This book pulls together new research and theory on the verbal communication of emotions by an international, cross-disciplinary group of recognized experts in affective communication. The book's goal is to provide readers with a comprehensive view of current research and encourage cross-disciplinary interaction. Topics include analyses of literal and figurative expressions for emotions, studies of the use of metaphor and other figurative expressions for emotion, analysis of the role of conversational partners in creating emotional meaning, and the effects of culture on emotional communication.

The chapters are organized into three broad areas: background theory, figurative language use, and social/cultural aspects of emotional communication. Part I reviews fundamental issues in the verbal communication of emotion. Part II examines the role of metaphor and other figures of speech in emotional communication in both everyday language and psychotherapeutic contexts. Part III looks at ways emotions are embedded in larger socio-culture processes. Taken as a whole, the chapters provide a comprehensive look at the current state of research on the use of language in affective communication and suggest a number of interesting directions for future research.