The Structure of Producing and Conceiving the Metaphor From the Perspective of Abdulqahir al-Jurjani

Metaphor which forms a very important part of our verbal communication has always been an important issue for scientists in various branches of knowledge all over the world. Since ancient time, many attempts have been made to define and classify different kinds of metaphor and determine their status in concepts such as poetry, rhetoric and eloquence. In this paper, the concepts and elements which are surely useful in defining and elaborating the structure of metaphor have been presented. One of the prominent Muslim rhetoric specialists who has managed in the light of proving the Inimitability of the Quran to reach unprecedented horizons of literary studies like metaphor is Abdulqāhir al-Jurjānī (d. 471 AH). He offered a special method for producing and perceiving the metaphor in which in addition to the literary aspects, the psychological aspects and the mental attempts of the creator and hearer of the metaphors are taken into account as well. The bases which he offers for his method can be helpful and inspiring even today. In this paper, these bases have been tried to be briefly explained.