Metaphor is well known to be a linguistic and cognitive tool that we use to talk and think about subjective, sensitive and complex experiences in terms of experiences that tend to be simpler and more intersubjectively accessible. Illness and healthcare are among the areas of experience that are often talked about and conceptualized through metaphor.

In this lecture, Professor Elena Semino will discuss the metaphors used in three different types of health-related communication: doctor-patient interactions about chronic pain; the lived experience of cancer; and public messaging about vaccines. She will show how, in all three cases, metaphors are exploited creatively for a range of purposes, including emotional disclosure, explanation, and persuasion. She will also consider the practical implications and applications of the insights of metaphor analysis for health communication in clinical and public health settings.