Rhetorical Criticism Metaphorical Critique
Metaphor From Greek: –meta -- “over” –phereras -- “to carry” To carry aspects of one thing over to another thing. A metaphor joins two symbols normally regarded as belonging to different classes of experience.
The tenor and the vehicle tenor: the topic or subject being explained vehicle: the mechanism or lens through which the topic is viewed. –A new crop of students entered the classroom. –The teacher planted ideas in their fertile, young minds. tenor – education, teaching and learning vehicle – farming I. A. Richards Philosopher Language and Literary Theory (18931979)
Metaphor: Aristotle & Cicero “the transference of a name from the object to which it has a natural application” (Aristotle) Metaphor as a figure of speech Decoration or Ornament: “gives cleverness, charm and distinction to the style” “there is no mode of embellishment... that throws a greater luster upon language” (Cicero) Metaphors are not necessary, just nice
Metaphoric Deviousness Thomas Hobbes ( ) saw metaphor as frustrating the process of communication. –One of his four abuses of speech used to “deceive others.” Archbishop of Dublin, Richard Whately ( ) said metaphor departs “from the plain and strictly appropriate Style.” Kenneth Burke
Robert L. Ivie Professor of Rhetoric and Public Culture Department of Communication and Culture Indiana University, Bloomington. WEBSITE Michael Osborn University of Memphis biography biography George Lakoff professor of linguistics University of California, Berkeley Senior Fellow at the Rockridge Institute WEBSITE Mark L. Johnson Knight Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences Department of Philosophy University of Oregon WEBSITE WEBSITE
Metaphor Forming Reality We experience reality through language Metaphor is a basic way we construct reality as we trade symbols –Argument is War “He attacked my argument” “I demolished her argument” “She won the argument” “I shot his argument down” –Argumentation is a Dance “Our balanced arguments revealed the truth”
Metaphorical Criticism Burke - Metaphor plays a crucial role in the discovery and description of truth. –“metaphor tells us something about one character as considered from the point-of-view of another character” Lakoff & Johnson – Metaphor is instrumental and persuasive in everyday thought. Ivie & Osborn – Developed metaphor into a structured method of critique.
Selecting Metaphorical Artifacts All language has metaphorical aspects Select artifacts that contain explicit metaphors Symbolism Art Metaphor by Rachael A. Riley
Analyzing the Artifact 1.Examine artifact for a general sense of its dimensions and context. –Spend time; get the big picture; know the context 2.Isolate the metaphors in the artifact. –Explicit and implied metaphors 3.Sort metaphors into groups according to vehicle and tenor. –Look for patterns; focus; themes. What are the vehicles? How do they relate? 4.Discover an explanation for the artifact. –Use the principles of frequency and intensity to discover significance.
Formulate a Research Question or Thesis Write the Essay