The book offers an introduction to the theory and practice of metaphor and other tropes. It outlines different theoretical approaches to the phenomenon of metaphor from antiquity to the present, focusing especially on classical sources (Aristotle, Cicero, Quintilian) and cognitive linguistics. The practical use of metaphor is discussed with respect to a variety of disciplines, ranging from literature and philosophy to the social sciences and sciences. While the bulk of the book is concerned with metaphor as the central trope, there are brief sections on the main related terms such as metonymy, allegory and symbol. The discussion of examples is intended to eludicate distinctions in the terminology. The aim of the book is to show how metaphor works at the interface between cognition and language, structuring our thinking about the world we inhabit and enabling effective communication and creative activity.