"In this volume, David Punter establishes the classical background of metaphor from its philosophical roots to the religious and political tradition of metaphor in the East; relates metaphor to the public realms of culture and politics and the way in which these influence the literary; examines metaphor in relation to literary theory, philosophy, psychoanalysis and postcolonial studies; and illustrates his argument with specific examples from Western and Eastern literature and poetry." "This book emphasises the significance of metaphor to literary studies, as well as its relevance to cultural studies, linguistics and philosophy."--Jacket.