The city in the linguistic-cultural area of Polish metal music from the 1980s Cover Image

Miasto w przestrzeni językowo-kulturowej polskiej muzyki metalowej z lat osiemdziesiątych XX wieku
The city in the linguistic-cultural area of Polish metal music from the 1980s

Author(s): Anna Antas
Subject(s): Cognitive linguistics
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Komisji Edukacji Narodowej w Krakowie
Keywords: subculture;subculture of heavy metal listeners;city;conceptualization of the city

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of this article is to draw attention to the linguistic and cultural manner of conceptualizing the city in the lyrics of the Polish metal songs from the 1980s. After the analysis of the lyrics of nearly 300 songs, it could be argued that the city is evaluated mostly in a negative way, which is manifested by the linguistic means that are used to describe it. The gathered lyrics depict it as the “city of evil” and the “city of dread”. Inhabitants of the city are described by means of metonymy and personification hence cities “die” or “fall asleep”. There are also lots of expressionistic accounts that concern destruction of the city as the result of a nuclear disaster. The research material also contains citations that present the city as a loud, untidy and noisy place which overwhelms and besets the human.

  • Issue Year: 2/2014
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 169-182
  • Page Count: 14
  • Language: Polish