How to Understand the Concept of a Metaphor
Note comparisons., Look for "is" and "are" statements., Recognize different types of metaphors., Know when a comparison is a simile., Understand when to use a metaphor.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Note comparisons.
A metaphor links two ideas through imagery or mental pictures.
A metaphor is an analogy, which means it aims to describe an object by comparing it to another one.Examples include: "It was raining cats and dogs.""People in glass houses should not throw stones.""Don't put all your eggs in one basket." -
Step 2: Look for "is" and "are" statements.
Metaphors often say that one thing is something else.Even though these two objects are not actually the same, the author makes a point by equating them.
For example, if she writes, "Hope is the water of life," she means that just as we need water to survive, we also need hope.
It is that essential.
Other examples include: the age-old "Time is money."Shakespeare's "All the world's a stage."
Authors can use metaphors in many different ways.
Although comparisons are often obvious, sometimes an author might use an entire paragraph or a whole story to draw a comparison.
The following metaphors exist:
Extended metaphors draw comparisons between objects over several sentences.Implied metaphors relate one object to another object without mentioning the second object explicitly.
For example, one might write: "Molly purred during her massage." In this case, Molly is being related to a cat.Dead metaphors are comparisons that people use so often, they have lost their impact.
For example, "it's raining cats and dogs" would be one. , Similes are textual devices that compare objects directly.
Unlike metaphors, similes always use the words "as" or "like." For example, "life is like a box of chocolates" is a simile. "She's slow as molasses" would be another one. , People use metaphors to convey emotions and to say things in more creative and vivid ways.
Metaphors ask readers to interpret their own meanings from a writer's words.
Writers also can use metaphors to reduce the number of words they need to convey a message."Her eyes were on fire" shows deeper emotion than "She looked really mad." For example, instead of saying, "Mary ran very fast." One could say "Mary was a racehorse." The metaphor gives one a visual image that shows just how fast Mary ran.
One could say, "her room was so messy, I could not see the floor." A metaphor could say the same thing more concisely: "her room was a pigsty." -
Step 3: Recognize different types of metaphors.
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Step 4: Know when a comparison is a simile.
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Step 5: Understand when to use a metaphor.
Detailed Guide
A metaphor links two ideas through imagery or mental pictures.
A metaphor is an analogy, which means it aims to describe an object by comparing it to another one.Examples include: "It was raining cats and dogs.""People in glass houses should not throw stones.""Don't put all your eggs in one basket."
Metaphors often say that one thing is something else.Even though these two objects are not actually the same, the author makes a point by equating them.
For example, if she writes, "Hope is the water of life," she means that just as we need water to survive, we also need hope.
It is that essential.
Other examples include: the age-old "Time is money."Shakespeare's "All the world's a stage."
Authors can use metaphors in many different ways.
Although comparisons are often obvious, sometimes an author might use an entire paragraph or a whole story to draw a comparison.
The following metaphors exist:
Extended metaphors draw comparisons between objects over several sentences.Implied metaphors relate one object to another object without mentioning the second object explicitly.
For example, one might write: "Molly purred during her massage." In this case, Molly is being related to a cat.Dead metaphors are comparisons that people use so often, they have lost their impact.
For example, "it's raining cats and dogs" would be one. , Similes are textual devices that compare objects directly.
Unlike metaphors, similes always use the words "as" or "like." For example, "life is like a box of chocolates" is a simile. "She's slow as molasses" would be another one. , People use metaphors to convey emotions and to say things in more creative and vivid ways.
Metaphors ask readers to interpret their own meanings from a writer's words.
Writers also can use metaphors to reduce the number of words they need to convey a message."Her eyes were on fire" shows deeper emotion than "She looked really mad." For example, instead of saying, "Mary ran very fast." One could say "Mary was a racehorse." The metaphor gives one a visual image that shows just how fast Mary ran.
One could say, "her room was so messy, I could not see the floor." A metaphor could say the same thing more concisely: "her room was a pigsty."
About the Author
Daniel Moore
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow home improvement tutorials.
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