An extended metaphor is one that spans several lines or possibly an entire poem. Examples of extended metaphor may be found throughout poetry, but William Shakespeare employed it frequently. Many of his poems contain sequences of images and phrases that link them together as parts of a larger whole. These links can be subtle yet striking, such as the pattern that connects each of the sonnets about a young man obsessed with a beautiful woman into a sequence outlining what might be called "the tragic arc of a love affair." Or they can be more obvious, as in the case of The Iliad and The Odyssey, where scenes from one story are repeated in slightly altered form at the beginning of the next.
Shakespeare used extended metaphors to great effect, but they weren't always clear to readers at first glance. Consider this passage from A Midsummer Night's Dream:
"This same bird was heard before / At Eden's gate; and therefore never doubt / That you have a good husband in your daughter-in-law," (3.1.62-64).
The first thing we notice about this passage is that it consists of two sentences that seem to have no connection with one another. But if we read between the lines, we can see that they're part of the same thought process.
Metaphors are employed in poetry to explain and illustrate emotions, sentiments, relationships, and other things that are difficult to articulate in conventional words. Poets also utilize metaphor to describe or allude to something in a concise yet effective manner. The use of metaphor can be helpful when trying to explain ideas or feelings that are complex or not readily apparent.
In "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner", William Wordsworth uses metaphor to explore the effects of guilt on one's mind and soul. The mariner in this case is an old man who has sailed around the world. This trip has caused him to think deeply about life, death, and morality. As a result, he becomes obsessed with killing a small bird so that he may sleep more peacefully at night. The ancient mariner feels guilty for inflicting pain on even this small creature, but also knows that the only way to escape his misery is by ending his own life. Thus, he sets out to kill the albatross that keeps him company at sea.
By explaining the old man's thoughts and actions through metaphor, Wordsworth is able to convey much of his internal struggle without resorting to simple description. Additionally, the reader can infer many different feelings and attitudes based on what kind of person the mariner is (a good or bad man, for example) and how he reacts to various events throughout the story.
A metaphor is a literary device used by authors to make their work more vivid. Metaphors and similes are frequently mistaken. A metaphor declares that one thing is another, but a simile compares two related things using the terms "like" or "as." For example, "The girl from Ipanema went to Paris, bought a new dress, and now she's dancing around the room." Here, the writer has taken an ordinary scene (someone or something changing clothes) and expressed it in poetic language using metaphors and similes.
Metaphors are often misunderstood. Many people think of them as simple comparisons that have been exaggerated for effect. This is not true; metaphors are instruments used by writers to express ideas not possible with plain English. For example, when you say "His eyes were like stars," you are comparing his eyes to stars. But what if those were the only features you could compare them to? You would need another way to describe him. That's where other metaphors come in: his face was beautiful, his voice was soothing, he had the touch of a poet.
As well as being useful tools for expressing ideas, metaphors can also reveal much about our culture and ourselves. An author might use different metaphors to describe different people in order to show how they differ yet share some qualities. For example, T.S. Eliot used metaphors to describe the spirit world in his poem The Hollow Men.
A metaphor is a figure of speech that is used to create a comparison between two objects that are not the same but have certain characteristics. A metaphor makes use of this resemblance to assist the writer make a point. Her tears streamed down her cheeks like a river. His voice was like thunder. Their actions were like water and ice.
- Oxford Dictionary
Metaphors are often used in writing to bring out aspects of relationships or situations that would otherwise be difficult to express clearly. They can also be used to make abstract concepts more accessible by comparing them to something with which readers are familiar.
Some examples of metaphors include: bookies' bets - where one thing is seen as a substitute for another; cold turkey - when something drastic is done suddenly; face to face - directly; feel free to use others!
A metaphor is a more powerful image than a simile in that it helps the reader feel or see something in order to help them grasp it. It indicates that something is equivalent to another; it is not simply a comparison of two items. Metaphors are used extensively in literature and art, particularly in poetry. They can also be useful in teaching concepts that cannot be easily explained with words alone.
Using the image of water to explain what wine does to you is a metaphor. The student will understand that wine has the same effect on you as water because they can both refresh you and cause intoxication. However, a metaphor can also be used to describe something that is not necessarily equal but acts like it is, for example: "His voice is like water for ice." Here, the speaker is saying that his voice is able to melt the ice that has built up in your mind, just as water can dissolve ice. This shows that his voice is effective in getting his listeners to open up.
In addition to helping students understand difficult concepts, metaphors can also be used in teaching vocabulary. For example, someone who is learning French may hear the word "l'eau" (water) used frequently in conversation, so they might assume that it is important in everyday life.
In Walt Whitman's epic poem "Song of Myself," there are nearly limitless examples of metaphor. Indeed, even if you reduce your possibilities to a single image—say, the center leaf of grass—Whitman deploys a plethora of metaphors to convey his subject matter. The leaf is itself composed of veins and pores that reflect the emotional turmoil of its bearer.
Metaphors are powerful tools for understanding abstract concepts like passion, prejudice, and progress. They allow poets to express ideas that might not be possible with only literal language. For example, one could hardly describe the feeling of love by using only physical terms—the heart beats, tears flow, etc. —but instead we say that I love you because it expresses an emotion that cannot be physically measured.
Walt Whitman was a nineteenth-century American poet who championed the idea that all people are equal. He fought against slavery, sexism, and racism throughout his life. Like many other poets before him and since, he used metaphorical language to create images that help us understand these big issues in our society.
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