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The Trajectory of My Work with Metaphor

This essay summarizes and synthesizes the author's previously published work on rhetorical metaphor and depiction and relates personal stories behind this research. The essay also explores points of connection that tie this research together into an oeuvre. These points of connection trace a trajectory from the initial microscopic view of metaphor to the later panoramic view of functions sketched in the rhetorical depiction essay. The present essay pinpoints a vital over-statement in the original formulation of archetypal metaphor, the claim that such metaphor is “immune” rather than “resistant” to change. The gradual evolution of certain archetypal metaphors, despite their enduring nature, is perhaps the most fascinating thing about them. This essay also identifies a basic question left unanswered, concerning how the experience of metaphor can be so meaningful, and further complicates the explanation of rhetorical depiction. At the heart of both metaphor and depiction there remain mysteries.