E305/505 Korean Language and Culture

Discussion questions on metaphor

1. What is metaphor?
   
   
   
2. Who uses metaphor and where?
   
   
   
3. Why do we use metaphor? How differently is metaphor used in ordinary language and literature?
   
   
   
4. How does metaphor work?
   
   
   
5. In what sense are metaphorical concepts systematic?
   
   
   
6. What does it mean to say metaphorical conceptualization is partial
   
   
   
   
7. Three kinds of metaphorical concepts:
   
   
   
8. Why is personification?
   
   
   
9. Metonymy: What is metonymy, and how is it different from metaphor?
   
   
   
10. How are metaphorical and metonymical concepts grounded?
    
    
    
11. Do metaphors have cultural basis? If so, how?
    
    
    
12. Two different metaphors are used for the same concept; that is, one concept can be metaphorically defined with a number of different metaphorical concepts. Why is this so?
    
    
    
    
13. Metaphor is a fundamental way of conceptualization behind not only in defining meanings, but also in categorizing concepts and structuring grammar.
    
    
    

Let's think about how marriage, life, are election are described?

Marriage (Quinn 1987)

1. What is Quinn's purpose of looking at metaphorical expressions of marriage?
   How is it possible?
   
   
   
2. Why are metaphors used rather than technical, dictionary-defining terms?
   
   
   
3. What aspect of marriage do the following refer to? From the following examples, find Schemas for proposition of marriage.
   

• ... it [marriage] was strong because it was made as we went along -it was sort of a do-it- yourself project.
  
• .... a happy marriage is not entirely problem-free and that probably means that you really have to start with something that's strong if it's going to last.
  
• ... we have both looked into the other person and found their best parts and used those parts to make the relationship gel.
  
• We want to work hard at making it .... better.
  
• They had a basic solid foundation in their marriage that could be shaped into something good.
  
• ... our relationship just gets more solid all the time.



• ... we have been able to work through so many basic struggles in our marriage and be at a place now where we trust each other ....It could have gone in so many different directions ... But I think both of us take a whole lot of credit for the direction it went in.



• .... it seems like it was stuck together pretty good.
  
• ... cemented together, bound together, tied to each other
  
• ... we have both looked into the other person and found their best parts and used those parts to make the relationship gel.



• I don't think I had ever consciously done that - examined my needs and to see if Tom'd fit them.
  
• I couldn't find a replacement. I couldn't find another woman to replace Beth.
  
• The best thing about Bill, for me, is that he fits me so well.
  
• We're kind of meshed in a lot of ways.
  
  
• Why in the world would you want to stop and not get the use out of all the years you're already spent together? [Time spent]
  
• And that was really something that we got out of marriage.
  
• We did a lot more about talking about what we did or didn't want in our own marriage.
  
• I'm sure they must have something good in their marriage or they wouldn't still be together.
  
• I think she sort of felt that she would get those same things from marriage.
  
• Because I think it costs me a lot and I don't think he's measuring that cost. And I'm scared it's going to cost me too much and leave me without being able to stay in the relationship.
  
  
• Gee, people really do go into marriage, with their eyes, closed.
  
• We had no idea what we were getting into.
  
• We sailed right into marriage.
  
  
• I think .... during some of the most difficult passage that we had when we have really despaired in a sense and thought, "This --we are going to be driven apart by all our problems."
  
  

Cf. Korean:

• 첫날밤의 열기가 식어 버린지 오래다. The fire of the first night has been died cold a long ago.
  
  
• 아직도 깨가 쏟아진다.
They are still grinding sesame seed.


• 그 부부는 결혼생활이 평탄하지 않다. Their marriage has not been leveled.
  

• 그 부부는 결국 오래 가지 못하고 깨지고 말았다. It [marriage] did not go far and ended up being broken.



• 그들은파경을 맞았다. They got their mirror broken.



• 내가 그 때는 눈에 뭐가 씌였었어. I had my eyes covered with something back then.



• 걔네들 벌써 끝났어. They are over already.

Life & death (Kim 1997): What are life and death compared to?

• 그녀는 무용가라는 외길만을 평생 고집했다. She stuck with the only path called a 'dancer' all her life.
• 소리야 평생토록 걸어가야 할 분야 ... "Soli" is a field in which you have to walk along througout your life.
• 어차피 우리의 갈 길은 다르다.Our paths are different after all.
• 인생의 막다른 골목 (deadend street)에 이른 듯하다.I feel like I entered a deadend street of life.
• 인생은 나그네 길 빈 손으로 왔다가 빈손으로 가는가? Is life a road of a wander?; you come empty-handed, and go empty handed.



• 그는 이 사건의 주연이며 그녀는 조연에 불과하다.He is the main actor of this event and she is just a supporting actress.
• 막간을 이용해서 차 한잔 합시다. Let us have a cup of tea during the intermission [the interval between the opening and closing the curtain].



• 그들은 어느듯 황혼에 접어들었다. They entered the time of golden sunset before they knew it.
• 그들은 자식농사를 잘 지었다. They farmed well for their children.
• 그들은 서서히 시들어 갔다. They slowly got dried out.



• 그는 우리 곁을 떠났다. He left us.
• 그는 다시는 돌아올 수 없는 길을 떠났다. He took on a roadtrip from which he will never comeback.
• 그는 이제 죽음의 문턱에 와 있다. He is now at the door step of death.



• 그분은 아마 천당에 가실 겁니다. He will probably go to heaven.
• 그는 육신의 고통에서 해방되어 하나님의 품에 안겼다. He is finally liberated from the pain of flesh and is at the arms of God.
• 그는 영원히 잠들었다. He has fallen into an everlasting sleep.
  
  

Election (Lim 1997): In the following news article, find expressions that reveal what in human life is the closest thing to election.

DJ의 호남성은 예나 지금이나 여당에게 난공불락의 요새다. 제 아무리 성능이 뛰어난 병기를 동원하고 특공대를 투입해도 꺼떡없다. 신한국당은 이번 총선에서 더욱 어려운 전투를 치러야 할 것 같다. (시사저널 336:28)

The DJ castle in Honam is, still the same now as it was in the days gone by, an impregnable fortress for the governing party. No matter what powerful weapons or special attack corps are thrown in, it would not budge. It seems that in this election, the New Korea Party will have to go through a more tough battle than ever.