CONCEPTUAL METAPHORS OF ARTISTIC LABOR AND CREATIVITY IN IRVING STONE’S THE AGONY AND ECSTASY
Abstract
Metaphor is not simply a way of making literary language more beautiful. In Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT), particularly in the work of Lakoff and Johnson (1980, 2003), metaphor is also understood as a way of thinking about one kind of experience in terms of another. This is useful when we study artistic creativity because creativity includes many different things: imagination, knowledge, emotion, technical skill, and physical effort. Irving Stone’s The Agony and the Ecstasy provides a useful example for this kind of analysis. The novel is a fictionalized biography of Michelangelo and combines historical information with literary storytelling. Throughout the novel, artistic work is often described through concrete experiences such as working, struggling, listening, discovering, and shaping. These descriptions help Stone present Michelangelo not only as a naturally talented artist but also as someone whose creativity develops through continuous work and contact with his material.Author Biography
Makhfirat U. Hikmatova
Chief Specialist, Master’s Degree Holder
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