Spring as a seasonal political metaphor : the Prague and Arab Spring in presidential rhetoric.

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2014-06-11

Authors

Cook, John W. (John William), 1989-

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Abstract

Presidential rhetoric has historically adopted the common metaphor of “spring as political change” which serves as a metonymic naming of political periods or events characterized by change and vitality. This “spring as political change” metaphor has been influential through history in naming a varied group of political activities and changes. This study focuses on “the Arab Spring” and the “Prague Spring” as “spring as political change” metaphors that have shaped and defined presidential rhetoric on the issues they purport to describe. In isolating the dimensions of the spring metaphor at work in presidential rhetoric, this study demonstrates that this “spring as political change” metaphor reflects and projects certain values in order to make the conclusions or associations of the rhetor appear natural, logical, or otherwise necessary to complete the metaphoric meanings initiated by this metaphor.

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