a case of unrequited love? Several questions arise which the web of words fails to answer and all that remains is the feeling of desperation and the pain of separation. In line 25, as the writer/singer says ‘Cause I miss you, body and soul so strong that it takes my breath away’, the reader/listener understands the lover is trying to convince his love-interest about the intensity of his feelings for her and it has nothing to do with actual ‘loss of breath’ or dying. The use ‘heart by your side’ in line 28 has become such a literal phrase expressing that one is thinking of someone that the literal meaning takes a back seat and does-not interfere in the poetic comprehension of the text. The entire song harbours its essence on one single emotion-love. Yet, the figurative use of language draws various allusions to an affectionate clasping of hands, physical intimacy, an anguished soul, a perturbed mind and a sorrowful heart. The flow of words tells the story of a dating couple who may have had disagreements and thus separated. The analysis of the song is in opposition to the classic theories of metaphor in which metaphor was more a function of language than understanding, and thus it did not find occurrence in common day to day language. However, this song is an example how metaphoric meaning exists in the guise of our emotions, senses, beliefs and general understanding of the world around us and is thus, instrumental in the evolution of the language as meanings merge and mutate. Bibliography Lakoff, G. & Johnson, M. (1981) Metaphors we live by, Chicago, University of Chicago Press. Appendix 1 If Youre Not The One (Daniel Bedingfield) If youre not the one then why does my soul feel glad today? 1 If you’re not the one then why does my hand fit yours this way? 2 If you are not mine then why does your heart return my call 3 If you are not mine would I have the strength to stand at all 4 I never know what the future brings 5 But I know you are here with me now Well make it through 6 And I hope you are the one I share my life with 7 I dont want to run away but I cant take it, I dont understand 8 If Im not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am? 9 Is there any way that I can stay in your arms? 10 If I dont need you then why am I crying on my bed? 11 If I dont need you then why does your name resound in my head? 12 If you’re not for me then why does this distance maim my life? 13 If you’re not for me then why do I dream of you as my wife? 14 I dont know why you’re so far away 15 But I know that this much is true 16 We’ll make it through 17 And I hope you are the one I share my life with 18 And I wish that you could be the one I die with 19 And I pray in youre the one I build my home with 20 I hope I love you all my life 21 I dont want to run away but I cant take it, I dont understand 22 If Im not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am 23 Is there any way that I can stay in your arms? 24 Cause I miss you, body and soul so strong that it takes my breath away 25 And I breathe you into my heart and pray for the strength to stand today 26 Cause I love you, whether its wrong or right 27 And though I cant be with you tonight And know my heart is by your side 28 I dont want to run away but I cant take it, I dont understand 29 If Im not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am 30 Is there any way that I could stay in your arms? 31 Read More