When it comes to framing the war linguistically, metaphors have always been key for many politicians in conveying their message and distinguishing in a simplistic manner between good and evil.
Employing metaphors in political discourse helps politicians simplify their content and make the audience understand their message more clearly, as Lakoff notes: “Abstractions and enormously complex situations are routinely understood via metaphor” (1991: 25). Lakoff further describes the use of metaphors as something not necessarily good or bad, but rather depicts it as a stylistic device that is widely common even in everyday language.
Therefore, it seems highly interesting to look even closer at how metaphors are being used in the context of war-related speech in the United States. The focus of this paper will be on metaphors used in the State of the Union Address, since I assume that the latter is perfectly suited for an exemplary analysis of how war-related metaphors are constructed and which specific purpose they serve.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Research questions
- Methodology
- Results
- Discussion of Results
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper analyzes the use of metaphors in the State of the Union Address, specifically focusing on how they frame war and armed conflicts. The research investigates the metaphorical concepts employed, their purpose within the speech, and how their use has evolved over time.
- The role of metaphors in political discourse
- Metaphorical framing of war and armed conflicts
- The purpose of metaphors in political speeches
- The evolution of metaphorical language in the State of the Union Address
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the topic of metaphors in political discourse, focusing on their use in framing war. It highlights the importance of metaphors for simplifying complex issues and conveying messages to a broad audience.
- Research questions: This chapter outlines the specific research questions that will be addressed in the paper. It explores the assumption that the State of the Union Address is a suitable context for analyzing war-related language.
- Methodology: This chapter describes the research methodology used to analyze the use of metaphor in the State of the Union Address. It outlines the sources consulted, the research methods employed, and the specific aspects of the speech that are examined.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This paper focuses on the use of metaphor, political discourse, war-related speech, State of the Union Address, framing, simplification, and persuasive language. It examines how these elements work together to influence the understanding and reception of political messages related to armed conflict.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Simon Brandl (Autor:in), 2014, Framing the War. The Use of Metaphors in US Political Discourse, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/337198