A strong metaphor is one in which the attributes shared by the vehicle and the tenor are clear without further explanation. For example, "she's a gem" is a widely used metaphor whose meaning would probably be p
home▸sitemap▸A-Z grammar terms▸writing techniques ▸metaphor: definition and examples A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two unrelated things by stating that one thing is another (e.g., "her voice is honey in my ears"). Using metaphors is a powerful literary tool that...
for example, to pronounce, “I’m starving” when one is merely hungry or “I’m freezing” when one is quite cold. The state of starvation is much more dire than mere hunger, and so we say we are starving to emphasize the need for food. ...
“as” to create the comparison between two different things. To identify a metaphor, simply notice anytime you see a thing, person, object, idea, place or feeling being described by being equated to something else. For example, the following metaphor: “She was a tall tree.” The person...
For example, let’s say it’s finals period, and after exams, students are saying things like, “That test was murder.” It’s a fair guess they’re still alive if they’re commenting on the test, so this is an example of people speaking metaphorically or figuratively. Examples of m...
or it may be the central concept and controlling image of the poem. The metaphor of an iron horse for a train, for example, is the elaborate central concept of one of Emily Dickinson's poems—though neitheriron horsenortrainappears in the poem, the first and final stanzas of which are:...
Conceits are often found in poetry, particularly Renaissance and metaphysical poetry. One well-known example of a conceit is the poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot: “Let us go then, you and I, When the evening is spread out against the sky Like a patient ...
Let's continue to use the example from above: Life is a highway that takes us through green pastures, vast deserts, and rocky mountains. Sometimes your car breaks down or you run out of gas, and sometimes you get lost. Friends are the roadmaps that help you get where you're going. ...
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Therapeutic:a metaphor used by therapists to assist clients in the process of personal transformation.Getselfhelp.co.uk, a British website that offers psychotherapy resources and information, gives this example of passengers on a bus: "You can be in the driving seat, whilst all the passengers ...