Skip to main content

What is a metaphor?

A metaphor is a way of explaining something in terms of something else, without using the words "like" or "as." It is an implied comparison. I think the best way to help you understand this is with some examples. 


In explaining that I have a difficult task to do, I might say, "It's going to be long haul." My task, which might be grading a large pile of papers, has nothing to do with hauling...

A metaphor is a way of explaining something in terms of something else, without using the words "like" or "as." It is an implied comparison. I think the best way to help you understand this is with some examples. 


In explaining that I have a difficult task to do, I might say, "It's going to be long haul." My task, which might be grading a large pile of papers, has nothing to do with hauling anything anywhere, but it gives the listener an image of someone having to do a lot of work by hauling something very heavy over a long distance. That is a metaphor. 


I might write that someone who had an unpleasant surprise was shell-shocked—in other words, shocked by the form of bomb called a shell, which one could be attacked with in a war. Everyone reading this understands I am making a comparison with a person who is attacked, but that the person I am speaking of has not been attacked, and is instead just unpleasantly surprised.  


In each instance, the reader or listener must be able to understand what attributes of the metaphor are meant as the comparison. Otherwise, the metaphor cannot be understood properly. If I say someone is a rock, I probably mean the person is strong and someone I can depend upon.  A misinterpretation of that might be that this is someone who is very cold, unemotional, or who has rough edges.  These kinds of misunderstandings can happen for the listener or reader who does not have a good familiarity with the language being used. Young children also frequently misunderstand metaphors because they take them literally. When I was a child, I remember my father saying someone he knew was fired, which probably did start out as a metaphor. I was terribly upset because I had the image in my mind of a man on fire. This does show us, though, how strong an image a metaphor can provide! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Can you analyze the poem "Absolution" by Siegfried Sassoon?

Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and... Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and the v...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more