Exploring the Persuasive Function of Metaphorical Proximization Mechanism in Speech Discourse

Abstract

Speech discourse often uses a lot of metaphors to strengthen persuasive effect and win listeners support, which is worthwhile to study. This paper attempts to analyze the self-constructed corpus of speech discourse from the perspective of proximization theory and the multiple fusion of critical metaphors. It is found that the combination of metaphorical elements and proximization strategies not only helps to highlight the heterogeneity of different entities within the proximization strategy, strengthen the fearfulness of the proximization process, but also helps speech discourse to achieve the function of admonition. The results of the study can not only deepen the audience’s understanding of the proximization theory and provide a useful perspective for better presenting the research results of speech discourse, but also help to explore the path to achieve the persuasive function of speech discourse.