Poetic Logic: The Role of Metaphor in Thought, Language, and Culture (Language and Communication, V. 1)

"No theory formulated in language can ever penetrate the world of realty. It can however, reveal it serendipitously, through metaphor," writes Marcel Danesi.

The use of metaphor to create and communicate ideas is so commonplace and pervasive as to go unnoticed. We no longer are aware that a metaphor is truly a metaphor because it is so entrenched. These metaphors permeate our thought processes, are exemplified in our language, and are reflective of our cultures. We seek to explain and transmit the unexplainable through our metaphors: we seek to make and share meaning. The ability of our minds to create these meanings is termed poetic logic.

Danesi writes: "The main goal of this book has been to take the reader on an excursion through an amalgam of facts, ideas, and illustrations that reveal how poetic logic works in making the world visible and thus understandable in human terms. Metaphor is a trace to poetic thinking, which constantly creates connections among things. This is why metaphors and metaforms have such emotional power—they tie people together, allowing them to express a common sense of purpose in an interconnected fashion."

For those seeking a text which enhances our understanding of communication, Poetic Logic provides a basis for examining reality through the metaphors we collectively or collaboratively incorporate into ordinary life.

Marcel Danesi is known for his work in language, communications, and semiotics. He is a frequent lecturer, writes extensively, and is the editor of Semiotica. Danesi is a professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Toronto.

After teaching Italian for many years, Marcel now teaches semiotics/communications courses which draw hundreds of students each year. His program is evolving into one of the largest in the world. In addition, he is also a guest professor in Lugano each year.

One of the most significant aspects of Marcel’s work is his effort to make the ideas of semiotic theory and communications accessible to a broad range of interests. Although known as semiotic scholar with publications in academe, he writes for non-academic audiences as well, and frequently appears on Canadian public television.