HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ENGLISH & MODERN LANGUAGE

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ASSIGNMENT ON SEMANTIC
Topic: METAPHOR

Hanoi, 2010.
I.Introduction:
 Nowadays, English is the most widely used in the world and plays an
important role together with the development of society and technologies. English
is not only the effective means of communication but also show its progressive
effects in many aspects of life.
To be good at English as the native, We must understand English well at not
only grammar, phonetic, so on but also especially at semantic. As a Vietnamese
student who has being learned English in Faculty of English and modern
languages at Hanoi Open University. Through my teacher’s lectures on Semantic,
I found that a good understanding of how metaphor is used in everyday, poetry.
Language is not only important for students of English to increase our vocabulary,
but also to understand new and original metaphor when we hear or speak them.
Importantly, metaphor help learners see the interest, the beauty as well as the
culture colour of language which help learners use and understand about correctly
and clearly.
II.Body:
II.1 what is metaphor:
Theoretically, there are a lot of different ways to define what is metaphor.
According to “lectures on lexicology”-2001 by Dang Tran Cuong - Hanoi Open
University- faculty of English : Metaphor( Gr.meta= change + phero = bear).
Metaphor : a figure of speech based on similarity (hidden comparison between the
object/notion generally denoted by the word and the object/notion in question).
Metaphor gives freshness and vivacity to speech.
According to Oxford Advance Learner’s dictionary: Metaphor is a word or
phrase used to describe somebody or someting else, in a way that is different from
its normal use, in order to show that two things have the same qualities and to
make the description more powerful. For example, “she has a heart of
stone”(www.wordnet.princeton.edu/per/webn). Metaphor in this definition refers
to the expression that has no literal meanings and based on the similarity not to
show the literal meanings but figurative meaning.
 II.2 Characteristic features:
Metaphor is the transference of names based on the association of similarity.
In other words metaphor is a hidden comparison.
II.2.1Similarity of shape:
Example: Mouth of the cave.
The word “mouth” in the last one is a part the body that is small and round.
Mouth is also used as a metaphor to refer the entrance of a cave and the other
example such as:
The head of a cabbage.
The teeth of saw.
Finding many meaning of metaphors, the metaphorical expressions are based
on the identification of shape.
II.2.2Similarity of size:
Their daughter is quite plump but their son is positively elephantine.
The image of “ elephantine” is used metaphorically make hidden comparison
with a big person.
II.2.3 Similarity of position
The foot of a mountain.
The heart of the country.
Such expression as “foot of mountain” is described as a similarity of position
“foot” is the lowest part of the body and it is used metaphorically to refer to the
foot mountain, the metaphor is stimulated by the identification of the mountain.
Futher one, “heart” is used metaphorically because, it is an important part of the
body and in the center position. In such way “ leg of the table” or “ tail of the
procession” and so on, we is also considered metaphors basing onthe similarity of
position.
I.2.4 Similarity of movement.
The river snaked away into the distance.
 The verb “snake” is used as a metaphor based on the identification of
movement.
I.2.5 Similarity of function
Basing on the similarity of function.
Example: Key to the mystery.
Head of the class.
Hand of the clock.
We easily see that “key”, “head”, and “hand” in this cases are not a key to
open clock, head- part of the body and not a hand of the body, they also do not
belong to instrument, success or clock, in fact metaphorical meaning in these
examples are applied to any obstructing, this transference of meaning is based on
some common features to refer to similarity of function.
II.2.6 Similarity of colour
Example: The rose of clouds at down.
An orange light.
The words “rose” and “orange” are described as similarity of colour, “ the
rose of clouds at down” is a kind of flower and it is used as a metaphor to refer to
the clouds that has rose of clouds. And the second one “ an orange light”, the
word “orange” is a kind of fruit and it is as a metaphor to refer to the lights that
has orange colour. Therefore, the metaphorical expression are based on the
identification of colour.
II.2.7 Similarity of behaviour and character
Example : She is a fox.
He is an Othello.
The word “fox” here is a name of animal that indicates a big animal which is
very wise and clever. Fox is used metaphorically with the negative meaning to
refer to a person cunning character or if we say “he is an Othello”, it is refers to a
person who is very jealous, that are used as metaphor based on the similarity of
character and behaviour.
 II.2.8 Similarity of sound
Example: He roared with his children.
The verb “roar” is the sound made by tiger or lion people say that “ the lion
roared”, in above
example “roar’, deos not have this meaning, but it is used metaphorically to
refer to a very angry father who sounds loudly.
Example: You are washing my time.
The dishwasher can save your time.
I have invested a lot of time in the study.
Clearly, there is no objective inherent similarity between time and a
commodity. But what is basis for the metaphor or brings these two concepts
together is perception,based in part on culture and in part on feeling that all
human beings share.
Example: She tried to avoid breaking his heart.( heart feeling).
I am feeling down. (feel sad).
These two metaphors are resulted from the transference of space relation upon
psychological and metal notion, i.e the relation between concrete and obstract.
On the whole, the similarities on which metaphor are based on so various or
sometimes are not clear-cut or present in metaphors.
II.3 Classification of metaphor:
According to Dang Tran Cuong “ lectures on Lexicology-2001”, metaphor
can be classified into four main types: Living metaphor, fade metaphor and dead
metaphor.
II.3.1 Living metaphor:
Living metaphor that can be called active metaphor is one which relatively
new and has not become part of everyday linguistic usage. It is created and used
by individuals.
Example: You are my sun.
 In above example, the “sun” used metaphorically to refer to a person whom
you respect or admire for whatever he has done for you. This is the result from an
individual and called a living metaphor.
As for this type of metaphor, the addressee can recognize them easily as they
are new and very impressive. Also, living metaphor are often created or used by
individual, poets and writers.
II.3.2 Fade metaphor:
Fade or trite metaphor : that has lost its freshness due to long and tradition
use. The meanings of faded metaphor are registered in dictionaries since they are
of common use.
Exaple: Her voice is sweet.
“sweet” is used as metaphor to refer to a person who has a very persuasive and
skillful voice.
Faded metaphors have lost the freshness, vigor and emotional associations
they must have had. Presently, they are sleeping and half dead metaphors which
are only aroused in special circumtances.
II.3.3 Dead metaphor:
No longer felt as a metaphor.
Example : to ponder.
In the former word, “ to ponder” originally mean “ to weight” but now only
means “ to mediate/to think or to consider carefully”.
Hence, We can say that dead metaphor are only used with their indirect or
figurative meaning but their direct or literal meanings are completely lost.
II.3.4 Sustained/ prolonged metaphor: the image is expanded/prolonged
“Mr Pickwick paused, bottle up his vengeance and corked it down”.
“Mr Dumbay’s cup of satisfaction was so full at the moment that he felt he
could afford a drop or two of it contents, even to sprinkle on the dust in the by-
path of his little daughter( Ch.Dickens).
III. Conclusion
 All theoretical background mentioned above aim to provide a theoretically
fundermental basis that is a key which helps us get more knowledge and
experience in studying metaphors.

Illustration :
The last leaf- Ohenry.
Johnsy and Sue are artists who move into Greenwich village in Newyork
city. As winter approaches and the weather gets colder, Johnsy becomes ill with
pneumonia. She gets so sick that when the last leaf falls from the vine outside her
window, she will die. An old artist, named Behrman, who lives in the same
building as the girls, braves a storm one night to paint a leaf on the wall- A leaf
that will never fall. Here, Ohenry used metaphorically “The last leaf”- gives
Johnsy the hope to survive her illness, and it also creats the masterpiece Behrman
had always dreamed of painting.
As a characteristic of speech and writing, metaphors can serve the poetic
imagination, enabling William Shakespeare, in his play “As You Like It”, to
compare the world to a stage and its human inhabitants players entering and
exiting upon that stage, enabling Sylvia Plath, In her poem “ Cut”, to compare the
blood issuing from her cut thumb to the running of a million soldiers, “ redcoats,
every one”, and enabling Robert Frost, in “The Road Not Taken”, to compare
one’s life to a journey.
 References:
Books:
1.AS Hornby 1990. Oxford Advance learner’s dictionary of current English.
2.Đặng Trần Cường, Lectures on Lexicology 2001, Hanoi Open University.
3. Trường, HT, 1993 Basic English Lexicolgy. National University College of
foreign language
4.Từ điển Anh-Việt 1993.Nhà xuất bản TPHCM.
Websites:
1.http://www.dictionary.cambridge.org
2.http://www.usingenglish.com.
3.http://www.wikipedia.com.
4.http:// www.wordnet.princeton.edu/per/webn.