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Plant metaphors for the expression of emotions

THE HEART IS THE SOIL. In this interpretation, deep soil, containing all the nutrition and water necessary for the growth of plants and vegetables, is regarded as good whereas shallow rocky soil, in which nothing can grow, is regarded as bad. We have a systematic way of speaking about the heart in terms of the soil. For example, different emotions: anger, jealousy, love etc. can be “rooted in the heart”. Thus the expressions under consideration can be regarded as doubly motivated.

As is apparent, expressions like from the bottom of my heart and from the depth of my heart make use of Container terminology (for example, bottom, depth). This can be explained by the fact that plants, especially their roots, storę water and other nutrients necessary for plant growth. In this sense, plants are containers. Morę nutrition is stored in the roots than in the branches and leaves. In other words, morę nutrition is stored in the bottom part of the plant Container than in its uppermost parts. The same is true of shallow and deep soils. Deep soils contain morę nutrition than shallow stony soils. Therefore, the soil is a Container.

2.6. Emotional pain as physical pain caused by thorns

Some plants, especially roses, bear sharp, woody spines. When we get pricked by plant thorns we experience a sharp physical pain. This experience has been carried over to the domain of emotions and we speak of emotional pain in terms of physical pain caused by thorns. For example, a thorn in the flesh is a constant affliction, a source of continual grief, trouble or annoyance; or to be (sit, stand or walk) on thorns means to be in a painful State of anxiety or suspensę. This metaphorical conceptualisation stems from a morę generał metaphor EMOTIONAL PAIN IS PHYSICAL PAIN. Here are some metaphorical expressions found in The Oxford English Dictionary:

(45) Peggy wanted now to make several little confidences to her, which Miss Barker was on thorns to hear.