Figurative language in talking about the loss of a father. The example of Americans and Poles

Abstract

The subject of this paper is loss and grief described by different people from two language groups: Americans and Poles. The analyzed data comes from the responses to two online questionnaires, and belongs to a larger PhD research project. In looking for examples of conceptual metaphors (Lakoff and Johnson 1980, Kövecses 2005) and conceptual blends (Fauconnier and Turner 1996, Dancygier and Sweetser 2014), we present various cases of conceptualization of loss and grief. Given the limited size of this paper, we selected examples referring to loss of a father. The aim is to compare different ways of talking about apparently the same type of loss, highlighting the fact that grief is very subjective and personal. It is also a way to present differences and a variety in viewpoint when talking about this type of loss.