chapter 9

According to the reading, much of our thinking is metaphoric in nature. I definitely agree with this idea, I know that most of what I say is metaphorical. A metaphor is talking about one thing in terms of another. So it’s like saying someone ‘is a pig’ if you want to imply that they are greedy or sloppy. What I think is interesting is that “metaphor” comes from the Greek word metapherin which means "transfer”. Metonymy is based on association with something. From a young age we associate things with other things to understand their meaning. If we see something expensive we learn to associate that item with money and it implies then, that the owner of that expensive item is rich. In addition, the more we know about an item such as a specific type of car like a classy car versus a sports car, we associate that with a specific type of person. These are similar to those inferences we make according to the relevance theory, based on what we already know. (ironically, I did that just now.) A part of metonymy where a part is used to stand for a whole or vice versa is called “synecdoche.” We use the Statue of Liberty to represent America or freedom. Metaphors and similes are analogies while metonymy and synecdoche are associations. However, metaphors and metonymy are stronger than similes and synecdoche. Of course, the media makes use of these literary elements. They can actually use a metaphor and be metonymic simultaneously.

Again, I look back to the Tao Te Ching, partially just because I love it, but also because of the interesting and uncommon way it is written. It’s largely a collection of similes and metaphors.

Simile: verse 8- “The supreme good is like water, which benefits all of creation without trying to compete with it. It gathers in unpopular places.”

Metaphor: verse 29- “The world is a sacred vessel.”


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