More than Cool Reason: A Field Guide to Poetic Metaphor

More than Cool Reason: A Field Guide to Poetic Metaphor

3.88 of 5 stars 3.88  ·  rating details  ·  95 ratings  ·  10 reviews
"The authors restore metaphor to our lives by showing us that it's never gone away. We've merely been taught to talk as if it had: as though weather maps were more 'real' than the breath of autumn; as though, for that matter, Reason was really 'cool.' What we're saying whenever we say is a theme this book illumines for anyone attentive." — Hugh Kenner, Johns Hopkins Univer...more
Paperback, 237 pages
Published February 15th 1989 by University Of Chicago Press
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Matt
I read this, which I sort of didn't know we had a copy of in the house, after I finally committed and bought a copy of _Metaphors We Live By_, to sort of get a sense of what to expect. And I'm not sure what to think.

In places, notably the long second chapter, it's way too inside linguistics for me. I really don't know, and don't altogether care to know, how linguists approach the question of metaphors as a part of language. I mean, I understand why it's important to Lakoff-- but it's not importa...more
Kirk Lowery
I think I was expecting something more, knowing George Lakoff. But I was severely disappointed. Both authors seem to have a gift for expressing the obvious and ignoring the obvious questions. It shows how metaphors common in our Western culture are commonly used not only in ordinary speech but also in poetry. I particularly enjoyed the poetic analysis: it is the strongest part of the book. In the course of the book the authors attempt to come up with a taxonomy of metaphor as seen in Western lit...more
Mark
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I will admit that the explanations sometime bog down a bit. Once you get the method of their analysis you can probably do some of it on your own and thus the repetition gets a tad pedantic. All in all, though, it is an excellent introduction to how our language and thought processes work, showing that metaphor infuses worldviews.

One must be somewhat careful coming to this book with the expectation that it is entirely about poetic metaphor. It is not. In fact, the...more
Pam
This was used as a textbook for one of my linguistics courses, but I found it to be a fascinating read. I never realized how much we use metaphoric speech on a day-to-day basis until I read this book. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys the English language, not just those who are interested in poetry.
Rakan Jaradat
More Than Cool Reason: A Field Guide To Poetic Metaphor
Alexandra
The book is very helpful for those who study poetic metaphor.
Luis
Jun 04, 2012 Luis added it
Tô lendo isso aqui, ó galera
Charles
Cognitive linguistics. Had a big impact on how I think about and teach metaphor. See also "Philosophy in the Flesh."
Daniela
Jul 30, 2007 Daniela rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: academics, undergrads
very enlightening perspective on imaginative rationality and the experientially-grounded nature of figurative language
Lisa Greer
This is a great introduction to linguistics. I found it fascinating.
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More than Cool Reason: A Field Guide to Poetic Metaphor (Hardcover)
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George Lakoff is Richard and Rhoda Goldman Distinguished Professor of Cognitive Science and Linguistics at UC Berkeley and is one of the founders of the field of cognitive science.

He is author of The New York Times bestseller Don't Think of an Elephant!, as well as Moral Politics: How Liberals and Conservatives Think, Whose Freedom?, and many other books and articles on cognitive science and ling...more
More about George Lakoff...
Don't Think of an Elephant! Know Your Values and Frame the Debate: The Essential Guide for Progressives Metaphors We Live By Moral Politics: How Liberals and Conservatives Think Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things Philosophy in the Flesh

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