A Multi-Dimensional Perspective On Metaphor

The research of metaphor has been lasting for many years; however, few people have so far conducted the research that combines rhetorical metaphor, cognitive metaphor and grammatical metaphor as a whole. The author of this dissertation, based on constant observations and the latest development of cognitive linguistics, has explored the relationship among the three. Since the research of metaphor was pioneered by Aristotle, it fruited well. However, these researches just focused on the superficial level of language itself as well as the simple description of metaphor. In addition, the researches of the forerunners just pay attention to rhetorical metaphor, cognitive metaphor and grammatical metaphor respectively, thus interdisciplinary investigation has been neglected. Therefore, the author of this thesis will utilize a combined method of qualitative and quantitative type and introspective method as well as related cognitive linguistic theories such as the Prototype theory, the Prominent theory to reinterpret the relationship among the three, arguing that rhetorical metaphor, cognitive metaphor and grammatical metaphor are a continuum, and it is cognitive metaphor that determines rhetorical metaphor and grammatical metaphor. Moreover, it is the Prototype theory that binds rhetorical metaphor, cognitive metaphor and grammatical metaphor. In order to consolidate the validity and reliability of the research, the author will also use a quantitative method to cement what he has proven while taking introspective and qualitative method as the main methods. In this way, universality and consistency of the viewpoint of metaphor can be strengthened.Based on constant observation and exploration, the author put forward three hypotheses: 1. Cognitive metaphor is the most fundamental one, rhetorical metaphor and grammatical metaphor is the reflection or representation of cognitive metaphor in language. 2. It is human being's cognitive abilities that bind the three kind of metaphor together. In detail, human being's cognitive mechanism of prototype can link the three kinds of metaphor together. The author of this dissertation will explain the relationship among the three kinds of metaphor by the theory of Prototype. 3. Students with outstanding academic performance in English tend to use more grammatical metaphor expressions in their compositions. Through questionnaire and introspective method, this viewpoint has been proven. Theoretically, this practice has offered the research of relationship among rhetorical metaphor, cognitive metaphor and grammatical metaphor a new analytical paradigm from a cognitive perspective. Practically, it provides English teaching some guiding principles, thus deepening students'cognition of metaphor and helping them put it into better practice.Finally, in the conclusion part, the author summarizes the relationship among rhetorical metaphor, cognitive metaphor and grammatical metaphor, and also discusses the limitation of this research. Furthermore, Cognitive Memetics is also utilized to give a more extensive outlook of rhetorical metaphor, cognitive metaphor and grammatical metaphor.