Cognitive Analysis of Metaphor and Metonymy in Prose

: Metaphor and metonymy, which are figures of speech as well as means of cognition and ways of thinking, are commonly used in literary works, allowing authors to better express themselves and helping readers appreciate the charm of language. In order to have a better understanding of how they add to the cultural connotations of literary works and expand readers’ cognition, this article selects typical sentences from Chi ZiJian Prose featured by vivid and poetic language and analyzes how metaphor and metonymy, as important rhetorical devices and ways of thinking, act as active roles in adding luster to literary works and helping readers grasp the spirit and emotion of the author and in return, further broaden their perceptions by creating extensive connections. Therefore, readers are supposed to utilize their past cognitive experience and fully exert their imagination to find similarities and build connections, project their knowledge and experience from one domain to the other, understand the hidden meaning and thus the cognitive purposes can be achieved. The analysis of this study also places emphasis on the cultural background and the intentionality of the author because words and sentences can not be isolated from the context or it can be interpreted in many different ways.