What is a love-as-magic metaphor?

What is a love-as-magic metaphor?

Definition
	A conventional metaphor in which love is represented as a magical force exerting itself on the person in love, thus highlighting a conception of love as beyond the control of the person in love.

Examples
	Here are some examples in English:
	She cast her spell over me. The magic is gone. I was entranced by him. I am charmed by her. She is bewitching.

Generic
	A love-as-magic metaphor is a kind of
	What is a metaphor for love?

Source
	Kovecses 1986

Context for this page:

Concept module: love-as-magic metaphor
In modular book: Metaphors in English, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H. Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Lexicon

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 4.0, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 18 September 1998