Metaphorical concepts in the poetry of R.Burns

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Metaphorical concepts in the poetry of R.Burns

• Ertner Daria
• Tyumen State University,
• Russia

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• Our research aims at analyzing the role of
  metaphor in poetry with the purpose of
  interpreting the metaphoric relationships of
  image creating and establishing conceptual links
  and bases for decoding the worldview of R.Burns.
• The methods and analytical procedures
  relevant for cognitive linguistics
• cognitive metaphoric analysis (G.Lakoff (1993),
  G.Lakoff and M.Johnson (2003),)
• decoding stylistic analysis (M.Black (1962),
  D.Davidson (1991)).

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In these terms metaphor can be considered to
be the cornerstone principal of cognition, that
contributes development of specific national
vision of the world. Metaphoric imagery
thus is the primary language code, and metaphor
itself functions as one of the primary tools of
Language cognitive function. Our own worldviews
are formed and processed through metaphors.
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George Lakoff and Mark Turner (1989) converge on
the conclusion that poetic metaphor codes our
modes of everyday understanding. Thus poetry
through metaphor shapes our worldviews. It is far
from being a mere ornamentation, it deals with
central and indispensable aspects of our
conceptual systems.
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G.Lakoff and M.Johnson in their research
Metaphors we live by (2003) claim that the
whole human conceptual system is metaphorically
structured and defined. Therefore to define the
images that help interpreting some ideas in the
terms of others they introduce the notion
metaphorical concept. Those ones can contribute
to producing an unlimited number of metaphoric
expressions.
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Metaphorical Concept has come to mean a
cross-domain mapping in the conceptual system.
The term metaphorical expression refers to
a linguistic expression (a word, phrase, or
sentence) that is the surface realization of such
a cross-domain mapping.
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Proceeding from all stated above we
reconstructed the scheme of metaphorical concepts
in the poetry of R.Burns. As it is shown
in Figure 1. at the bases of his metaphorical
vision of the world lie four natural elements
Soil, Water, Air, and Fire, which became the
source domain of his metaphoric
conceptualization. Further we will call these
structures Metaphoric fields.
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Figure 1. The structure of metaphoric concepts
in poetry of R.Burns

• 
  SOIL
• 
  State -being active
• 
  Goal -keeping life within
• Metaphorical
  networks 1)Flora, 2)Fauna, 3)Location
• 
  Basic concept Life
•  
• FIRE
  AIR
• State -light
  State
  -emptiness
• Goal -giving light
  Goal -fate
• 
  Metaphorical networks
• 1)Sun\moon, 2)Precious stones,
  1) Blast\Storm , 2) Wind
• 3)Light, 4) War
• 
  Basic concept
• Art
  Death
• 
  
• 
  WATER
• 
  State -being active
• 
  Goal -dynamics

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Thus we can conclude that in the poetry of
R.Burns metaphoric integrity is achieved through
metaphorical fields Soil, Water, Air, Fire,
which are realized through metaphoric networks
Flora, Fauna, Location, Sun\moon, Precious
stone, Blast \Storm , Wind, Light, War, Wave,
Rain\Snow, structured by the means of
metaphoric concepts, formed by national and
individual stereotypes of metaphoric world
perception and metaphoric conceptualization of
reality.
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The above mentioned metaphoric networks
serve the bases of poetry and their
representation in the poetry of R.Burns is always
metaphoric in nature. Those metaphoric
concepts are very individual for each poet and
are nationally determined. If we decode
metaphoric concepts in translations of R.Burns
poetry into Russian Language we find a different
set of metaphors, ways of conceptualization,
though the basic metaphoric elements will remain.