Abstract
The aim of the study is to explore the metaphorical expressions in AyiKweiArmah'sThe Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born using the conceptual theory of metaphor (CMT) by Lakoff& Johnson (1980) and Idealized cognitive models (ICMs) by Radden&Kovecses (1999) as its framework. The research objectives include identifying metaphorical expressions, exploring cognitive mechanisms and highlighting the function of idealized cognitive models (ICMs) in the text. A qualitative approach was employed, involving a descriptive analysis of linguistic expressions in the text. The data collection process involved reading the text multiple times, highlighting linguistic expressions and categorizing them according to structural metaphors using CMT. The study identifies 42 metaphorical expressions grouped under 14 conceptual metaphors The study found 14 conceptual metaphors. The findings also revealed the extensive use of structural metaphors in the text, supporting the universality of conceptual metaphors (Lakoff& Johnson, 1980; Kovecses, 2010). Additionally, 6 idealized cognitive models (ICMs) were identified as playing a role in the creation of these conceptual metaphors. This research contributes to the understanding of cognitive metaphorical expressions in literary texts, highlighting the significance of CMT in analyzing conceptual metaphors and ICMs. The findings also support the claim of the universality of metaphors, demonstrating how metaphorical expressions are extensively exploited in literary text.
