ABSTRACT
A picture may paint a thousand words, but a metaphor can impart a whole landscape – of images, sounds, sensations and any relationships that exist between them. For example, the statement “When I’m near him I just bloom” carries a wealth of meaning, implied by the metaphoric expression ‘I just bloom’. When we hear or read a metaphor like this, inevitably we form our own interpretation about what kind of ‘bloom’ this may be. Cropping up in our language constantly, in obvious and more subtle ways, metaphors evoke more than the words alone convey. Many common expressions and clichés have metaphorical roots although we no longer notice them. And often, a metaphor is unique and deeply personal to whomever has uttered it, helping the person make sense of what’s going on.
