The Role of Metaphor and Symbolism in Shaping Meaning in Modern English Literature

The roles of metaphor and symbolism in meaning creation in contemporary English literature can be evaluated by means of corpus-based cognitive-stylistic analysis. Based on the theory of conceptual metaphors and image schemas, the study analyzes how figures of speech structure themes, characters and readers' interpretation in contemporary literary works. A combined research design involving both quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis allows identifying types of metaphors and sources of their imagery as well as symbols used by the writers. It is shown that metaphorical constructions in contemporary literary discourse are not just decorative devices but a tool for meaning creation, which creates abstractions based on concrete experience. The role of symbolism in modern literature is complementary to the above and involves compression of a complex theme into an image, which gains its semantic weight by repeated use within the text. Comparisons show that contemporary writers apply more often metaphorical and private symbolic constructions compared to their predecessors.