Introduction
Over the course of history, leaders have stood in front of their citizens and used their words to connect with the audience. They have waged wars, instilled confidence, and apologized for their actions all through the construction of carefully crafted speeches. These speeches are landmarks of history, allowing those to look back and understand the struggles and triumphs of the time. One way that these leaders convey their messages to large audiences is to use metaphors in their speeches. Metaphors can be used both explicitly or inexplicitly, with the intent to create connections between words and concepts. It is the goal of Rhetoric scholars to analyze the carefully placed metaphors in pieces of work to see how they influence the …show more content…
In a metaphor, there are two essential parts, the tenor and the vehicle. A tenor is the topic or subject of the overall statement and the vehicle is the lens which we view the topic. By creating “nonliteral comparisons in which a word or phrase from one domain of experience is applied to another domain” we craft tenors and vehicles (Foss, p.267). These two elements interact through a system that scholars classify as commonplaces. Foss explains that commonplaces are the past experiences that a listener brings to the metaphor that help the audience “use one system….to filter or organize our conception of another system” (p.268). In this exchange, the rhetor beings to expand meaning through …show more content…
Foss explains that if an audience can easily link “the two systems of characteristics, the audience [will] accept the argument the metaphor offers” (p.270). If the audience accepts those ideas, change can be made. The use of Metaphors also allows those who are speaking to offer new ideas and mindsets without stating them explicitly. Gloria Anzaldúa, a rhetorical scholar, offers the insight that using “metaphors means changing perspectives-making new connection and seeing things in new ways” (p.271). This may help a speaker relate to a larger audience of people made up of diverse
Over the course of history, leaders have stood in front of their citizens and used their words to connect with the audience. They have waged wars, instilled confidence, and apologized for their actions all through the construction of carefully crafted speeches. These speeches are landmarks of history, allowing those to look back and understand the struggles and triumphs of the time. One way that these leaders convey their messages to large audiences is to use metaphors in their speeches. Metaphors can be used both explicitly or inexplicitly, with the intent to create connections between words and concepts. It is the goal of Rhetoric scholars to analyze the carefully placed metaphors in pieces of work to see how they influence the …show more content…
In a metaphor, there are two essential parts, the tenor and the vehicle. A tenor is the topic or subject of the overall statement and the vehicle is the lens which we view the topic. By creating “nonliteral comparisons in which a word or phrase from one domain of experience is applied to another domain” we craft tenors and vehicles (Foss, p.267). These two elements interact through a system that scholars classify as commonplaces. Foss explains that commonplaces are the past experiences that a listener brings to the metaphor that help the audience “use one system….to filter or organize our conception of another system” (p.268). In this exchange, the rhetor beings to expand meaning through …show more content…
Foss explains that if an audience can easily link “the two systems of characteristics, the audience [will] accept the argument the metaphor offers” (p.270). If the audience accepts those ideas, change can be made. The use of Metaphors also allows those who are speaking to offer new ideas and mindsets without stating them explicitly. Gloria Anzaldúa, a rhetorical scholar, offers the insight that using “metaphors means changing perspectives-making new connection and seeing things in new ways” (p.271). This may help a speaker relate to a larger audience of people made up of diverse