2 ago 2011

Not Even the Word Literal Is Literal

It hides a trope, the idea of the "letter," or graphic signifier of meaning. No meaning is "literal" in the literal sense of inhering in a letter. No wonder that people say they are "literally climbing the wall" to intensify their metaphorical expressions, or, as I heard on NPR yesterday "opportunity literally came knocking at her door."

3 comentarios:

Andrew Shields dijo...

It only works if it was Opportunity that knocked, as in Pilgrim's Progress.

Jonathan dijo...

Isn't PP an allegory, hence not "literal"?

Andrew Shields dijo...

I wish I had a good knock-knock joke to tell now. "Opportunity who?" :-)