A STUDY TO INVESTIGATE THE USE OF METAPHORS IN POLITICAL SPEECHES – A CASE STUDY OF EX-PRIME MINISTER IMRAN KHAN

Author(s) : Mariya Javed, Zakia Aslam and Mohammad Asif

Abstract:

n both everyday life and political debate metaphors are among the most widely used language domains. The speaker's cognitive activity can be inferred from the cross-domain mapping between the source and target domains. In Imran Khan's political speeches, metaphors are frequently used. This article examines the use of metaphors by Ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is known for being a skilled orator. Successful politicians utilize compelling language, and among other rhetorical devices, they frequently employ highly conventionalized metaphors. This study primarily employed a mixed method approach because both the qualitative and qualitative data were gathered. The information was gathered from political department students at Punjab University and Riphh International. 150 to 200 students from the Political Science departments of Punjab University and Riphh International participated in the study. By using SPSS, a descriptive analysis of the data was performed, and the percentage of each item was then calculated. The findings demonstrate that metaphors are employed to portray the speaker and his political allies in a favorable light while simultaneously portraying the Khan's political adversaries in a negative one. Khan also projects himself to be the father and the rescuer that the general public needs so desperately.
Keywords: Imran Khan, political speeches, metaphor, rhetoric, persuasion.