Home Chapter 8. “The state of our Union is strong.” Metaphors of the nation in State of the Union addresses
Chapter
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Chapter 8. “The state of our Union is strong.” Metaphors of the nation in State of the Union addresses

  • Massimiliano Demata
View more publications by John Benjamins Publishing Company
Search
Metaphor, Nation and Discourse
This chapter is in the book Metaphor, Nation and Discourse

Abstract

This chapter discusses the metaphors of the nation used by the last four US presidents (Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump) in their annual State of the Union addresses. It is argued that the two main metaphors of the nation used by the presidents, a nation is a building and a nation is a person, are key discursive elements which define the essential ideological characteristics of the nation and constitute a hegemonic concept of national identity. The chapter explains elements of continuity and variation in these metaphorical images in the presidential addresses in terms of the ritual nature of the address and the genre theory of the “New Rhetorics.”

Abstract

This chapter discusses the metaphors of the nation used by the last four US presidents (Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump) in their annual State of the Union addresses. It is argued that the two main metaphors of the nation used by the presidents, a nation is a building and a nation is a person, are key discursive elements which define the essential ideological characteristics of the nation and constitute a hegemonic concept of national identity. The chapter explains elements of continuity and variation in these metaphorical images in the presidential addresses in terms of the ritual nature of the address and the genre theory of the “New Rhetorics.”

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgments vii
  4. Metaphors in the discursive construction of nations 1
  5. Part I. Discourses and voices of the powerful elites
  6. Chapter 1. The desire for shelter 35
  7. Chapter 2. Barbed wire around Serbia 59
  8. Chapter 3. Godly Poland in godless Europe 75
  9. Chapter 4. “Let’s work on our Serbian!” 101
  10. Chapter 5. Metaphors for language contact and change 127
  11. Chapter 6. Metaphors of plant cultivation and flowing liquid in German colonialist discourse (1871–1914) 155
  12. Chapter 7. The meaning of state created through symbols and metaphors 177
  13. Chapter 8. “The state of our Union is strong.” Metaphors of the nation in State of the Union addresses 201
  14. Part II. Semi-official and mixed discourses
  15. Chapter 9. The role of metonymy and metaphor in the conceptualization of the nation 227
  16. Chapter 10. Metaphorical and non-metaphorical dimensions of the term nacija in Croatian online discourse 259
  17. Chapter 11. How to do things with metaphors 287
  18. Chapter 12. Guidelines on how to construct a nation 321
  19. Afterword 347
  20. Notes on contributors 349
  21. Index 353
https://doi.org/10.1075/dapsac.82.09dem

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgments vii
  4. Metaphors in the discursive construction of nations 1
  5. Part I. Discourses and voices of the powerful elites
  6. Chapter 1. The desire for shelter 35
  7. Chapter 2. Barbed wire around Serbia 59
  8. Chapter 3. Godly Poland in godless Europe 75
  9. Chapter 4. “Let’s work on our Serbian!” 101
  10. Chapter 5. Metaphors for language contact and change 127
  11. Chapter 6. Metaphors of plant cultivation and flowing liquid in German colonialist discourse (1871–1914) 155
  12. Chapter 7. The meaning of state created through symbols and metaphors 177
  13. Chapter 8. “The state of our Union is strong.” Metaphors of the nation in State of the Union addresses 201
  14. Part II. Semi-official and mixed discourses
  15. Chapter 9. The role of metonymy and metaphor in the conceptualization of the nation 227
  16. Chapter 10. Metaphorical and non-metaphorical dimensions of the term nacija in Croatian online discourse 259
  17. Chapter 11. How to do things with metaphors 287
  18. Chapter 12. Guidelines on how to construct a nation 321
  19. Afterword 347
  20. Notes on contributors 349
  21. Index 353
Sign up now to receive a 20% welcome discount
Institutional Access
How does access work?
Have an idea on how to improve our website?
Please write us.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Downloaded on 19.9.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/dapsac.82.09dem/html
Scroll to top button