Sfide creative nei processi di comprensione del linguaggio metaforico

The present paper explores the cognitive and visual potential of figurative language, focusing on metaphor,starting from Aristotle’s insights (4th century BCE). The philosopher was the first to define metaphor as the transposition of an improper name, identifying it as a linguistic and conceptual device capable of revealing ontological similarities and appropriately transgressing the literal use of language. According to Aristotle, metaphor is not merely a rhetorical ornament but a cognitive tool that expands knowledge by creating semantic relationships and formulating concepts through processes such as the transfer from genus to species and analogy. This study focuses on the imagistic property of metaphor, which allows abstract concepts to be “placed before the eyes,” generating mental images and facilitating understanding. This visual dimension, anticipating modern theories on visual imagery and motor simulation, gives metaphor a surprising expressive power, capable of evoking action and movement even in inanimate entities. The most effective metaphors activate bodily and prereflective knowledge, transforming linguistic experience into a multisensory process. Figurative language thus becomes an interpretative adventure that stimulates ingenuity, produces aesthetic pleasure, and leaves lasting traces in the mind of the interpreter. However, understanding metaphors requires skill and practice: grasping their meaning involves refining perception and believing in their transformative power. In conclusion, metaphor emerges as a protean phenomenon, combining verbal and visual dimensions to generate memorable cognitive and imaginative experiences.