A Pragmatic Analysis of the Persuasive Function of Metaphors in the Selected Letters of Nahj al-Balagha

Pragmatics considers literature as the most effective and beautiful type of discourse. A discourse that contains not only beauty but all the functions of language communication. Therefore, the art of persuasion, as the ultimate goal of any discourse, falls under the school of pragmatics. Metaphor is a tool that has a high position in the relationship between the speaker and the sender, as well as in persuading and influencing the audience. The present study using a descriptive-analytical method tries to examine the application of this rhetorical device in selected letters of Nahj al-Balaghah with the aim of convincing the audience. One of the findings of the research is that the Imam (as) uses most of his metaphors to warn, inform and persuade the audience, and in this way, he chooses simple and tangible images that have a greater persuasion ability and impact.