Theories of Metaphor Revised

Interest in literary and linguistic research on metaphor and imagery has increased over the past thirty years. However, theoretical studies dealing with the functioning of metaphor are still rare. Scholars often develop their theoretical approach to metaphor suiting their special goals of analysis only. In addition, a few explanatory models are ubiquitous, such as substitution, analogy-theory, elliptical simile, transferred meaning, the theory of interaction, and conceptualism. In his theoretical sketch Stephan Kessler gives a discursive criticism of the existing models of metaphor and offers a review of conceptualism. What has once been denoted 'rhetorical metaphor' has been changed completely by conceptualism: Metaphor' itself has become a metaphor. Here, the well-known models of metaphor have led Kessler to dedicate deeper pragma-linguistic thoughts to the functioning of tropes. In Kessler's study, conceptualism is perceived through the eyes of its most prominent supporters, Lakoff and Johnson.