Metaphors Amali Writes By: A Cognitive Stylistic Study of Efeega: War of Ants

Abstract

Idris Amali is a contemporary Nigerian poet who speaks on issues bordering around the ills and vices of his immediate society as well as of those marring the development of the world at large. Several scholarly studies have been carried out in interpreting his work, however leaving out a look at his cognition which plays a pivotal role in his packaging of message. This paper experiments a cognitive stylistic tool (Conceptual Metaphor Theory) into the thought process of this expressive poet to reveal the conceptual metaphors that shapes his understanding of concepts as manifested in his language construct. Conceptual metaphor is a theory of metaphor in cognitive stylistics which sees metaphorical patterns as neither just linguistic embellishment nor trope but as the basic components of human thought process. It is the understanding of concepts or experiences in terms of other concepts or happenings. The poems analysed in this work are strictly those from the book, Efeega: War of Ants; and the concepts surveyed are the sun, rain, nation/cities and victory. His linguistic representation of these concepts are analysed using CMT and the conceptual metaphors drawn from them are revealed. The paper concludes that indeed the poet thinks of concepts in terms of other distinct unrelated concepts. His thoughts are shaped and pervaded with metaphors that follow a systematic pattern which influences his painting and portrayal of ideas to his readers.