how to incorporate a metaphor in an essay

25 Metaphors for Essays

Metaphors are a powerful tool in writing and can add depth and richness to your essay.

A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things, using “like” or “as” to make the comparison.

By using metaphors in your writing, you can paint a vivid picture in the reader’s mind and help them better understand and relate to your ideas.

In this blog post, we will explore some common metaphors for essays and the different ways they can be used to enhance your writing.

Whether you are just starting out with essay writing or are an experienced writer looking for new ways to engage your readers, this post will provide you with some helpful tips and ideas for using metaphors effectively.

So, let’s dive in and explore the world of metaphors for essays!

Metaphors for Essays

“The world is a stage.” This metaphor suggests that life is a performance and we are all actors on the stage of the world.
“Time is money.” This metaphor equates the value of time with the value of money, implying that time is a valuable resource that should not be wasted.
“He is a snake in the grass.” This metaphor describes someone who is sneaky and untrustworthy, likening them to a snake hiding in the grass.
“She has a heart of gold.” This metaphor describes someone who is kind and generous, likening their heart to the precious metal gold.
“He is a bear in the market.” This metaphor describes someone who is aggressive and successful in business, likening them to a bear in the stock market.
“She is a ray of sunshine.” This metaphor describes someone who brings joy and light to a situation, likening them to a ray of sunshine.
“He is a lion in the courtroom.” This metaphor describes someone who is confident and fierce in a legal setting, likening them to a lion.
“She is a diamond in the rough.” This metaphor describes someone who has untapped potential or hidden qualities, likening them to a diamond that has yet to be polished.
“He is a butterfly in the wind.” This metaphor describes someone who is unpredictable or fleeting, likening them to a butterfly being blown by the wind.
“She is a rose among thorns.” This metaphor describes someone who stands out or is exceptional in a negative or difficult situation, likening them to a rose among thorns.
“He is a fish out of water.” This metaphor describes someone who is uncomfortable or out of place in a particular situation, likening them to a fish out of water.
“She is a bird in a gilded cage.” This metaphor describes someone who is trapped or unable to fully experience life, likening them to a bird in a gilded cage.
“He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” This metaphor describes someone who appears kind or harmless, but is actually dangerous or deceitful, likening them to a wolf disguised as a harmless sheep.
“She is a butterfly emerging from a cocoon.” This metaphor describes someone who is going through a transformation or transition, likening them to a butterfly emerging from its cocoon.
“He is a snake oil salesman.” This metaphor describes someone who is dishonest or fraudulent in their sales tactics, likening them to a 19th century salesman who sold fake cures in the form of snake oil.
“She is a feather in the wind.” This metaphor describes someone who is easily swayed or influenced, likening them to a feather being blown by the wind.
“He is a monkey on his back.” This metaphor describes someone who is struggling with an addiction or problem that they cannot shake, likening it to a monkey clinging to their back.
“He is a tiger in the jungle.” This metaphor describes someone who is strong and fierce in a particular environment, likening them to a tiger in the jungle.
“She is a flower in bloom.” This metaphor describes someone who is flourishing or thriving, likening them to a flower in bloom.
“He is a dragon hoarding treasure.” This metaphor describes someone who is greedy or possessive, likening them to a dragon hoarding treasure.

In conclusion, metaphors are a valuable and effective tool for writers looking to add depth and clarity to their essays.

By comparing two unlike things and using “like” or “as” to make the comparison, metaphors can help readers better understand and relate to your ideas.

Whether you are just starting out with essay writing or are an experienced writer looking for new ways to engage your readers, incorporating metaphors into your writing can be a powerful technique.

We hope that this blog post has provided you with some helpful tips and ideas for using metaphors effectively in your own essays.

Remember to always consider your audience and the purpose of your writing when choosing and using metaphors, and don’t be afraid to get creative and try out different approaches.

With a little practice and experimentation, you can master the art of using metaphors to add depth and impact to your writing.

25 metaphors for poetry, 25 metaphors for kids.

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Using Metaphors in Creative Writing

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This handout discusses the writing obstacles most frequently faced by beginning poets and fiction writers and will offer tactics for addressing these issues during a tutorial.

What is a metaphor?

The term metaphor meant in Greek "carry something across" or "transfer," which suggests many of the more elaborate definitions below:

Related terms

Why use metaphors.

People get so accustomed to using the same words and phrases over and over, and always in the same ways, that they no longer know what they mean. Creative writers have the power to make the ordinary strange and the strange ordinary, making life interesting again.

When readers or listeners encounter a phrase or word that cannot be interpreted literally, they have to think—or rather, they are given the pleasure of interpretation. If you write "I am frustrated" or "The air was cold" you give your readers nothing to do—they say "so what?" On the other hand, if you say, "My ambition was Hiroshima, after the bombing," your readers can think about and choose from many possible meanings.

By writing "my dorm is a prison," you suggest to your readers that you feel as though you were placed in solitary, you are fed lousy food, you are deprived of all of life's great pleasures, your room is poorly lit and cramped—and a hundred other things, that, if you tried to say them all, would probably take several pages.

There are many gaps in language. When a child looks at the sky and sees a star but does not know the word "star," she is forced to say, "Mommy, look at the lamp in the sky!" Similarly, when computer software developers created boxes on the screen as a user interface, they needed a new language; the result was windows. In your poems, you will often be trying to write about subjects, feelings, etc., so complex that you have no choice but to use metaphors.

Or so says Aristotle in Poetics: "[T]he greatest thing by far is to be a master of metaphor." It is "a sign of genius, since a good metaphor implies an intuitive perception of the similarity in dissimilars."

Creative ways to use metaphors

Most books give rather boring examples of metaphors such as my father is a bear or the librarian was a beast. However, in your poetry (and fiction for that matter) you can do much more than say X is Y, like an algebraic formula. Definitely play with extended metaphors (see above) and experiment with some of the following, using metaphors...

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Using Metaphors in Academic Writing

Have you ever wanted to translate formidable, and sometimes tedious, academic content into one that is easily comprehensible and captivating? Academics are often told that the language of science is formal, precise and descriptive with no space for the abstract. However, using metaphors in your academic writing could be helpful if used to explain complex scientific concepts. Just remember not to be cautious and exercise restraint when using different types of metaphors or it could make your academic writing seem unprofessional.

What is a metaphor?

A metaphor is defined as a figure of speech in which a word or phrase denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them. (Merriam-Webster, 2022). Derived from the Greek word ‘metapherein,’ which means ‘to transfer,’ metaphors transfer the meaning of one word to another to encourage a feeling. For example, by writing ‘ All the world’s a stage,’ Shakespeare creates a powerful imagery of ideas through transference. By bringing life to words, metaphors add value to writing and are a great addition to a writer’s toolkit.

Difference between similes and metaphors and analogies

When you’re writing in English, you should know the difference between similes and metaphors and analogies. While these are similar in terms of purpose, i.e., comparing two things, they are different in how they are used. A simile is explicit about the comparison, while a metaphor simply points to the similarities between two things, and an analogy seeks to use comparisons to explain a concept.

This could be confusing, however, there are simple ways to detect the differences between similes and metaphors and analogies. You can identify a simile by looking for the use of words ‘like’ , ‘as’, for example, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates.’ On the other hand, metaphors are more rhetorical and not so literal, for example, ‘The news was music to her ears.’ An analogy is more complex and seeks to point out the similarity in two things to explain a point, for example, ‘Finding the right dress is like finding a needle in a haystack.’

Types of metaphors

There are several different types of metaphors in the English language, here are some of the most common variations.

Standard metaphor: A standard metaphor directly compares two unrelated items. For instance, by drawing a link between things and feelings, we’ve been able to convey the importance of laughter in this example of a metaphor: Laughter is the best medicine.
Implied metaphor: This type of metaphor implies comparison without mentioning one of the things being compared. Take this example, where the coach’s voice is implied to be as loud as thunder: “Don’t give up!” thundered the coach from the side lines.
Visual metaphor: This type of metaphor compares abstract objects or ideas that are difficult to imagine to a visual image that is easily identifiable; providing the former with a pictorial identity. This type of metaphor is most widely used in advertisements. For example, for the phrase ‘ The Earth is melting’ , the visual metaphor used to signal global warming is a melting ice cream.
Extended metaphor: This type of metaphor extends the comparison throughout an article, document, or stanza. For example, when poet Emily Dickinson wrote “Hope” is the thing with feathers, she used feathers as a metaphor to compare hope to a bird with wings.
Grammatical metaphors : Also known as nominalization, this type of metaphor rewrites verbs or adjectives as nouns. It’s most commonly used in academic and scientific texts as a way to separate spoken and written language, remove personal pronouns, and write in a concise manner. For instance, ‘ Millions of men, women and children starved to death in the 1943 Bengal Famine as a direct result of Churchill’s policies.’ This can be rephrased as ‘British policies led to the 1943 Bengal Famine, impacting the country’s people and politics for decades.’

how to incorporate a metaphor in an essay

Using metaphors in academic writing

Scholars pride themselves on creating research papers that are factually correct and precise, and metaphors may be perceived to detract from this. However, using metaphors may be a great way to explain scientific and technical concepts to readers, who may not know as much about the subject. While metaphors can add to formal academic writing and make it more engaging, it’s important to find a balance. Here are some tips to keep in mind when using metaphors in academic writing:

Don’t use metaphors as the foundation of your academic content, use them instead to support your argument and drive home a point.
Choose your metaphors carefully taking into account your primary audience; using figures of speech specific to any one region can introduce confusion instead of clarity.
Use metaphors wisely and only when needed so not to distract the reader. They should flow naturally and enhance the content rather than detract from the point.

Metaphors are a nifty way to create engaging content even for academic writers. Greek philosopher Aristotle once wrote, “The greatest thing by far is to be a master of metaphor; it is the one thing that cannot be learnt from others.” So get ready to wield that pen and reach for the stars!

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College Nut

College Essays with Metaphors: A Guide to Crafting Powerful Personal Statements

What are college essays.

College essays are a crucial part of the application process, which can be the deciding factor in determining whether you get into your dream school. They are an opportunity for you to showcase your writing skills, creativity, and personality, all while convincing admissions officers that you are a good fit for their institution.

Why are Metaphors Important in College Essays?

Metaphors are a type of figure of speech that compares two things that may seem unrelated, but share common characteristics or traits. They add depth and meaning to your writing and allow you to express abstract or complex ideas in a more relatable and engaging way.

Using metaphors in your college essays can help you stand out from other applicants, as they demonstrate your ability to think critically, use language creatively, and connect seemingly disparate ideas. They can also make your essay more memorable and impactful, as they provide a unique perspective and show your personality and values.

An Example of a Metaphor in a College Essay

Imagine you are writing an essay about your passion for environmental activism. You could write: “I’ve always been drawn to the ocean like a moth to a flame. Its vastness and mystery have always fascinated me, but with every beach cleanup and marine life rescue, I feel like I’m slowly putting out the fire that threatens to consume it.” This metaphor compares the ocean to a flame and implies that the author is working to protect it from destruction.

How to Use Metaphors in College Essays

Using metaphors effectively in your college essays requires careful thought and planning. Here are some tips to help you incorporate metaphors into your writing:

Start with a brainstorming session: Think about the qualities, experiences, and emotions that define you and your story. Consider different objects or concepts that could represent these ideas, such as a rollercoaster, a puzzle, or a tree.

Choose a metaphor that fits your story: Once you have a list of potential metaphors, choose one that best represents your story and message. Make sure it is appropriate to the tone and topic of your essay.

Use the metaphor throughout your essay: Once you have chosen a metaphor, use it consistently throughout your essay to reinforce your message and create a cohesive narrative.

Don’t force it: While metaphors can be powerful tools, don’t force them into your essay if they don’t fit naturally. Use them sparingly and only where they add value to your writing.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using Metaphors in College Essays

While metaphors can add depth and meaning to your writing, they can also backfire if not used correctly. Here are some common mistakes to avoid when using metaphors in your college essays:

Overusing clichés: While some metaphors are universally understood, using clichéd or overused metaphors can make your writing seem unoriginal and uninspired.

Being too abstract: While metaphors can be used to express abstract ideas, if they are too obscure or disconnected from your message, they can confuse readers and detract from your point.

Stretching the metaphor too far: While it’s important to use metaphors consistently throughout your essay, stretching them too far or using them inappropriately can undermine your credibility and make your writing seem contrived.

In conclusion, metaphors are powerful tools that can help you express complex ideas and create a more engaging and memorable college essay. By following the tips outlined above and avoiding common mistakes, you can use metaphors to showcase your unique perspective and stand out from other applicants.

Using Metaphors to Enhance Your Writing

by Melissa Donovan | Feb 29, 2024 | Writing Tips | 18 comments

A while back, I wrote a piece that had nothing to do with food, but food became a running metaphor while I was revising. The food metaphor was so delicious (or maybe I was so hungry) that I rewrote the entire post with food on the brain.

The blog posts I write with metaphors get a lot of positive feedback; everyone seems to embrace them. Metaphors are clearly useful for enticing readers.

So what makes metaphors work?

What Are Metaphors?

Why are metaphors so effective.

Metaphors often engage our senses by connecting an otherwise intangible subject to sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste. If you can engage any of these senses through metaphor, your writing will become more vivid, entertaining and memorable; it will be easier for readers to relate to what you’re saying, because they can experience it viscerally.

Metaphors also simplify complex concepts, making them easier to understand and digest. I can spend a full paragraph using detailed, literal descriptions of a character. Or I can tell you that the character is a rat, and looks like one too. In just a few words, I’ve conveyed a lot about the character’s looks and personality. Without the metaphor, it might have taken a lot more time to describe this character.

When Are Metaphors Ineffective?

Ineffective metaphors rely on clichés to communicate an idea: he’s a rock, she’s a breath of fresh air . These are figures of speech (metaphors) that have been around for a long time and made their way into casual usage. They work well in regular conversation but can feel stale in a work of poetry or fiction. They have become clichés.

Metaphors also need to be clear. We don’t want the reader pausing to process a metaphor and wonder what it means.

Finally, metaphors should be somewhat sparse and shouldn’t be mixed. If you’ve got a running food metaphor, don’t mix it with metaphors about the weather. Keep it simple to avoid cluttering up your writing and confusing readers.

Experiment with Using Metaphors

Here’s an experiment you can do to explore using metaphors in a piece of writing:

Make a list of twenty-five things. They can be people, places, objects, and topics for discussion. For each item on the list, come up with a single metaphor that could represent it. Be open-minded as you work through the list. For example, one of your items might be child . If you come up with munchkin as a metaphor, you’ll discover that the child has taken on personality and specific features. Let the items on your list inspire the metaphors, but then let the metaphors influence the items in return.

Use Metaphors Wisely!

If you decide to experiment with using metaphors in your writing, come back here and tell us about it!

How often do you use metaphors in your writing? Have they improved your writing? What have you learned about using metaphors? Share your thoughts and experiences by leaving a comment.

18 Comments

Melissa, what a great point! Visual metaphors are a common persuasion tactic. Applying the same tactic to other forms of writing has a similar impact. I never consciously thought about that until your post. We want to draw readers in whether we’re writing a poem, blog post, short story, or marketing messages. We want them to feel, and act. When working on jobs for clients I am innately aware of this fact but seem to forget it when writing for myself. Thanks for the excellent tip!

I have done some pieces in the past using metaphor but I think I tend to make it do too much. It’s like my imagination is on speed or something. So I have sort of forbidden myself to do for a while now. Maybe it works best if the piece is in one form and the metaphor slant is introduced in a rewrite? It’s worth contemplating because I think it could be a useful tool to navigate difficult topics. At least that the reason I used it in the past.

@Karen: The metaphor really jumps out at the reader. I think it’s useful for otherwise dry, boring pieces and helps to make them more palatable. I forget to use metaphors too, so this was a good reminder for me.

@Deb (gscottage): I think any way that the metaphor finds its way into your writing is fine (rewrite or otherwise). I’ve incorporated metaphor during the rewrite and the first draft and haven’t found one way to be better than the other. There is something to be said about spontaneity though. A forced metaphor can be obvious.

Ellen gave me sh*t on Brett’s blog, implying I dont’ know what a metaphor is. She said I should come here and read your post. So here I am.

A metaphor has something to do with moons and balloons, right, Ellen? 🙂

Actually, I DO know what a metaphor is…I’m trying put a few in my writing (I hope!)

I like the gentle reminders you write, Melissa. You make sure we stay honest and don’t forget our English lessons.

@Friar: Hello there! Glad you could stop by. You’re right, we mustn’t forget our English lessons. After all, that’s where we learn all the rules that we are destined to break.

If I had an English teacher as interesting as you in High School (instead of the dill-weed who taught me), I would have ended up embracing literature and English, instead of hating it.

Mabye there’s still hope for me yet.

@Friar: Aw, you’re too kind! I thought about becoming an English teacher. I wanted to teach at the college level (creative writing) but I’m not big on public speaking. Thank you.

I looked into teaching college a few years back. They would only hire part-time. It paid 25 bucks an hour ,but they would only pay you for the 4-6 hours a week you actually lectured! (You wouldn’t even get Prep Time).

Ouch. I didnt’ feel like living off $150 a week. So I ended up at the Widget Factory.

@Friar: That’s a shame and surprising that they wouldn’t compensate for prep time, which is probably where teachers do most of their work!

This is a great post, Melissa, and like the others, I’ve often thought you’d make a great English teacher. Well, really you are! You teach your readers so much here, at Writing Forward. Who knows, maybe in 20 years you’ll take college creative writing classes by storm, hardly taking a breath! I’d love to be in your creative writing class. 😉

And, if that doesn’t happen… just write us a book! 🙂

@Michele: Well, that is a huge compliment! I am not out to teach as much as I am trying to share my experiences, hoping they can help someone. A book does sound like a fun project. If only I had the time…well, like you said, maybe in twenty years.

You’re welcome. 😉 Well, I think sharing our experiences actually does teach, don’t you? I love to learn and glean from those around me. And, I hope I can offer something for someone else to glean from as well. 🙂

The book… the time… Well, 20 years was off the top of my head–about getting up the nerve to teach. I hope it doesn’t have to actually be that long before we can read a book of yours!

Melissa, I agree. Metaphors enhance my reading experiences, but I do struggle to find the right ones when I’m writing. After NaNoWriMo I’m going to give your writing exercise a try.

I would also like to say I’ve read books where metaphors and similes were used so often they nauseated me, instead of exciting me.

Metaphors can definitely be overdone. The trick is to find the right metaphor and the right balance. Good luck!

I’m so glad I stumbled across your blog. I’m a literature and writing student and was just accepted into the honors program at my university. The only problem is, I am having trouble figuring out what I want to do for my senior honors project! I have so many interests and am feeling a little overwhelmed about coming up with a good idea. Any thoughts on brainstorming project ideas?

Hi Brook. There are many brainstorming tools available online that you might find useful. I often use lists or a whiteboard when I’m brainstorming. Beyond that, it’s hard to offer suggestions without knowing the details of your assignment. Best of luck to you!

You’ve really got me thinking, Melissa. Thanks for this. I wrote a lighthearted science fiction short story about a woman lit mag editor who got transported to the other side of the Milky Way after being sucked through a hole in the sleeve of her lilac-coloured cashmere cardigan. It triggered laughter yet was taken seriously when I performed it. Of course the woman manages to get back to Earth the same way… I realise what I did was keep the metaphor going throughout the story – only about 1000 words. So thanks, now I’m off to try a similar technique with a different metaphor!!

That’s great, Shirley! Keep writing.

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What is Metaphor ?

Originates from the Greek, “metaphora,” meaning to transform. A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things without using the word “like” or “as.” It is a versatile literary tool used to draw comparisons between two or more unrelated ideas or objects.. Metaphors may be used to evoke specific imagery , elicit an emotional response, or to help readers understand an idea more clearly. A metaphor can be obvious or subtly disguised within a text.

How to pronounce Metaphor ?

When do writers use metaphor .

Writers use metaphor for rhetorical effect, meaning they want to elicit a strong response within the reader . A writer may use the metaphor to make a complex idea more easy to understand or their topic more relatable to the reader . Writers may also use metaphors to add depth and complexity to a piece of writing. A writer may want to use metaphors to add humor or wit to their writing.

How to use Metaphor

Be original. This may prove more difficult than it sounds.
Make sure the metaphor being used is image-driven and the image you want to convey is clear.
Do not make the metaphor overly complex.
Do not overuse a metaphor. When overused, the metaphor becomes known as a “dead metaphor” because its meaning has shifted due to overuse. Example: “Kicked the bucket”

Explain the types of Metaphor

A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things without using the words “like” or “as.” There are several types of metaphors, including:

Standard – Directly states the comparison between two entities as if they were similar
Absolute – There is no connection whatsoever between the two entities being compared.Example, “He is the dog end of every day.”Extended: An extended metaphor is well developed and sustained throughout a literary work. This type of metaphor is most common in longer works of literature. and particularly,
Extended: An extended metaphor is well developed and sustained throughout a literary work. This type of metaphor is most common in longer works of literature. and particularly, epic literature. Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy is an extended metaphor for the journey of the soul through Hell, Purgatory, and up into Paradise.
Implied: Compares two things that are not directly related to each other but does not mention one of those things. As the context of the comparison is not directly related but rather implied, it is called an implied metaphor. Example: The lady barked a warning at her child. In this example, the woman is being compared to a dog and her child a puppy. However, the comparison is indirect and implied, not clearly stated.
Mixed: This type of metaphor is often used to add humor to a piece of writing. It may be intentional or accidental . depending on the writer’s understanding of metaphor. A mixed metaphor combines two or more metaphors in a confusing or illogical way. An example of a mixed metaphor is: “He was a ship in a sea of troubles.”

Visual metaphors are another type of metaphor most commonly found in film, TV, advertising, and other media.. This type of metaphor offers visual representation of a noun that is suggestive of a very common association to or similarity with another object or idea and the image is associated with a particular character or theme. Visual metaphors in film and TV closely resemble symbolism and for this reason, the two devices may be easily confused..

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) – Example of visual metaphor for reference

Examples of Metaphor in Literature 📚

“All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players.” William Shakespeare, As You Like It
“Why, then, the world’s mine oyster, Which I shall with sword open” – William Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor
“’O, beware my lord of jealousy. / It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock / The meat it feeds on” – William Shakespeare, Othello Clearly, Shakespeare was a master of metaphor.

Examples of Metaphor in Children Books 🧸

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss : The cat in the hat in the story is a metaphor for the chaos and mischief that can ensue when children are left to their own devices.
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein: The Giving Tree is a metaphor for unconditional love, sacrifice, and selflessness while the old man represents total selfishness. The apple tree gives everything it has to the boy, even when he takes more than he needs. In the end, the boy has grown into an old man and the tree is nothing more than stump
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams: The Velveteen Rabbit represents the power of love and friendship. Through the acceptance of the rabbit’s flaws and vulnerabilities, the boy’s love enables the rabbit’s transformation from a toy into a real rabbit.

Examples of Metaphor in Songs 🎧

”Love is a battlefield,” by Pat Benatar
“Stairway to Heaven” by” by Led Zeppelin – Some interpretations of this song identify the primary metaphor is found in the lyric, “She’s buying the stairway to heaven,” which is believed to be a metaphor for the Biblical Jabob’s ladder. However, because the lyrics themselves are so vague, most popular interpretations feel that the song as a whole is a metaphor for the journey of life and our search for meaning and purpose which prompts us to keep striving for something better.
The chorus from “Firework” by Katy Perry:

“You just gotta ignite the light And let it shine Just own the night Like the Fourth of July ‘Cause baby you’re a firework Come on show ’em what your worth Make ’em go “Oh, oh, oh!” As you shoot across the sky”

These lyrics compare a person to the bright bursts of light that shoot across the sky from a firework. This comparison represents a metaphor for believing in yourself and having the courage to be who you are.

Examples of Metaphor in Poetry ✍🏽

“Death be not proud” by John Donne:

“Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so” While the title of the poem makes it seem as though Death is being compared to a poor, humble man, Death is actually being mocked for his shortcomings. The metaphor implies Death is a very proud man who does not deserve the high praise he requires. As such, throughout the poem, this metaphor highlights Death’s false pride and unearned reputation.

“The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus:

“A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles.”

With these lines, Lazarus uses this metaphor to compare the Statue of Liberty with a warm, welcoming mother offering her protection and strength to those in need

“The Waste Land” by T.S. Eliot: In this poem, the “barren and lifeless wasteland” depicted by Eliot is a metaphor for Europe after WWI.

What is a metaphor in literature?

A metaphor is a figure of speech that directly compares two unrelated subjects to highlight some similarity or shared quality between them. Unlike similes, which use “like” or “as” for comparison, metaphors assert a direct equivalence, enriching the text with vivid imagery and deeper meaning.

How does a metaphor function in writing?

Metaphors function by symbolically linking a concrete or familiar idea with an abstract or unfamiliar concept, allowing the writer to convey complex ideas and emotions in a more impactful and relatable way. They can make descriptions more vivid, add symbolic depth, and enhance the reader’s engagement and understanding of the subject.

What are some common types of metaphors?

Common types of metaphors include extended metaphors, which are developed over several lines or throughout a work; dead metaphors, which are so commonly used that their metaphorical nature is hardly noticed; and mixed metaphors, which combine elements from disparate metaphors, often leading to confusing or humorous effects.

Why are metaphors important in literature?

Metaphors are important because they enrich language, offering new ways of looking at the world and expressing thoughts and feelings. They allow writers to convey complex and nuanced ideas in a digestible form, deepening the reader’s engagement with the text and enhancing the emotional and intellectual impact of the writing.

How can I identify a metaphor in a text?

To identify a metaphor, look for statements where something is being described as if it were something else, without using “like” or “as.” Pay attention to context and whether the comparison is highlighting a similarity between two distinct things, often indicating a metaphorical relationship intended to provide insight or evoke a particular feeling or idea.

Metaphors and Analogies: How to Use Them in Your Academic Life

Certain Experiences in life can't be captured in simple words. Especially if you are a writer trying to connect with your audience, you will need special threads to evoke exact feelings.

There are many literary devices to spark the readers' imagination, and analogies and metaphors are one of that magical arsenal. They enrich your text and give it the exact depth it will need to increase your readers' heartbeat.

Taking a particular characteristic and associating it with the other not only enriches your text's linguistic quality but gives the reader a correct pathway to deeper layers of a writer's psyche.

In this article, we are going to take a good look at the difference between analogy and metaphor and how to use them in your academic writing, and you will find some of the most powerful examples for each. Learn more about this and other vital linguistic tools on our essay writer service website.

What are Metaphors: Understanding the Concept

Let's discuss the metaphors definition. Metaphors are a figure of speech that compares two unrelated concepts or ideas to create a deeper and more profound meaning. They are a powerful tool in academic writing to express abstract concepts using different analogies, which can improve the reader's understanding of complex topics. Metaphors enable writers to paint vivid pictures in the reader's mind by comparing something familiar with an abstract concept that is harder to grasp.

The following are some of the most famous metaphors and their meanings:

The world is your oyster - the world is full of opportunities just waiting for you to grab them
Time is money - time is a valuable commodity that must be spent wisely
A heart of stone - someone who is emotionally cold and unfeeling

Analogies Meaning: Mastering the Essence

Analogies, on the other hand, are a comparison of two concepts or ideas that have some similarity in their features. They are used to clarify complex ideas or to make a new concept more relatable by comparing it to something that is already familiar.

Analogies are often followed by an explanation of how the two concepts are similar, which helps the reader to understand and make connections between seemingly disparate ideas. For example, in academic writing, if you were explaining the function of a cell membrane, you might use an analogy, such as comparing it to a security gate that regulates what enters and exits a building.

Check out these famous analogies examples:

Knowledge is like a garden: if it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested.
Teaching a child without education is like building a house without a foundation.
A good friend is like a four-leaf clover; hard to find and lucky to have.

Benefits of Metaphors and Analogies in Writing

Chances are you are wondering why we use analogies and metaphors in academic writing anyway?

The reason why metaphors are beneficial to writers, especially in the academic field, is that they offer an effective approach to clarifying intricate concepts and enriching comprehension by linking them to more familiar ideas. Through the use of relatable frames of reference, these figures of speech help authors communicate complicated notions in an appealing and comprehensible way.

Additionally, analogies and metaphors are a way of artistic expression. They bring creativity and imagination to your writing, making it engaging and memorable for your readers. Beautiful words connect with readers on a deeper emotional level, allowing them to better retain and appreciate the information being presented. Such linguistic devices allow readers to open doors for imagination and create visual images in their minds, creating a more individualized experience.

However, one must be mindful not to plagiarize famous analogies and always use original ideas or appropriately cite sources when necessary. Overall, metaphors and analogies add depth and beauty to write-ups, making them memorable for years to come.

Understanding the Difference Between Analogy and Metaphor

While metaphors and analogies serve the similar purpose of clarifying otherwise complex ideas, they are not quite the same. Follow the article and learn how they differ from each other.

One way to differentiate between analogies and metaphors is through the use of 'as' and 'like.' Analogies make an explicit comparison using these words, while metaphors imply a comparison without any overt indication.

There is an obvious difference between their structure. An analogy has two parts; the primary subject, which is unfamiliar, and a secondary subject which is familiar to the reader. For example, 'Life is like a box of chocolates.' The two subjects are compared, highlighting their similarities in order to explain an entire concept.

On the other hand, a metaphor describes an object or idea by referring to something else that is not literally applicable but shares some common features. For example, 'He drowned in a sea of grief.'

The structural difference also defines the difference in their usage. Analogies are often used in academic writing where hard concepts need to be aligned with an easier and more familiar concept. This assists the reader in comprehending complex ideas more effortlessly. Metaphors, on the other hand, are more often used in creative writing or literature. They bring depth and nuance to language, allowing for abstract ideas to be communicated in a more engaging and imaginative way.

Keep reading and discover examples of metaphors and analogies in both academic and creative writing. While you are at it, our expert writers are ready to provide custom essays and papers which incorporate these literary devices in a seamless and effective way.

Using Famous Analogies Can Raise Plagiarism Concerns!

To avoid the trouble, use our online plagiarism checker and be sure that your work is original before submitting it.

Analogies and Metaphors Examples

There were a few analogies and metaphors examples mentioned along the way, but let's explore a few more to truly understand their power. Below you will find the list of metaphors and analogies, and you will never mistake one for the other again.

Love is like a rose, beautiful but with thorns.
The human body is like a machine, with many intricate parts working together in harmony.
The structure of an atom is similar to a miniature solar system, with electrons orbiting around the nucleus.
A computer's motherboard is like a city's central system, coordinating and communicating all functions.
The brain is like a muscle that needs constant exercise to function at its best.
Studying for exams is like training for a marathon; it requires endurance and preparation.
Explaining a complex scientific concept is like explaining a foreign language to someone who doesn't speak it.
A successful team is like a well-oiled machine, with each member playing a crucial role.
Learning a new skill is like planting a seed; it requires nurturing and patience to see growth.
Navigating through life is like sailing a ship with unpredictable currents and changing winds.
Life is a journey with many twists and turns along the way
The world's a stage, and we are all mere players.
Her eyes were pools of sorrow, reflecting the pain she felt.
Time is a thief, stealing away moments we can never recapture.
Love is a flame, burning brightly but at risk of being extinguished.
His words were daggers piercing through my heart.
She had a heart of stone, unable to feel empathy or compassion.
The city was a jungle, teeming with life and activity.
Hope is a beacon, guiding us through the darkest of times.
His anger was a volcano, ready to erupt at any moment.

How to Use Metaphors and Analogies in Writing: Helpful Tips

If you want your readers to have a memorable and engaging experience, you should give them some level of autonomy within your own text. Metaphors and analogies are powerful tools to let your audience do their personal interpretation and logical conclusion while still guiding them in the right direction.

First, learn about your audience and their level of familiarity with the topic you're writing about. Incorporate metaphors and analogies with familiar references. Remember, literary devices should cleverly explain complex concepts. To achieve the goal, remain coherent with the theme of the paper. But be careful not to overuse metaphors or analogies, as too much of a good thing can make your writing feel overloaded.

Use figurative language to evoke visual imagery and breathe life into your paper. Multiple metaphors can turn your paper into a movie. Visualizing ideas will help readers better understand and retain the information.

In conclusion, anytime is a great time to extend your text's impact by adding a well-chosen metaphor or analogy. But perfection is on the border of good and bad, so keep in mind to remain coherent with the theme and not overuse any literary device.

Metaphors: Unveiling Their Cultural Significance

Metaphors are not limited to just academic writing but can also be found in various forms of culture, such as art, music, film, and television. Metaphors have been a popular element in creative expression for centuries and continue to play a significant role in modern-day culture. For instance, metaphors can help artists convey complex emotions through their music or paintings.

Metaphors are often like time capsules, reflecting the cultural and societal values of a particular era. They shelter the prevailing beliefs, ideals, and philosophies of their time - from the pharaohs of ancient Egypt to modern-day pop culture.

Metaphors often frame our perception of the world and can shape our understanding of our surroundings. Certain words can take on new meanings when used metaphorically in certain cultural contexts and can assimilate to the phenomenon it is often compared to.

Here you can find a list of literature and poems with metaphors:

William Shakespeare loved using metaphors, and here's one from his infamous Macbeth: 'It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.'
Victor Hugo offers a timeless metaphor in Les Misérables: 'She is a rose, delicate and beautiful, but with thorns to protect her.'
Robert Frost reminds us of his genius in the poem The Road Not Traveled: 'The road less traveled.'

Movies also contain a wide range of English metaphors:

A famous metaphor from Toy Story: 'There's a snake in my boot!'
A metaphor from the famous movie Silver Lining Playbook: 'Life is a game, and true love is a trophy.'
An all-encompassing and iconic metaphor from the movie Star Wars: 'Fear is the path to the dark side.'

Don't forget about famous songs with beautiful metaphors!

Bob Dylan's Blowin' in the Wind uses a powerful metaphor when he asks: 'How many roads must a man walk down?'
A metaphor from Johnny Cash's song Ring of Fire: 'Love is a burning thing, and it makes a fiery ring.'
Bonnie Tyler's famous lyrics from Total Eclipse of the Heart make a great metaphor: 'Love is a mystery, everyone must stand alone.'

Keep reading the article to find out how to write an essay with the effective use of metaphors in academic writing.

Exploring Types of Metaphors

There is a wide variety of metaphors used in academic writing, literature, music, and film. Different types of metaphors can be used to convey different meanings and create a specific impact or evoke a vivid image.

Some common types of metaphors include similes / simple metaphors, implicit metaphors, explicit metaphors, extended metaphors, mixed metaphors, and dead metaphors. Let's take a closer look at some of these types.

Simple metaphors or similes highlight the similarity between two things using 'like' or 'as.' For example, 'Her eyes were as bright as the stars.'

Implicit metaphors do not make a direct comparison. Instead, they imply the similarity between the two concepts. An example of an implicit metaphor is 'Her words cut deep,' where the similarity between words and a knife is implied. Good metaphors are often implicit since they require the reader to use their own understanding and imagination to understand the comparison being made.

Explicit metaphors are straightforward, making a clear comparison between two things. For instance, 'He is a shining star.'

An extended metaphor, on the other hand, stretches the comparison throughout an entire literary work or section of a text. This type of metaphor allows the writer to create a more complex and elaborate comparison, enhancing the reader's understanding of the subject.

Mixed metaphors combine two or more unrelated metaphors, often leading to confusion and lack of clarity. If you are not an expert on the subject, try to avoid using confusing literary devices.

Dead metaphors are another danger. These are metaphors that have been overused to the extent that they have lost their original impact, becoming clichés and not being able to evoke original visual images.

In academic writing, metaphors create a powerful impact on the reader, adding color and depth to everyday language. However, they need to be well-placed and intentional. Using an inappropriate or irrelevant metaphor may confuse readers and distract them from the main message. If you want to avoid trouble, pay for essay writing service that can help you use metaphors effectively in your academic writing.

Exploring Types of Analogies

Like metaphors, analogies are divided into several categories. Some of the common types include literal analogies, figurative analogies, descriptive analogies, causal analogies, and false/dubious analogies. In academic writing, analogies are useful for explaining complex ideas or phenomena in a way that is easy to understand.

Literal analogies are direct comparisons of two things with similar characteristics or features. For instance, 'The brain is like a computer.'

Figurative analogies, on the other hand, compare two unrelated things to highlight a particular characteristic. For example, 'The mind is a garden that needs to be tended.'

Descriptive analogies focus on the detailed similarities between two things, even if they are not immediately apparent. For example, 'The relationship between a supervisor and an employee is like that of a coach and a player, where the coach guides the player to perform at their best.'

Causal analogies are used to explain the relationship between a cause and an effect. For instance, 'The increase in global temperatures is like a fever caused by environmental pollution.'

Finally, false/dubious analogies are comparisons that suggest a similarity between two things that actually have little in common. For example, 'Getting a college degree is like winning the lottery.'

If you are trying to explain a foreign concept to an audience that may not be familiar with it, analogies can help create a bridge and make the concept more relatable. However, coming up with a perfect analogy takes a lot of time. If you are looking for ways on how to write an essay fast , explore our blog and learn even more.

If you want your academic papers to stand out and be engaging for the reader, using metaphors and analogies can be a powerful tool. Now that you know the difference between analogy and metaphor, you can use them wisely to create a bridge between complex ideas and your audience.

Explore our blog for more information on different writing techniques, and check out our essay writing service for more help on crafting the perfect papers.

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What Is a Metaphor? | Definition & Examples

What Is a Metaphor? | Definition & Examples

Published on August 11, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan . Revised on November 6, 2023.

A metaphor is a figure of speech that implicitly compares two unrelated things, typically by stating that one thing is another (e.g., “that chef is a magician”).

Metaphors can be used to create vivid imagery, exaggerate a characteristic or action, or express a complex idea.

Metaphors are commonly used in literature, advertising, and everyday speech.

The exam was a piece of cake.

This town is a desert .

What is a metaphor, types of metaphor, metaphor vs. simile, metaphor vs. analogy, allegory vs. metaphor, worksheet: metaphor vs. simile, frequently asked questions.

A metaphor is a rhetorical device that makes a non-literal comparison between two unlike things. Metaphors are used to describe an object or action by stating (or implying) that it is something else (e.g., “knowledge is a butterfly”).

Metaphors typically have two parts:

A tenor is the thing or idea that the metaphor describes (e.g., “knowledge”).
A vehicle is the thing or idea used to describe the tenor (e.g., “a butterfly”).

Sophia was a loose cannon .

There are several different types of metaphor.

Direct metaphor

A direct metaphor compares two unrelated things by explicitly stating that one thing is another. Direct metaphors typically use a form of the verb “be” to connect two things.

Ami and Vera are two peas in a pod.

Implied metaphor

An implied metaphor compares two unlike things without explicitly naming one of them. Instead, a comparison is typically made using a non-literal verb. For example, the statement “the man erupted in anger” uses the verb “erupted” to compare a man to a volcano.

The captain barked orders at the soldiers. [i.e., the captain was like an angry dog]

Extended metaphor

An extended metaphor (also called a sustained metaphor) occurs when an initial comparison is developed or sustained over several lines or paragraphs (or stanzas, in the case of a poem).

Extended metaphors are commonly used in literature and advertising, but they’re rarely used in everyday speech.

And all the men and women merely players.

They have their exits and their entrances,

And one man in his time plays many parts,

Mixed metaphor

A mixed metaphor is a figure of speech that combines two or more metaphors, resulting in a confusing or nonsensical statement.

Mixed metaphors are usually accidental and are often perceived as unintentionally humorous. Mixing metaphors can confuse your readers and make your writing seem to lack coherence.

She’s a rising star, and with the right guidance, she’ll spread her wings.

Dead metaphor

A dead metaphor is a figure of speech that has become so familiar due to repeated use that people no longer recognize it as a metaphor. Instead, it’s understood as having a straightforward meaning.

The guest of honor sat at the head of the table .

Metaphors and similes are both rhetorical devices used for comparison. However, they have different functions:

A metaphor makes an implicit comparison between two unlike things, usually by saying that one thing is another thing (e.g., “my body is a temple”).
A simile makes an explicit comparison between two unlike things, typically using the words “like,” “as,” or “than” (e.g., “you’re as stubborn as a mule”).

The old man’s beard was as white as snow .

There are two main types of analogy:

Identical relationship analogies indicate the logical relationship between two things (e.g., “‘Up’ is to ‘down’ as ‘on’ is to ‘off’”).
Shared abstraction analogies compare two unlike things to illustrate a point.

Metaphors are sometimes confused with shared abstraction analogies, but they serve different purposes. While metaphors are primarily used to make a comparison (e.g., “John is a caveman”), shared abstraction analogies are used to make an argument or explain something.

Metaphors are sometimes confused with allegories, but they have different functions:

A metaphor makes an implied comparison between two unlike things, typically by stating that one thing is another (e.g., “time is money”).
An allegory illustrates abstract concepts, moral principles, or complex ideas through symbolic representation.

Allegories are typically longer than metaphors and usually take the form of a story.

You can test your knowledge of the difference between metaphors and similes with the worksheet below. Choose whether each sentence contains a metaphor or a simile.

Practice questions
Answers and explanations
You sing like an angel.
The boxer is as strong as an ox.
Hannah is a warrior.
Your eyes are deeper than the ocean.
Most of the time, you’re an angel. But you’re like a demon when you’re tired.
This sentence contains a simile because it makes a direct comparison using the word “like.”
This sentence contains a simile because it makes a direct comparison using the word “as.”
This sentence contains a metaphor because it makes an implicit comparison by saying that something is something else.
This sentence contains a simile because it makes a direct comparison using the word “than.”
This sentence contains both a metaphor (“you are an angel”) and a simile (“like a demon”).

An extended metaphor (also called a sustained metaphor ) is a metaphor that is developed over several lines or paragraphs.

The following is an example of an extended metaphor in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet :

“But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?

It is the East, and Juliet is the sun.

Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,

Who is already sick and pale with grief

That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she.”

A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a non-literal comparison between two unlike things (typically by saying that something is something else).

For example, the metaphor “you are a clown” is not literal but rather used to emphasize a specific, implied quality (in this case, “foolishness”).

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Literary Terms

When & How to Write a Metaphor

Definition & Examples
When & How to Write a Metaphor

How to Write a Metaphor

A. avoid clichés.

Very often, you’ll write metaphors without realizing it. Since certain metaphors are very common, many of them have become clichéd , or overused.

Normal Sentence:

My day was emotionally jolting.

With Cliché Metaphor:

My day was an emotional roller-coaster .

Here and there, clichés are harmless, but they can start to add up and become repetitive and unoriginal if you use too many of them. Don’t worry about this as long as you use the clichés sparingly.

Here are a few more examples of metaphors that have become clichés:

Ticking time bomb
Tip of the iceberg
Slippery slope
Going the extra mile
Icy personality
Turning in one’s grave
About to explode (from anger)

B. Tips on Forming Creative Metaphors

The real trick, though, is to write original metaphors that really stick in the reader’s mind, and there’s no hard-and-fast rule for accomplishing this. It takes a lot of creativity to write a good metaphor!

One way to practice is to start with the phrase “life is…and I am…” By starting with one metaphor (for life) and extending it to yourself, you can practice thinking systematically about the meanings of your metaphors, while at the same time working on your creative skills.

Life is a canvas, and I am a painter.

Life is a canvas, and I am the paint.

Life is an hourglass, and I am a single grain of sand.

Life is an hourglass, and I am about to turn it over once more.

Life is a classroom, and I am sitting in the front row.

Life is a classroom, and I am sitting in the back row.

Notice how different these statements are, and how different they all are from a cliché.

C. Avoid mixed metaphors

This is an important point for using metaphors in your writing – once you’ve decided on a metaphor, you have to see it through for it to have the strongest effect. Don’t just forget about it and pick up a new metaphor immediately! Too many different metaphors in your writing can make it confusing or too over the top.

A mixed metaphor combines one or more metaphors in a sentence in a way that doesn’t really make sense. For example, imagine if you tried to encourage your staff to excel with a project by saying “let’s get back out on the court and hit this one out of the park!” You’d be combining a basketball metaphor with a baseball metaphor—really, you should say “let’s get back out on the field and hit this one out of the park!”

Here’s an example of a triple mixed metaphor:

Mr. Speaker, I smell a rat. I see him floating in the air. But mark me, sir, I will nip him in the bud. ( Garner’s Modern American Usage , Bryan A. Garner)

First, we have the common metaphor “I smell a rat,” to describe a person committing a betrayal. But then Garner uses an unrelated metaphor to describe him as “floating,” finally concluding with a metaphor that refers to plants.

When to Use Metaphor

Strictly speaking, metaphors should be used only in creative writing since they rely on figurative language (not literal meaning) and are therefore untrue statements. Metaphors are also often vague and may sound too colloquial for formal work. Sometimes a subtle metaphor will slip into formal work(especially in the form of common phrases and clichés). This is OK now and then, but it’s best to avoid it if possible.

For example, if you were writing a paper on Abraham Lincoln, it would sound pretty strange to say he had a “heart of gold.” First of all, it’s a cliché. Second, it’s not literally true. And third, it doesn’t really tell you much about Lincoln. So, it’s better to say something more specific and concrete, like “For Lincoln, compassion was one of the most important moral virtues.”

There is a rhetorical device though (that people often confuse with metaphor), that you’ll see in formal writing all the time. This is simile . Similes explicitly state that two things are alike, rather than simply equating them as a metaphor does. This can be a very useful way to explain complex ideas:

With Simile:

“The magnetosphere works like a big tinted window, protecting the earth from the sun’s harmful rays while still letting some light and heat pass through.”

With Metaphor:

“The magnetosphere is a big tinted window…”

Using metaphor, in this case, makes the sentence untrue. But the simile is a helpful tool for clarifying the writer’s point.

None of this, of course, applies to creative writing. In creative writing, metaphors are extremely effective – as long as you don’t mix them!

List of Terms

Alliteration
Amplification
Anachronism
Anthropomorphism
Antonomasia
APA Citation
Aposiopesis
Autobiography
Bildungsroman
Characterization
Circumlocution
Cliffhanger
Comic Relief
Connotation
Deus ex machina
Deuteragonist
Doppelganger
Double Entendre
Dramatic irony
Equivocation
Extended Metaphor
Figures of Speech
Flash-forward
Foreshadowing
Intertextuality
Juxtaposition
Literary Device
Malapropism
Onomatopoeia
Parallelism
Pathetic Fallacy
Personification
Point of View
Polysyndeton
Protagonist
Red Herring
Rhetorical Device
Rhetorical Question
Science Fiction
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Synesthesia
Turning Point
Understatement
Urban Legend
Verisimilitude
Essay Guide
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How To Master Similes And Metaphors In Your Writing – Part 1

by Robert Wood
January 20, 2020
One Comment

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When it comes to improving your craft, a mastery of imagery is key. Being able to present the world outside the literal truth opens up a vista of possibilities that are otherwise closed off. Suddenly, characters, locations, and events can be anything, if only for a moment, vastly enhancing your ability to write unique, emotive prose.

To that end, today I’ll be talking about similes and metaphors – figures of speech which characterize one thing by comparing it to another. Now, it’s likely that you’re already comfortable using these devices (even if you don’t know exactly how they differ), but plenty of authors have a habit of never truly revisiting those writing tools with which they’re already comfortable. This leads to writers going their whole careers only ever using metaphors, or authors who can use similes on instinct but never consider them as part of the editing process.

Of course, we’re not just talking about what similes and metaphors are , we’re talking about how to master them. That’s the focus of part 2 of this article, but here in part 1, we’ll build up to that point by exploring what similes and metaphors are, how they work, and how you can choose between them in your writing.

Similes and metaphors – what’s the difference?

Similes and metaphors are both figures of speech that involve describing something in relation to something else. This is what’s happening when the Brothers Grimm describe Snow White as having, ‘Skin white as snow, lips red as blood, and hair black as ebony.’

Similes use the words ‘as’ or ‘like’ to compare one thing to another, as in the description above. Metaphors, on the other hand, phrase such comparisons as if one thing is another. Converting the Snow White similes to metaphors gives us something like, ‘Her skin was snow, her lips blood, her hair ebony.’ Here, we’re claiming that one thing is another rather than just saying one thing is similar to another. If, by the way, you need a way to remember the difference, that’s a useful mnemonic; simi les are simi lar, metaphors are… the other one.

Simile: In battle, he was as brave as a lion. Metaphor: He was a lion in battle!

Simile: Love is like a battlefield. Metaphor: Love is a battlefield.

Simile: This is like being in paradise! Metaphor: I’m in paradise.

Similes tend to be easier to use than metaphors, as they include a direct cue that they shouldn’t be taken literally. No-one, for instance, would misunderstand the simile above and think that a lion has suddenly entered the story, since the comparison is clearly theoretical. The metaphor, however, could be misinterpreted under certain circumstances (for instance, if your story includes animal characters), and so part of using metaphor effectively is ensuring that the reader has the context to divide reality from imagery.

By the same token, metaphors tend to be a little stronger than similes, since saying that something is something is a lot more direct than saying it’s like something. This leads many authors to decide that similes are a cowardly half-measure, but the two have different strengths, and both have a place in good writing.

How to choose between simile and metaphor

Similes tend to be gentler than metaphors, but they’re also clearer. As mentioned, metaphors depend on context for clarity, whereas similes bring their own. Consider, for example, the phrase, ‘He’s like a brother to me.’ From this, we know that the person under discussion is not the speaker’s biological brother but that they’ve demonstrated the stereotypical qualities of a brother toward them. In contrast, consider, ‘He’s my brother.’ There are scenes where the same intended meaning would be clear, but there are just as many where the reader would assume this is a statement indicating a literal sibling.

Similes can also be more powerful than metaphors in the right situation. If a phrase is clichéd or hyperbolic, the more understated nature of a simile can help it cut through and gain the reader’s favor. Imagine a scene where a character is waiting to hear news about the health of their child. They could use the metaphor, ‘This is torture,’ but that’s a sentiment readers have heard time and again, and while it says what it needs to, it’s expected enough that it’s unlikely to really grab them.

Part of the reason behind this is that humans are contrary creatures. If someone says ‘A is B’ and we know that’s not the case, some subconscious part of us pushes back, replying, ‘No, it isn’t.’ Of course, if you can silence that part with a compelling enough statement, the effect is even more impressive, but if not, you alienate the reader. Because of this, a simile such as, ‘This is like torture,’ could actually be more effective, since you don’t get that instinctive pushback.

Another benefit of similes is that they’re a little more malleable than metaphors. As already mentioned, metaphors can need support to be clear, and they often also need space. If you bury a metaphor in an otherwise busy sentence or paragraph, the reader can struggle to smoothly pick up what you’re saying.

In the extract below, the author uses a compelling image to help round out a quick introductory character sketch . It’s a fantastic simile, both providing a compelling image and conveying a sense of faint disgust, but it’s also part of a larger description, and a self-contained simile allows for smoother writing than if the author had chosen to use, and therefore needed to clarify, a direct metaphor.

Sitting in splendid isolation against the upholstery of the carriage was a thin man, bald beneath his silk topper, his black-gloved hands bulging like burnt sausages as he gripped the head of his cane. – Mark Gatiss, The Vesuvius Club

Similes are also ephemeral – they pass quickly – while metaphors tend to linger. When you say ‘A is B,’ the reader is invited to think about the ways that statement is true and false. When you say ‘A is like B,’ the reader is instead invited to identify the point of comparison and then move on. In the extract below, the author uses metaphor rather than simile, allowing him room to stretch the idea out and explore it in more detail.

The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas. – Alfred Noyes, ‘ The Highwayman ’

Noyes is painting a larger picture here, so it’s beneficial for the idea of ‘moon as galleon’ to linger, since he’s about to say something else that works with that image. If both instances are turned into similes, you can see that the wasted time undercuts the sentiment:

The moon was like a ghostly galleon tossed upon clouds that were like the seas.

In contrast, similes pass quickly, which is ideal if you have a single image that you don’t want to influence what comes before or after. In the extract below, the simile ‘like a doll’s eyes’ is creepy, but there’s no further doll or toy imagery – in fact, the passage reverts back to the real world.

Y’know the thing about a shark, he’s got lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll’s eyes. When he comes at you, doesn’t seem to be livin’ until he bites you. And those black eyes roll over white, and then, oh, then you hear that terrible high-pitch screamin’, the ocean turns red, and spite of all the poundin’ and the hollerin’, they all come in and they rip you to pieces. – Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb, Jaws

Here, the simile is placed after the basic description, used to cement an image rather than introduce it, which also helps it pass quickly. It’s a creepy image, but as the next sentence begins, you’re no longer supposed to be thinking about dolls; it was just a comparison.

So, similes are easier to implement, they play better with the rest of the sentence, they’re malleable, and sometimes they’re more powerful. How come anyone even bothers with metaphors?

Well, a good metaphor is an explosion of meaning. Unlike similes, metaphors cut out everything unnecessary, which usually makes them feel both more sincere and more emphatic. If you’re looking to really blow someone’s mind, a metaphor is usually the way to go. In the extract below, the author makes a big, bold statement about the world via an extended metaphor.

We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. – H.P. Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu

This is a striking passage. Once the metaphor of humanity’s metaphysical situation as geographical place is established, Lovecraft runs with it, and he’s able to make a big idea recognizable and compelling in few words. Rendered in simile, this passage just doesn’t work:

The part of life we’re aware of is like a placid island. All the rest of infinity is like a black sea, on which life is like a journey, and we weren’t meant to go far.

Metaphors also leave more room for the reader’s own interpretation. As I said earlier, similes are something of a riddle; they suggest a single point of connection, with the idea that the reader recognizes that connection and derives satisfaction from their short journey. Metaphors, on the other hand, turn one thing into another, allowing for multiple points of connection. The author can suggest which of these the reader should prioritize, but they also leave room for whatever is most compelling to any individual reader. When Shakespeare writes, ‘All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances,’ he’s not just posing an image, he’s posing a philosophical stance, and the reader gets to interpret it in the way most compelling to them.

Similarly, the reader gets to set their own level of investment. While a failed metaphor will bomb harder than a failed simile, it also leaves more room to be accepted. If the moon is a ghostly galleon, it’s up to you whether it’s just glowing, or whether it seems to bob on the clouds, or whether it’s a haunting, deathly ship manned by the dead.

Finally, metaphors have a lot more meat on their bones. You can use them once, for a great image, or multiple times to set the mood, or you can bring them back again and again to really mine them for meaning. In Why More Authors Should Harness The Power Of Conceit , I talked about the idea of a ‘conceit’ – an extended metaphor that runs through a work, allowing the author to branch off in myriad creative ways. Of course, even the core ideas of your story might be metaphorical – Animal Farm , after all, is about more than pigs.

In Marvel’s X-Men comics, fictional ‘mutants’ are used as a larger metaphor for various marginalized groups, allowing writers to discuss topics of race, gender, and sexuality as suits the story. If this veered closer to simile – if the stories drew specific but limited comparison between the lot of mutants and marginalized groups, as and when required – each story would have to establish and justify this link, whereas a running metaphor allows for more immediate, more affecting storytelling.

So, metaphors tend to be better for significant comparisons, since they land with a bang and will stick around long enough to explore beyond the immediate moment. Similes, meanwhile, tend to be better for comparisons that you want to fade quickly, and they’re clearer when not used as the focus of a sentence or paragraph. Of course, nothing in art is absolute, and there will be times when an unexpected simile cuts through where a metaphor can’t, or where a direct metaphor offers simpler phrasing than a particular simile. As with any writing device, understanding the basics is what allows you to make real-time choices in your own writing.

That’s how you can choose whether to use a metaphor or a simile, but I promised we’d master them, so join me in How To Master Similes And Metaphors In Your Writing – Part 2 , where we’ll discuss how to make your metaphors and similes more compelling, as well as the specific pitfalls that await authors experimenting with figurative language.

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How to Use Metaphors in an Essay

Here you will find some tips on how to use metaphors in your essays, but you could also apply these rules while working with other types of figures of speech such as allegory, simile, and so forth. These parts of speech operate as our “assistants” in gaining knowledge about what is unknown. In this way human thinking is developing. For that reason it is very important to show good skills in using figures of speech, and metaphors in particular.

Metaphors are very closely related to similes, because they both make use of comparison and analogy. However, a metaphor does not claim that an object is “like” another, but it says that they are the same. For instance, a sentence “he fights like a lion” is a simile, but the sentence “he is a lion” is a metaphor.

Metaphors are very closely related to similes, because they both make use of comparison and analogy; i.e. a sentence “he fights like a lion” is a simile, but the sentence “he is a lion” is a metaphor. Tweet This

Let’s take a look at several rules for using metaphors in your essay (provided that you are at high-school or college level, and not a professional in writing). The same rules are valid as regards of other figures of speech.

Using metaphors in an essay – 5 key tips

1. be sure about the meaning of the metaphor.

Always be sure about the meaning of the metaphor you have used: it should express your thought very clearly, and be relevant to your topic, thesis or argument. It requires good verbal intelligence (this ability may be developed through reading hundreds of classic books).

Always be sure about the meaning of the metaphor you’ve used: it should express your thought very clearly, and be relevant to your topic, thesis or argument. Tweet This

2. Use metaphors appropriately

Use metaphors when it is necessary or when it will help you express your thoughts better. Therefore, do not simply “insert” metaphors in order to be “more attractive” for the reader, or more impressive.

3. Pay attention to different types of papers

In papers dealing with strictly scientific issues it is recommended to use metaphors very rarely, especially in natural sciences. It is so because in scientific papers you have to formulate theses and supply arguments. Hence, the usage of metaphors depends on the type of your essay, its goals and context.

4. Don't go beyond the standard usage of metaphors in daily language

That means you should have a balanced approach to them. Can you imagine a situation in which you are going to a shop to buy electronic equipment and start using metaphors while speaking with one of the employees there? Well, they probably will laugh at you, or think you are joking with them. If you use metaphors all the time while speaking with someone, you will fail to communicate your thoughts. Of course, there are some people of art that have “more special” style of expressing themselves, but let’s assume you are not one of them.

If you use metaphors all the time while speaking with someone, you’ll fail to communicate your thoughts. Tweet This

5. Express your personality

The best way to write an essay without unnecessary figures of speech is not to think about them at all. Just express your personality, and the metaphors will flow freely and in a natural way.

If you read more classic books (particularly some of the best writers of essays, such as Thomas Mann, Ralph W. Emerson or Stefan Zweig), you will know better how and when to use figures of speech. Remember: your essay is also a stage of the development of the language, so you contribute to its evolution.

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English Grammar

How to Write a Metaphor

Last Updated: March 19, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Megan Morgan, PhD . Megan Morgan is a Graduate Program Academic Advisor in the School of Public & International Affairs at the University of Georgia. She earned her PhD in English from the University of Georgia in 2015. There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 727,233 times.

Metaphors are the cold knife in your side, the speed bumps that keep you from picking up writing momentum, the hidden monster lurking in the closet of ... of ... oh, darn it. Metaphors are tough -- no doubt about it -- but if you follow these instructions, they can become the spice in the cuisine that is your written work!

Quick Steps

Define your topic or object, then brainstorm other things with similar qualities.
Decide what tone you’d like to set to weed out ideas that don’t fit the mood.
Write a few sentences comparing the topic to your brainstormed associations.
Read your sentences aloud and revise them to further refine your comparison.
Condense your idea into one original, metaphorical sentence.

Understanding Metaphors

The last line of The Great Gatsby contains a very famous metaphor: “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
The poet Khalil Gibran used many metaphors in his poetry, including this one: “All our words are but crumbs that fall down from the feast of the mind.” [2] X Research source
William Gibson’s cyberpunk novel Neuromancer opens with the line: “The sky above the port was the color of television, turned to a dead channel.”
Sylvia Plath’s poem “Cut” uses metaphor to convey a painful experience in a curious tone: What a thrill— My thumb instead of an onion. The top quite gone Except for a sort of hinge Of skin.... A celebration this is. Out of a gap A million soldiers run, Redcoats every one. [3] X Research source

Step 2 Understand what a metaphor isn’t.

A simile has two parts: the “tenor” (the thing being described) and the “vehicle” (the thing/s used to describe it). In the simile “the brownie was so overcooked that it tasted like charcoal,” the brownie is the tenor and the charcoal is the vehicle. Unlike metaphors, similes use “as” or “like” to signal their comparisons, and thus they’re usually considered a little weaker in effect.
A metonymy substitutes the name of one thing for the idea of another that is closely related to it. For example, in many countries the system of royal power invested in a monarch is simply called “the crown,” and in the United States the presidential administration and its authority are often just called “the White House.”
A synecdoche refers to a larger concept by using a part of that concept, as in the use of the phrase “hired hands” for “laborers” or referring to one’s car as “my wheels.”

Step 3 Understand the types of metaphors.

Sustained , or extended/telescoping metaphors span across several phrases or sentences. Their accumulative nature makes them very forceful and vivid. The narrator of Dean Koontz’s novel Seize the Night uses a sustained metaphor to describe his wild imagination: “Bobby Halloway says my imagination is a three-hundred-ring circus. Currently, I was in ring two hundred and ninety-nine, with elephants dancing and clowns cartwheeling and tigers leaping through rings of fire. The time had come to step back, leave the main tent, go buy some popcorn and a Coke, bliss out, cool down.” [6] X Research source
Implied metaphors are more subtle than simple metaphors. Whereas a simple metaphor might say that a person seems mean, but is really “a cupcake,” an implied metaphor would attribute cupcake-like characteristics to the person: “He can seem mean until you get to know him, and then you find out he’s all gooey and fluffy inside.”
Dead metaphors are metaphors that have become so common in everyday speech that they’ve lost the power they once had because they’re too familiar to us: “raining cats and dogs,” “heart of stone,” “tie up loose ends,” “red tape.” Clichés, on the other hand, are phrases often used to convey significant meanings. In the case of “red tape,” legal documents used to be bundled with red tape (or ribbon) before being sent away to various offices, so a process getting caught up in “red tape” referred to a document that was still waiting to be examined.

Catachresis is the formal term for mixed metaphors, and some writers use them intentionally to create confusion, impart a sense of the absurd, or express a powerful or inexpressible emotion. The poem somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond by e.e. cummings uses catachresis to express how it’s impossible to put his love for his beloved into words that make sense: “The voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses -- / nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands….” [9] X Research source
Catachresis can also be used to demonstrate a character’s confused or contradictory state of mind, as in the famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet : Hamlet wonders “Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer / The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, / Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, / And by opposing end them?” Obviously, you can’t really take up arms to fight against a sea, but the mixed-up metaphor helps communicate how troubled Hamlet feels.

Metaphors can communicate emotion behind actions. For example, the phrase “Julio’s eyes blazed” is more vivid and intense than “Julio’s eyes looked angry.”
Metaphors can convey immense, complex ideas in a few words. In one version of his long poem Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitman tells his readers that they are actually the greatest poetry: “your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face.” [10] X Research source
Metaphors can encourage originality. It’s easy to rely on everyday language to convey ideas: a body is a body, an ocean is an ocean. But metaphors allow you to convey a simple idea with creativity and expressiveness, something that the ancient Germanic people known as Anglo-Saxons were very fond of: “body” becomes “bone-house” and “ocean” becomes “whale-road”.
Metaphors show off your genius. Or at least, Aristotle says so (and who are we to argue?) in his Poetics : “But the greatest thing by far is to be a master of metaphor. It is the one thing that cannot be learnt from others; and it is also a sign of genius, since a good metaphor implies an intuitive perception of the similarity in dissimilars.”

Step 6 Read as many examples as you can find.

If you don’t mind difficult reading, very few writers in English used metaphor as well as the 16th-century poet John Donne: poems like “The Flea” and his Holy Sonnets employ intricate metaphors to describe experiences like love, religious faith, and death. [11] X Research source
The speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr., are also famous for their skillful use of metaphor and other rhetorical devices. King’s “I have a dream” speech uses metaphor extensively, such as the idea of Black Americans living on “a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.” [12] X Research source

Writing Your Own Metaphors

For example, if you want to write a metaphor about "time," try writing down as many characteristics as possible: slow, fast, dark, space, relativity, heavy, elastic, progress, change, man-made, evolution, time-out, timer, race, run.
Don't self-edit too heavily in this step; your goal is to generate a bunch of information for yourself to use. You can always scrap ideas that don't work later.

Avoid clichés. As Salvador Dalí said, “The first man to compare the cheeks of a young woman to a rose was obviously a poet; the first to repeat it was possibly an idiot.” [15] X Research source The goal of metaphors should be to convey your meaning with impact and originality in a compact package: the single intense bite of sea-salted caramel chocolate gelato vs. a whole bowl of bland vanilla froyo.
This is a brainstorming activity, so let your imagination run wild! For the "time" example, free-associations could be ideas like: rubber band, space, 2001, abyss, enemy, ticking clock, weight, wait, loss, adaptation, changes, stretching, returning.

Step 3 Decide what kind of mood you’d like to set.

For the "time" example, let's go with "celestial/spiritual" for the mood. Eliminate ideas that don't fit with that mood as you develop your ideas: for the "time" example, you might scratch out enemy, 2001, weight, and ticking clock, as these are all fairly "earthly" ideas.
Try to keep the nuances of your chosen topic in mind. For example, if you’re comparing the concept of justice to an animal, a “prowling leopard” conveys a very different idea of what you mean by “justice” than an image like a “weary elephant.” Both of these are probably still more apt than using a “newborn kitten,” though.

For the "time" example, this step could generate a sentence like the following: "Time is the rubber band, shooting me out into the unknown then bringing me back to center." This sentence has taken one of the ideas from Step 2 and has started attributing concrete actions and characteristics to it -- the starting-place of a metaphor.

In the example sentence generated in Step 4, the basic idea is there, but the words don't have much power behind them. For example, there's very little alliteration, which might be useful to employ if you want to convey a sense of repetition. The idea of the "rubber band" also suggests something or someone firing the rubber band, which detracts from the metaphor's focus on Time performing the action.

Step 6 Transform your comparisons into metaphors.

For example, adding in alliteration and providing an action for Time that is more independent could result in a sentence like this: "Time is an endless rollercoaster ride; it stops for no one." Now, the focus is entirely on time, and the alliteration of the repeated r sound adds to the sense of repetition that the metaphor's getting at.

Using metaphors as verbs can give actions more punch (sometimes literally!): “The news clutched her throat in its iron fist” expresses a more intense feeling than “She felt like she couldn’t breathe.”
Using metaphors as adjectives and adverbs can vividly characterize objects, people, and concepts in just a few words: “The teacher’s carnivorous pen devoured the student essays and belched up the occasional bloodstained comment” conveys the idea that the teacher’s pen (itself a metonym for the teacher) is tearing these essays apart and eating them, leaving only a mess of blood and guts once it’s finished.
Using metaphors as prepositional phrases can describe the feel of actions as well the thoughts behind them: “Emily examined her sister’s outfit with a surgeon’s eye” suggests that Emily believes she’s a trained expert in fashion, that she has a meticulous eye for detail, and that she sees her sister’s outfit as a potential disease to be cut off if necessary (perhaps not something that makes her sister happy).
Using metaphors as appositives (nouns or noun phrases that rename a nearby noun) or modifiers can add literary polish and creativity to your work: “Homer Simpson sidled onward, a yellow-domed pear wearing pants.”

Sample Metaphors

Community Q&A

personification : association of a non-human (usually inanimate) object with a human characteristic. This is a way of giving depth to a description by bringing in all the lyrical baggage of a term we normally associate with a person. "The intrepid spelunkers entered the mountain's open maw." As you can see, the human characteristic need not be uniquely human, but it often is. "The old familiar chair welcomed her back, as if she had never gone."
analogy : comparison of two pairs of things, a:b::c:d (e.g. hot is to cold as fire is to ice). Analogy can be used to make a satirical point, as in "My brother says he's trustworthy, but given his track record, my brother is trustworthy like Machiavelli was humanitarian." While not linear, Spenser's 16th century analogy is subtly sublime, "My love is like to ice and I to fire ..."
allegory : an extended story in which people, things or ideas represent other things, giving the story two meanings, one literal and one symbolic. In an allegory, nearly every figure and object has a meaning. Just think of Animal Farm, an allegory about the Soviet Union wherein farm animals revolt against their masters, form their own egalitarian society, and gradually recreate the very hierarchy that they fought to escape from.
parable : a story that demonstrates the teller's point or lesson. Famous examples include Aesop's Fables (ex. a mighty lion spares a puny mouse who later frees the lion from a hunter's trap – i.e. even the weak have their strengths).
Writing is a skill. The more you practice it, the better you get. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Remember that stuff called "grammar"? Well, turns out it has a purpose. Be sure you write correctly so your audience clearly understands you. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metaphor
↑ https://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/famous-metaphors
↑ https://www.internal.org/Sylvia_Plath/Cut
↑ https://www.english.cam.ac.uk/classroom/terms.htm
↑ https://examples.yourdictionary.com/types-of-metaphors.html
↑ https://literarydevices.net/extended-metaphor/
↑ https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/mixed-metaphor
↑ https://literarydevices.net/catachresis/
↑ https://www.whitmanarchive.org/published/LG/1855/whole.html
↑ https://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/john-donne#about
↑ https://users.wfu.edu/zulick/341/king.html
↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/metaphor/
↑ https://www.powerpoetry.org/actions/7-tips-creating-poignant-poetic-metaphors
↑ https://www.google.com/books/edition/Dialogues_With_Marcel_Duchamp/yPDKXnzgGGcC?hl=en&gbpv=1

About This Article

To write a metaphor, think about what you're trying to describe and the tone you want to create. Next, spend a few minutes brainstorming and write down whatever imaginative descriptions and associations come to mind. Then, write a few sentences comparing your original topic to some of your brainstormed descriptions. Focus on the ideas and imagery that stand out to you, then transform your comparisons into metaphors. Play around with the language and see where your creativity leads you! For tips on understanding what metaphors can and can't do, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, using metaphors in college essays.

What's up, guys? I'm currently working on my college essays and I was wondering if using metaphors would be a good idea. I've got some pretty creative metaphors that I feel could help my essay stand out. Has anyone tried this before? Is it too risky or does it add that extra pizzazz? Let me know your thoughts!

Hello! Using metaphors in college essays can definitely be a creative way to make your essay stand out and showcase your unique perspective. However, it's important to strike a balance between creativity and clarity. While metaphors can enhance your writing and catch the attention of the admissions officers, you also want them to easily understand the point you are trying to convey.

So, as you work on your essay, feel free to incorporate your metaphors, but be mindful to not overuse them or make them too complex. You want to use them to enrich your essay but not overpower the main narrative. Remember that your goal is to tell an engaging story about yourself and your experiences, so if your metaphors contribute to that goal, then they can certainly be an asset in your essay.

Also, if you have time, consider having someone else read your essay—this can help you evaluate whether your metaphors might be unclear, too confusing or actually add value to your essay. Good luck with your college essays and feel free to experiment with your writing style to make your essay truly memorable!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

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How to Develop a Personalized Metaphor for Your Applications

←How to Use Rhetorical Devices in Your College Essay

How to Get the Perfect Hook for Your College Essay→

Developing a Theme for Your Application

When you’re applying to competitive colleges, you need something that sets you apart from other applicants. This might be a special skill, an interesting characteristic, a unique experience, or even a circumstance beyond your control. One way to express this is through a personal metaphor in your essay. If you can come up with a defining metaphor that manifests throughout your application, you’ll be able to express your character more clearly and give colleges a better sense of who you are. This can tie your personal qualities and accomplishments together in a way that is more likely to resonate with admissions committees. Read on to learn how you can come up with a personalized metaphor for your essays that will set you apart.

How Can You Use a Metaphor in Your Essays

A metaphor is a comparison between two unlike things, tying something—an experience, a person, a thing, a place—to something else. At first glance, the comparison might seem unrelated but when the two ideas are juxtaposed, a new meaning emerges. Unlike a simile, your description doesn’t use “like” or “as,” so the comparison is more implicit. You might also use an analogy, which is similar to a metaphor in some respects. An analogy is another type of comparison, but instead of demonstrating how two things are completely similar, it highlights how two particular characteristics of those things are comparable, and often does use “like” or “as”. “I’m as tired as the day is long” is an example of an analogy, because rather than totally comparing oneself to the day, the speaker is focusing on one particular characteristic in each thing being compared—being tired and the length of the day.

In a metaphor, the comparison becomes a symbol to represent a larger experience or circumstance. Metaphors are commonly used as literary devices. For instance, Shakespeare wrote in As You Like It : “All the world’s a stage / And all the men and women merely players.” This is a quintessential example of a double metaphor, in which the stage represents the world, and players represent all the people—the implicit idea being that life is really a performance.

A metaphor can be a strong device to use in your college essays, but you’ll need to keep a few important considerations in mind. You’ll need to choose something unique to stand out, and describe it well. Use imagery and other rhetorical devices to frame your metaphor. Be descriptive. Also remember that admissions committees read many, many essays. While your experience doesn’t have to be completely unique, the way you describe it does. And you certainly don’t want to write an essay with overused clichés. Colleges have seen hundreds of essays describe how winning a sports game is like conquering life obstacles. Don’t be that person!

Consistency and cohesiveness are also important here. Choose something and stick to it. Don’t try to pack too much into a single thought, because then the metaphor might become too much of a leap. “I’m like bird, because I’m quick on my feet, adventurous, and like to sing” has too many elements. Try to focus on a particular thing—such as an adventurous spirit—and draw it out with examples, anecdotes, and imagery.

Thinking About our Pre-College Experiences Through the Lens of a Metaphor

You don’t have to climb Mount Everest to develop a meaningful metaphor. Colleges care more about how you describe and frame your experiences than the experiences themselves. However, you’re probably not going to find much inspiration from the Sunday you spent watching TV on the couch, so you should make an effort to seek out experiences that inspire you. To start, try pursuing something off the beaten path that interests you over the summer. For example, you might volunteer in another country, take on a unique internship, or gain experience in a profession you plan on pursuing. You might, then, use an aspect of the experience—say, animals you encountered in the wilderness—to highlight the new experiences and adventures you seek out in life: “Seeing a lion on a safari in Africa made me nervous at first, but I soon realized the fear came more from the unknown than the threat the lion posed to me.”

Or, on the flip side of this example, if you’ve had a particular struggle, is there a way to paint a metaphorical picture about it?

Making Your College Application Cohesive

Don’t stretch to hard to fit everything into the metaphor you choose, and don’t try to pack too much into it. You don’t want to make admissions committees have to work to understand what you’re trying to convey. For example, “Working with my teammates to defeat the rival school in football taught me collaboration conquers all” is a bit of a reach, not to mention cliché.

To help you come up with something that defines you and your experiences, make a list of your best qualities and what defines you as a student. Additionally, ask friends, family members, and teachers what they think of when they think about you. Then, make a list of extracurricular activities or other interests you’ve pursued, and try to determine the qualities from the first list each activity brings out. Select one that best exemplifies your personal experiences to write about in your essay. It’s also a good idea to think about particular experiences and anecdotes to illustrate the activity. Also think about imagery you associate with the activity. Does playing piano make you feel peaceful? What other images are associated with peace? Perhaps it transports you to a beach or some other calm setting. Is there a particular time when this feeling was exemplified during a performance or recital?

If you have a particular passion, describe why you love it and what you’ve done to hone and pursue it. Show colleges why it’s meaningful to you. Maybe you’re a writer and have participated in writing programs, contest, and clubs like the school newspaper. Is there an image that comes to mind that illustrates how you’ve made writing your focus?

If you can think of a literal object that works well with your talents and experiences, then great. You could also use a single event or activity to show who you are more generally. For example, you might use debate club to show how you feel like a small-time version of a Supreme Court judge. “One time, when I argued the merits of the public-school system, I pictured myself in a real courtroom, presiding over a trial that would determine the fate of Americans.”

Remember that consistency is key. In Well-Rounded or Specialized? , we explain how it is important to demonstrate passion for a particular specialty or area. Having that passion will help you develop your metaphor, because you will naturally have a theme to exemplify.

Final Thoughts on the Admissions Metaphor

A metaphor is an impressive way to capture the attention of the admissions committee. Remember, you want them to sit up and take notice, so you need to draw them in right away.

Also keep in mind that it’s not just about what you say, but how you say it. While having a solid academic record is important, you need to demonstrate that you are unique. That doesn’t mean you have to have had a unique experience. You might have a particularly insightful or interesting way of describing or looking at something—and that makes you unique! Plus, being able to describe the events of your life or your goals for the future through the frame of a metaphor is one way of showing that you are capable of thinking of general trends and patterns in life in a creative way.

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

Figures of Speech 101: How To Use Metaphors

Metaphors can be helpful in understanding complex situations. They can also be fun to use in everyday language. Moreover, they can help you add depth to your writing!

Whether you want to improve your writing to write effectively or better your English in general, you’ll need to be comfortable with using metaphors. So we’ve written this article to help you understand metaphors and how to use them.

Keep reading for a better understanding of using metaphors!

What Is a Metaphor?

A metaphor is a figure of speech that uses one thing to represent another. You can use metaphors to make a point more clearly, to add emotion to a situation, or to make an idea more relatable.

A metaphor is different from a simile, which uses the words “like” or “as” to compare two things. Metaphors are often used in poetry and literature to create vivid imagery and add depth to the meaning of a text.

An example of a metaphor is "asleep at the wheel." This phrase describes someone who is not paying attention or is not in control. It's a way of saying someone is not doing their job correctly.

Another example of a common metaphor is "the elephant in the room." This phrase describes a situation where something obviously needs to be addressed, but no one wants to talk about it.

Examples of Metaphors

She has a heart of stone.” This means that she is not very kind.

“He is a bear with a sore head.” This means that he is in a bad mood.

“She is a ray of sunshine.” This means that she is very happy and cheerful.

“He is a fish out of water.” This means that he is not comfortable in a new situation.

“She is an angel.” This means that she is very kind and sweet.

“She is the cat’s meow.” This means that she is very fashionable.

“He is a lion among men.” This means that he is very brave.

“He is a bull in a china shop.” This means that he is not very careful.

Types of Metaphors

Here are four types of metaphors:

The standard metaphor: A standard metaphor is a phrase or expression that uses a word or phrase from one context to describe something in another. For example, in the sentence, “The stock market is a roller coaster ride,” the phrase “roller coaster” is used to describe the ups and downs of the market. This is an example of a standard metaphor because it uses a word or phrase from one context (roller coasters) to describe something in another context (the stock market). Standard metaphors are common and can be found in everyday conversation, literature, and other art forms. They are often used to make something more relatable or interesting to the reader or viewer. Standard metaphors are also commonly used in rhetoric and advertising. They can be used to make a point or to persuade people to take some kind of action. For example, an advertisement for an insurance company might use the following metaphor: “Life is full of unexpected twists and turns. You never know when something bad might happen. That’s why it’s important to be prepared.” This metaphor is used to persuade people to purchase insurance from the company. It tries to make the idea of purchasing insurance seem like a “necessary precaution” by comparing it to being prepared for unforeseen events.

An implied metaphor: An implied metaphor is a metaphor that is implied through some aspects of a story. For example, if you were writing a story about a man who was afraid of spiders and you included the line “He shrank back as the hairy creature scuttled towards him,” you would be implying a metaphor about a man who is afraid of change. The hairy creature would represent change, and the man would shrink away from it. Implied metaphors are often more subtle than other forms, but they still serve the same purpose of connecting two seemingly unrelated things. They are a great way to add depth and meaning to your writing.

Visual metaphors: A visual metaphor is a comparison between two visually similar things. For example, in the famous movie "The Matrix,” the concept of "red pill, blue pill" (reality vs. illusion) is a visual metaphor. Another favorite visual metaphor is "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” There are many more examples of visual metaphors, such as "apple of my eye,” "elephant in the room,” and "pig in a poke" (you get the point). Visual metaphors are an effective way of expressing ideas and feelings creatively and memorably.

Extended metaphors: An extended metaphor is a literary device in which a comparison is made between two or more things wherein the comparison is drawn out over a longer period. Extended metaphors often take the form of a story and are often used in literature and poetry. They can also be found in speeches, sermons, and other forms of rhetoric. An extended metaphor is different from a simple one, which is a direct comparison between two things made without elaboration. Extended metaphors are often used to help the reader or listener better understand a complex idea or to create a sense of drama or suspense in a story. They can also be used to create a sense of irony or humor. Examples of extended metaphors can be found in the works of Shakespeare, who frequently used this device. One example is in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, in which the character of Mercutio uses an extended metaphor to compare the heat of the summer to the heat of passion. This allows him to create a humorous comparison between the two and a sense of dramatic irony, since Mercutio dies shortly after making this speech despite his apparent immunity to the heat of summer (as he says in the speech).

Why Should You Use Metaphors?

Using metaphors in your writing can help you explain complex ideas in a clear and relatable way. In addition, they allow you to get creative and add a new layer of meaning to your work.

Using metaphors can help you stand out from the crowd and capture your readers’ attention. If you’re looking for a way to spice up your writing and add depth, metaphors are great in your toolbox!

How To Write a Good Metaphor

There are many ways to write a good metaphor, but one way is to use an everyday object familiar to the reader. For example, you could compare a person’s personality to a box of chocolates because you never know what you’ll get.

The key to writing a good metaphor is to ensure that both concepts are clearly defined. This will help the reader understand what you are trying to say. It is also essential to use language that is easy to understand so that everyone can follow your point.

How Often Should You Use Metaphors in Writing?

Metaphors can strengthen your writing if used sparingly and are relevant and appropriate to the topic.

You don’t want to overdo it or use metaphors that don’t fit your writing or the topic at hand. Metaphors are great literary devices, but they’re best used when they’re not overused or overdone.

If you’re using many metaphors, consider cutting some of them out to strengthen your point. If your metaphors aren’t relevant to the topic, consider using another word or just keeping it straightforward.

What Is a Mixed Metaphor?

A mixed metaphor is when a person tries to describe something by combining two metaphors that don’t go together.

For example, “the business was a ship of fools, run by a captain who didn’t know how to steer.”

Using mixed metaphors is a prevalent mistake among English learners. The key to avoiding this mistake is remembering that each metaphor is a stand-alone idea. So if you’re trying to describe something, pick just one metaphor.

If you struggle to come up with one, try to think of a simpler way to describe it. Mixed metaphors are a common mistake, but they’re also easy to avoid!

The Conclusion on Using Metaphors

Metaphors are helpful in explaining something the audience may not understand otherwise. But don't overuse metaphors. Otherwise, they'll lose the meaning of the metaphor and its purpose. On the other hand, if used correctly, metaphors can be a great way to engage your audience and make your message stick. We hope you’ve enjoyed our introduction to using metaphors! Feel free to share this article with a fellow English student!

Works Cited:

How to improve your writing. Rephrasely. (n.d.). Retrieved November 23, 2022, from https://rephrasely.com/blog/how-to-improve-your-writing

20 important questions to consider when writing an essay. Rephrasely. (n.d.). Retrieved November 23, 2022, from https://rephrasely.com/blog/20-important-questions-to-consider-when-writing-an-essay

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Metaphor definition & meaning. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved November 23, 2022, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metaphor

YouTube. (2016, September 19). Types of metaphors. YouTube. Retrieved November 23, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCr8DTswjVg

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Powerful Examples of Similes and Metaphors to Improve Your Writing

Understanding similes, simile definition, examples of similes, tips for using similes, understanding metaphors, metaphor definition, examples of metaphors, tips for using metaphors, applying similes and metaphors in your writing, enhancing description, creating imagery, adding emotion and depth, similes and metaphors in literature, classic literature, modern literature, similes and metaphors in pop culture, movies and tv, advertising.

Similes and metaphors are powerful tools that can help you take your writing to the next level. They allow you to create vivid imagery and evoke emotions in your readers, making your work more engaging and memorable. In this blog, we'll explore simile and metaphor examples, along with tips on how to use them effectively in your writing. Let's dive in!

Similes are a type of figurative language that compare two different things using the words "like" or "as." They help your readers better visualize and understand the ideas you want to convey. Let's start with the basics:

A simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using the words "like" or "as." This comparison highlights a specific quality or characteristic shared by the two things, making the description more vivid and relatable. For example:

Her smile was as warm as the sun on a summer day.
He ran like the wind, leaving everyone else behind.

Similes can add depth and color to your writing, making it more engaging. Here are some more simile examples to inspire you:

Her eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky.
He was as stubborn as a mule, refusing to change his mind.
Their love was as deep as the ocean.
The baby's laughter was as sweet as the sound of a music box.
The room was as silent as a graveyard at midnight.

To make the most of similes in your writing, keep these tips in mind:

Be specific: Choose comparisons that paint a clear and vivid picture for your readers.
Be relevant: Make sure the simile adds value to your writing and supports the point you're trying to make.
Avoid clichés: Steer clear of overused similes, like "as busy as a bee" or "as cool as a cucumber." Instead, get creative and come up with your own unique simile and metaphor examples.

Metaphors, like similes, are a form of figurative language that can enrich your writing by creating strong imagery and conveying emotions. However, they differ from similes in one key aspect—metaphors don't use "like" or "as" for comparison. Instead, they directly state that one thing is another. Let's take a closer look:

A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes an object or action by equating it with something else, without using "like" or "as." This comparison helps to emphasize a particular quality or characteristic of the object or action. For example:

Her voice was music to his ears.
Time is a thief that steals our moments away.

Using metaphors in your writing can create powerful imagery and make your words more memorable. Here are some metaphor examples to spark your creativity:

All the world's a stage , and we are merely players.
My thoughts are swirling leaves in the wind of my mind.
Her heart is a garden blooming with kindness.
The sun is a golden coin tossed into the sky.
His words were daggers that pierced her heart.

When incorporating metaphors into your writing, consider these guidelines:

Be original: Avoid clichéd metaphors that your readers have likely encountered before. Create your own fresh and unique metaphor examples.
Stay focused: Ensure that your metaphor is relevant to the point you're trying to make and enhances the overall message.
Keep it simple: While it's tempting to craft complex metaphors, remember that clarity is key. Keep your metaphors straightforward and easy to understand.

Similes and metaphors can add depth, emotion, and vivid imagery to your writing. When used effectively, they can elevate your work and create a lasting impression on your readers. Let's explore some ways to incorporate similes and metaphor examples into your writing:

Both similes and metaphors can help you describe characters, settings, and emotions more vividly. By comparing an object or action to something else, you can create a more striking image in your reader's mind:

His eyes were as cold as ice when he looked at her. (simile)
The city was a sleeping giant waiting to be awakened by the first rays of sunlight. (metaphor)

By comparing objects, actions, or emotions to something unexpected, similes and metaphors can paint vivid pictures in your reader's mind. This can enhance the overall reading experience and make your words more memorable:

The clouds were like cotton candy floating in the sky. (simile)
Her laughter was a symphony of joy that filled the room. (metaphor)

Similes and metaphors can be powerful tools for expressing emotions and adding depth to your writing. By choosing the right comparisons, you can evoke specific feelings or create a particular mood:

She felt as if a thousand butterflies were fluttering in her stomach. (simile)
Grief was a heavy stone that weighed her down. (metaphor)

Remember, the key to successful use of similes and metaphor examples is to be creative, clear, and relevant to the message you want to convey. By incorporating these techniques in your writing, you can create a stronger connection with your readers and leave a lasting impression.

Similes and metaphors have been used by writers throughout history to create memorable, evocative works. Let's look at some examples of similes and metaphors in both classic and modern literature, as well as poetry.

In classic literature, similes and metaphors have been used to create rich descriptions and convey emotions. Here are a few powerful examples:

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: "People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for, and they have the right to subject their children to it all."
In Great Expectations by Charles Dickens: "Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be."
In Moby Dick by Herman Melville: "The sun hides not the ocean, which is the dark side of this earth, and which is two thirds of this earth."

Modern literature also employs similes and metaphors to create vivid imagery and evoke emotions. Here are some examples:

In The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: "My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations."
In The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: "Hope is the only thing stronger than fear."
In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling: "The castle was a vast maze of ramparts, turrets, and halls."

Poetry often relies heavily on similes and metaphors to create powerful imagery and convey emotions. Here are some examples from famous poets:

In "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— / I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference."
In "A Red, Red Rose" by Robert Burns: "O my Luve is like a red, red rose / That's newly sprung in June; / O my Luve is like the melody / That's sweetly played in tune."
In "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth: "For oft, when on my couch I lie / In vacant or in pensive mood, / They flash upon that inward eye / Which is the bliss of solitude."

By examining simile and metaphor examples in literature, you can gain inspiration and insight into how these powerful devices can enhance your own writing and create a lasting impact on your readers.

Similes and metaphors aren't just limited to literature—they also play a significant role in popular culture. Let's explore some examples of similes and metaphors in music, movies, TV shows, and advertising to see how these devices add depth and meaning to our everyday entertainment.

Music often uses similes and metaphors to create vivid imagery and convey emotions. Here are a few examples from popular songs:

In "Firework" by Katy Perry: "Do you ever feel like a plastic bag / Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?"
In "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston: "If I should stay / I would only be in your way / So I'll go but I know / I'll think of you every step of the way."
In "Let It Be" by The Beatles: "When the brokenhearted people living in the world agree / There will be an answer, let it be."

Movies and television shows often use similes and metaphors to create memorable scenes and lines. Here are some examples:

In Forrest Gump : "Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get."
In The Dark Knight : "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
In Game of Thrones : "When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."

Advertisers often use similes and metaphors to create catchy slogans and memorable ads. Here are some examples:

In Nike's slogan: "Just do it."
In McDonald's slogan: "I'm lovin' it."
In Apple's "Think Different" campaign: "Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers."

By examining simile and metaphor examples in pop culture, you can see how these powerful devices add depth and meaning to our everyday entertainment, making them more memorable and engaging for audiences.

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Drag it Out: How to Use Extended Metaphors for Maximum Effect

Anne Bradstreet
extended metaphors
Literary Devices

I love metaphors, and I find them useful in all facets of my life as a way to understand new concepts by comparing them to familiar concepts. Take my work history, for instance. In my early post-college days, I worked as a nanny for a family with three young boys. My days were spent running around making sure everyone was where they were supposed to be, had what they needed, and was doing what they were supposed to be doing. My next job had me working as an administrative assistant at a shipyard, supporting an office of 40 men. My days were spent running around making sure everyone was where they were supposed to be, had what they needed, and was doing what they were supposed to be doing. I often told people I went from babysitting three little boys to babysitting forty big boys. The environments were entirely different (for one, I never had to wear a hard hat while I was a nanny) but overall, my role as caretaker to the people I worked with wasn’t much different.

In literature, metaphors are used much the same way. Writers employ metaphors to draw comparisons between two disparate concepts, using one to make a point about another. As you probably remember from your school days, a metaphor is most simply expressed as a simile. Similes are marked by the use of the words “like” or “as” to compare two (or more) elements For example:

Her eyes are bright like the sun.

Her eyes are bright as the sun.

In the examples above, “like” and “as” are used to link the concepts of “her eyes” with the properties of “the sun”—brightness, in particular. Metaphors eliminate the need for a specific word to make the comparison. Instead, metaphors link two ideas directly without the intermediary. On the most basic level, the sentence above could be written as a metaphor like this:

Her eyes are the sun.

The connection between her eyes and the sun (and all its properties) is here made direct and, in a sense, stronger. The sentence and the image it conveys are much stronger without the “like” or “as” to weaken it.

Extended Metaphors

Extended metaphors (also known as a conceit ) take two (sometimes more) concepts and evaluate them over a series of sentences to create a more intricate picture of how one thing is like the other. Extended metaphors use complex logic such as the following to flesh out the argument:

Compare (how one is like the other)
Contrast (how one in unlike the other)
Juxtaposition (placing both ideas together)
Analogy (the relationship of one to the other)
Extrapolation (inferring or hypothesizing the unknown about one using the known of the other)

There are no particular parameters defined for how long or short an extended metaphor can be, but in typical use, an extended metaphor is more than one sentence that draws the comparison and can go as long as a whole paragraph, poem, story, novel, etc.

A Master at Work

Anne Bradstreet was born in England in 1612 and emigrated to New England in 1630. She was the daughter of English nobility, and her father and husband were both involved in the government of the Boston settlement. Though Anne came from an educated family, and enjoyed reading and learning, she lived the life of any wife in those early, difficult days in the new world—she dealt with illness, food shortages, terrible weather, eight children, and long absences from her husband. For solace, she wrote, but she didn’t share it beyond her tight circle of friends and family because the Puritan society she lived in didn’t value the opinions of woman, and certainly would have shunned her for making her thoughts public.

However, Anne had some fans. In 1650, her brother-in-law secretly copied some of her poems and had them published in England without her knowledge or permission. The following poem summarizes some of Anne’s thoughts on the event.

The Author to Her Book

Thou ill-formed offspring of my feeble brain, Who after birth did'st by my side remain, Till snatcht from thence by friends, less wise than true, Who thee abroad exposed to public view, Made thee in rags, halting to th' press to trudge, Where errors were not lessened (all may judge). At thy return my blushing was not small, My rambling brat (in print) should mother call. I cast thee by as one unfit for light, The visage was so irksome in my sight, Yet being mine own, at length affection would Thy blemishes amend, if so I could. I washed thy face, but more defects I saw, And rubbing off a spot, still made a flaw. I stretcht thy joints to make thee even feet, Yet still thou run'st more hobbling than is meet. In better dress to trim thee was my mind, But nought save home-spun cloth, i' th' house I find. In this array, 'mongst vulgars may'st thou roam. In critic's hands, beware thou dost not come, And take thy way where yet thou art not known. If for thy father askt, say, thou hadst none; And for thy mother, she alas is poor, Which caused her thus to send thee out of door.

Note how she weaves her experience of motherhood into a discussion of her book as a child snatched from her before she was ready. Riddled, of course, with what would have been then considered appropriate feminine submission and self-deprecation (“blushing”), we modern readers can nonetheless infer that she may actually be a little proud of her “rambling brat (in print)” for after attempting to “cast [it] by as once unfit for light” she ultimately notes that “affection” caused her to attempt revision of her work. Note also how she uses terminology that can apply to both a child and book or piece of writing.

“Feet” – can be physical feet (the things at the end of legs) or poetic feet (the metrical unit that determines how syllables are accented in a poem, e.g. iambic pentameter which means five feet/line of poetry that use the iambic meter)
“Rags” – clothing or the fabric cover of a book
“Rubbing off a spot” – wiping dirt from a child’s face or rubbing out a word or letter on a page

Despite just being an excellent example of extended metaphor, there is much to find exceptional about this poem. For one, any writer or artist can relate to her attitude of apprehension about how her art will be received by “the critics”. I personally share her desire to continuously revise, even if it doesn’t do any real good. Pair this nearly universal notion for artists of any medium in any generation with the knowledge of the kind of culture Anne wrote her poems in, and it’s hard not to be in awe of this woman.

Metaphor as Rhetoric

Sure, every author from Shakespeare to Jim Goad has used extended metaphor and finding an example is easy as G-o-o-g-l-e. Off the page, too, there are plenty of places where extended metaphor is used heavily. In fact, I would argue that the extended metaphor is the go-to device for most rhetoric, whether written, spoken, sung, or even presented visually.

A few years back when I lived in Seattle, I sometimes passed street protesters with signs depicting Obama with a Hitler mustache. When I stopped to learn what the heck they were protesting in that way, I found out they were handing out written materials that likened the Obama healthcare reform bill to the medical experimentation performed on inmates of the concentration camps during the Second World War. The Obama as Hitler image paired with the literature and the talking points the protesters had prepared to created a dynamic rhetoric that included extended metaphor in a variety of mediums. While I thought their method was inflammatory and their message untrue, I understood why they used strongest possible metaphorical comparison to make their point—it attracted a crowd. Had they just passed out a brochure detailing their objections to the proposed policy, likely no one would have paid attention. As it was, scores of people stopped to curse the crew or give a high five or take a picture.

Using the audiences’ experience, prejudices, assumptions, and connotations about one element to make a statement about another is a very strong way to make a point because it affects both the logical and the emotional centers of the audiences’ brain. The protesters hijacked the notion of Hitler and all the negative emotions that surround the man, his policies, and his actions to make a statement about an entirely different man with different policies, and decidedly different actions. However, using only one or two lines of comparison between the two, they were able to connect the entire negative image of Hitler with Obama.

Best Practices

When building an extended metaphor—whether for the purpose of rhetoric or just plain storytelling—there are some practices to keep in mind.

Juxtapose known concepts with unknown or lesser known concepts. Take a cue from Anne Bradstreet and combine something you (or your audience) know well with something that is new to you (or your audience). Anne gave birth to 8 children in her lifetime, so the anxieties of motherhood were known to her. On the contrary, becoming a published (and relatively well-received) author was entirely new to her. To conceptualize her experience, she wrote about in terms of a mother too soon separated from a child.
Be consistent. Ensure the language you choose equally applies to both situations. A great way to keep this in check is to follow the rules of the grammatical concept of parallelism . In a parallel structured sentence, all parts of the sentence should be grammatically equal. For instance, verbs should be in the same tense (though they can be differently conjugated according to the subject), nouns should be the same number (either singular or plural), and the subject/verb structure should be equal. An example of a parallel sentence:

Before Sarah took a shower, she fed the dog and the cat, she woke the baby and the husband, she made the bed and the breakfast.

Note how the verbs fed/woke/made are all in the same tense (past perfect) and each verb applies equally to each element: fed – dog/cat, woke – baby/husband, made – bed/breakfast. Also the structure of each of the independent clauses includes the same order of elements; subject (she), verb (fed/woke/made), object (dog/baby/bed) and object (cat/husband/breakfast). Each element parallels the other two elements in structure and tense thus creating a balanced sentence.

Extended metaphors can also benefits from this sort of balance. Like the parallel structure, verbs and other word choices should apply equally to either element. As I noted above, Bradstreet’s use of “feet”, “rags” and “rubbing off a spot” were all terms that applied to either a child or a book.

Avoid clichés. Pretty please don’t compare relearning an old skill to “riding a bike” or conquering an old fear to “getting back in the saddle.” Maybe mentioning it is cliché in itself, but the most successful metaphors are the most unexpected. It could be said that comparing one iconic political figure to another (Hitler and Obama) is not unexpected, and it could even be said that parenthood and creating art have been compared before—there is NOTHING new under the sun, right?—but previous examples aside, there are some great unexpected metaphors yet to explore. Unexpected doesn't have to mean complex, either, just unique but believable. Here’s a recent example from the "Shouts and Murmurs" section of the New Yorker that compares breaking up with a baseball trade.

“Trade” by Simon Rich

Josh always knew, on some level, that it was possible for him to get traded. He’d seen it happen to dozens of guys over the years, including some of his closest friends. It was part of the game. Still, he had never been traded himself, and he was having some trouble accepting it. He kept expecting someone to tap him on the shoulder and tell him the whole thing was a joke. “Here’s your stuff,” Kate said, dropping a duffelbag at his feet. “Goodbye.” Josh stared at her for a moment, expecting some kind of encouragement or sympathy. But Kate just stood there, her eyelids fluttering with impatience. “So that’s it, then,” Josh said. “After three and a half years.” “What do you want me to say?” Kate snapped. He picked up the bag and slung it wearily over his shoulder. There was nothing he could do. When your girlfriend decides to trade you, you’re through. “I just don’t get it!” Josh shouted, over the din of the jukebox. “I thought things were going really well.” “They weren’t,” his brother Craig said. “The writing was on the wall.” “Really?” “Oh, yeah. Your record’s been sinking all year. You told me yourself you had a five-argument losing streak. And then there were all those errors.” Josh nodded ruefully. There had been a lot of errors this year. Forty-five Missed Compliments, three Forgotten Events, twelve Accidental Insults—he’d been playing like a rookie. Craig squeezed his little brother’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Josh,” he said. “Believe me, I know what you’re going through. Remember in ’04-’05? When Zoe traded me?” Josh nodded. They’d come to the same bar then. “I was devastated,” Craig said. “I’d just taken her to Henry’s Inn for her birthday—you know, that fancy place with all the candles? Got her a steak, gave her a necklace, took her to a show, massaged her feet . . .” “You hit for the cycle?” “Uh-huh. Then I wake up the next day and she’s giving me my marching orders. Tells me she needs to ‘shake things up’ if she wants to remain a contender.” “Unbelievable.” “It was right before Valentine’s Day.” “Of course,” Josh said. “The Trade Deadline.” “Exactly. You know what the worst part is? I know the guy she traded me for. And he’s garbage.” “Really?” “Yeah, he’s some kind of banker. Always looking at himself in the mirror and fixing his goddam tie. It’s, like, ‘Come on, you traded me for this guy?’ I mean, O.K., his stats are pretty good. He’s got me beat in Money, and his Sex Numbers are impressive. But what about intangibles? What about Attitude? Intelligence? Effort? Those things have got to count for something!” He ate some potato chips and wiped the grease on his jeans. “Who am I kidding?” he muttered. “These days? The only thing they care about is the bottom line.” When Kate had offered Josh his contract, he was so excited that he barely bothered to read it. He realized now that he should have perused the fine print. According to the trade clause, he had seventy-two hours to get his stuff out of her apartment. His Sexual Privileges were completely revoked, along with Hugging Rights and Injury Sympathy. It was insane. Why had he given her so much power in the first place? He was struggling to get through the clause on Mutual Friends—the footnotes alone were five pages—when he heard a knock on the door. He took a long, slow breath and opened it. Kate’s new boyfriend smirked down at him. He had tattoos on his neck and was wearing a scarf and shades, even though it was summer and he was indoors. “ ’Sup,” he said. Josh forced a smile. There was no reason to be impolite. It was an awkward situation, but what could he do about it? “ ’Sup,” he responded. The two men shook hands, reached into their pockets, and exchanged keys. “This one’s for Kate’s lobby,” Josh explained. “And this one’s for her door. You have to kind of push it in and then turn.” The man nodded. “Lisa likes it from behind,” he offered. Josh nodded awkwardly. “O.K.,” he said. “I guess that’s it, then.” “Good luck.” “You, too.” “What do you mean, ‘an artist’?” Craig asked. “Like, in advertising or something?” Josh swallowed. It was taking him a tremendous amount of effort to get the words out. It was as if his tongue were coated with clay. “He does performance art,” he mumbled. “Based on Camus . . . and Sartre.” “Jesus,” Craig said. “She traded you for that?” He ordered another round of drinks. “Is it all finalized?” he asked. Josh nodded. “We both passed our physicals. He’s probably at her place by now.” He banged his fist on the bar. “Damn it!” he said. “I know I’m not an all-star, all right? My job is boring, I don’t understand art, and I like bad TV! I just . . . I thought I was worth something.” He shook his head. “She must have really wanted to get rid of me.”

Now You Try

Below is a list of concepts and objects. Pick two and use one as a metaphor for the other. Write at least five sentences or lines of poetry.

Dancing with the Stars
Soap/cleanliness
Immigration
Scotch tape (or similar)
Horror movies

*Photo via Meet A Meaningless Metaphor

Column by Taylor Houston

Taylor Houston is a genuine Word Nerd living in Portland, OR where she works as a technical writer and volunteers on the marketing committee for Wordstock , a local organization dedicated to writing education. She has a BA in Creative Writing and Spanish from Hamilton College and attended Penn State's MFA program in Creative Nonfiction. She has taught writing at all levels from middle school to college to adult, and she is the creator of Writer’s Cramp , a class for adults who just want to write!

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Horror Movies and Jewelry:

Luminescent, it sparkled in the moonlight. Breathless, I looked into his eyes. Arrested, my heart stopped beating. Motionless, I fell into his embrace. This night would forever be sliced into my memory.

I think it still needs some work, but I definitely enjoyed writing it!

Dancing With the Stars is Immigration for has-been "Stars."

JRNutt, that's great! I'm glad you enjoyed writing it. They are fun to play around with.

Jenny, that is SOO true. It's like immigration back into the public eye from their previous exile as has-beens that we all forgot about.

I've never really written with extended metaphors before, but I wanted to give it a shot.

"Soap/Cleanliness and Parents"

They always want you to be clean and never dirty. The good ones do, anyway. Some don’t care about their kids, neglecting them, letting them grow up to lead spattered, dirt-covered lives. I know my parents cared: they dragged me to church and taught me to pray every night, they pushed me to work harder in school, they taught me the value of money, and they taught me the value of love. They also taught me about violence, doing harm unto others, living in so-called sin. Everything they did was directed towards bringing me up in the cleanliest way they could, so that when I left for Harvard or when I raised a good family and lived with them in a nice home, they could look at each other and know that they succeeded at raising me.

High heeled immigration.

Her room, her world, is familiar and stale. Worn sandals and faded lounge pants creating disheveled banks for a slight walkway where she practices her gait. Preparation for a formal in which her goal is to be unnoticed but present and engaged. She selects ordinary heels. Enough to be accepted. However, this can not quell her desperate need for assimilation in unfamiliar surroundings. Desperation developed from fear of the unknown pathways she will encounter. Her joints jockeying for balance, her feet trying to maintain grace.

This was an enjoyable exercise. It irritated the monotony.

Thanks for that.

The structure, rickety and decrepit, only had two letters left of it's neon sign, N and S. Both flickered and hissed, with the I remaining dark, dead, in front of the other two letters. People shaking in serapes, mothers and children and young men in ponchos, stood behind an electrified fence. The gardeners with their uniforms clean and pressed and brown, badges gleaning and guns oiled, sauntered through the "garden," picking out the weeds they saw unfit to stay in their patch of land expanding from Atlantic to Pacific.

(Immigration and gardeners - did you catch that?)

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How to Use Metaphors Successfully in a Personal Statement

doctor confused over how to solve a puzzle

Written by David Lombardino | Updated February 23, 2024

Standing out From the Crowd

One of the greatest challenges every candidate faces when applying for fellowship or residency training, graduate school or college is deciding what to write in their personal statements. The next greatest challenge is how to write it.

Everyone wants their personal statement to stand out from the thousands of other entries. There are 40,000 applicants for medical residency alone every year, for example.

Sometimes the candidates are so concerned about how to write their personal statements— how to start , what words to use , etc.—that they lose sight of the actual content.

What Is a Metaphor?

A "metaphor" is "a word or phrase for one thing that is used to refer to another thing in order to show or suggest that they are similar" or "an object, activity, or idea that is used as a symbol of something else." (See Merriam-Webster .)

An example would be comparing an orthopedic procedure to building a robot or working as a nurse to being a member of a field hockey team.

The Case Against Metaphors in a Personal Statement

Every year, I edit and critique hundreds of personal statements , and among those that stand out the most are the ones that use metaphors. However, the reason for this is most often not what the candidates have hoped.

A great example of this came last September from an outstanding candidate for medical residency. She had graduated from one of the top high schools in the nation, was attending one of the top medical schools in the nation, and had noteworthy research experience. As a medical student, she had even published a paper and presented a poster at a conference.

Knowing this from her CV, what I expected to find, when turning to her personal statement, was an exemplary, well-executed essay.

What I found instead was far short of the mark.

No matter what form the personal statement takes, it must convey the relevant aspects of the candidate’s path that have brought them to apply for the position being sought, it must convey how the position is the appropriate next step for their path, and it must convey where the candidate sees their path headed following the successful completion of the position.

What she had done was decide not to follow these principles and instead write an essay devoted to her experiences on her soccer team. She had not been an exemplary player, her team had not been an exemplary team, and there was nothing in particular that stood out about the experiences she described.

By contrast, they were ones anyone else on her team could have written.

While she believed focusing her personal statement on her soccer experiences would make it a shining point of her overall application, the result was the opposite.

There were two key aspects that she had failed to realize. First was that, among all the medical residents who use metaphors in their personal statements, playing on a sports team—and particularly a soccer team—is the most common (followed closely by comparing the practice of medicine to solving a puzzle).

Second is that, in light of her otherwise outstanding application, her failing to accomplish any of the fundamental goals of a personal statement ran the risk of communicating to program directors that she considered having to write a personal statement to be a task that was beneath her.

Why Do Candidates Use Metaphors in a Personal Statement?

The personal statement I have just described is a great example of why candidates use metaphors in a personal statement. They believe that by doing so their stories will be automatically more interesting to read.

From a technical point of view, though, it is difficult to craft a well-executed personal statement on the foundation of a metaphor.

When a candidate uses a metaphor, they do so out of the belief that the metaphor is unique and, by extension, that it will immediately demonstrate their creativity and ability to think at a higher level.

Because this concept is so attractive, and because candidates are often unaware of what everyone else is writing in their personal statements, they do not realize what a great challenge it is to think of a metaphor that is not already overused, let alone to incorporate a metaphor successfully so that it does not come across as simply a crutch.

Why Almost Every Personal Statement Is Better Without a Metaphor, But Also How Metaphors Can Make a Personal Statement Amazing

In a previous post, in which I detailed the reasons quotes should be avoided in a personal statement , I described that the key consideration for any personal statement is how “personal” it is and that the only way to do this is for the candidate to write about their own personal experience.

While there is a full range of personal experiences, and some are more interesting to read than others, the more specific the personal statement is to the candidate’s own personal experience, no matter the experience, the more engaging it will be to read.

Let us look at it another way by considering three types of personal statements.

The first is one that is not particularly “personal” but uses an interesting metaphor. The second is one that is particularly “personal” but does not use any metaphors. The third is one that is particularly “personal” and uses a particularly “personal” metaphor. As you might guess, the third type will certainly be the most outstanding, but the reason bears explanation.

No matter how interesting a metaphor is that is used in a personal statement, if the personal statement does not accomplish the fundamental goals of a personal statement, it will come across to the review committee or program director as being a failed opportunity by the candidate.

With that in mind, a personal statement will automatically be more successful the more directly related it is to the candidate’s personal experience, without using any metaphors. Simply doing that for most candidates will be a significant accomplishment and result in an engaging personal statement.

In rare cases, though, the candidate can enhance their personal statement with the successful use of a metaphor.

How to Decide Whether to Use a Metaphor

How then can a candidate know whether their use of a metaphor will be successful?

First, they should consider the personal statement without the metaphor. Is the personal statement “personal”? If not, the metaphor should not be included, since it will certainly not improve the essay and in most cases, by contrast, will serve to make it worse.

Second, if the personal statement is “personal,” they should ask whether the personal statement can stand on its own without the metaphor. Is the metaphor vital to the candidate’s story, such that it could not possibly be written without it?

If the answer to this last question is yes, then it is likely the metaphor will be successful, and the next step is to decide which metaphor to use.

How to Choose the Right Metaphor

If you have followed the guidelines above and believe using a metaphor is right for your personal statement, then you should already know beyond any doubt which metaphor you will use. Nevertheless, I will give you a couple of rules to follow.

First, the metaphor should come from your unique experience or personality. You should decide which of your experiences or which aspect of your personality will serve best as a metaphor.

Think of which one is most closely related to how you view your particular path.

Second, the metaphor should come from an experience or aspect of your personality that defines you particularly and therefore could not possibly be used by someone else.

Let us take as an example the personal statement I described earlier that used the metaphor of the soccer experience.

The reason that metaphor was unsuccessful was not that it was a soccer metaphor, but first that it failed to accomplish any of the key goals of a personal statement, and second that the aspects of playing soccer that were described were ones that could have been written by anyone else on the team.

To have made that metaphor successful, beyond making the personal statement more "personal," the candidate needed to choose an experience that was more “personal” and focus only on the aspects that made her experience unique.

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How To Use Metaphors Effectively in Business Writing

When writing for a business audience, conveying your ideas engagingly and concisely is important.

One powerful tool that can help you do this is a metaphor. Metaphors make complex topics easier to understand and will draw attention from readers.

In this article, we’ll discuss how to use metaphors effectively in business writing , including examples of effective metaphors, tips for creating your own unique metaphors, and the benefits of using metaphors in business writing.

By the end of this article, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge to write compelling and informative business content with vivid and creative metaphors.

Why Use Metaphors When Writing for Business?

A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes an object or action by comparing it to something else.

It is often used to invoke an emotional response in the reader and can help you bring your writing alive with vivid imagery. When used effectively, metaphors can give readers a deeper understanding of the subject, both figuratively and literally.

In business writing, metaphors can be used to illustrate complex concepts in a way that’s easy for readers to comprehend. They can also be used to make points more concisely and add drama and interest to otherwise dry topics .

Metaphors are also incredibly effective at helping readers visualize what you’re trying to say – making it easier for them to connect with the material on an emotional level.

How to Incorporate Metaphors Into Your Writing

When it comes to business writing, metaphors can be powerful tools, similar to using listicles . They are visually engaging, making a concept easier to understand and remember. Using metaphors in this way can help you communicate complex information more clearly and directly.

Examples of Effective Metaphors

Metaphors have been used by some of the world’s most famous writers and speakers for centuries. An effective metaphor quickly conveys a message vividly and memorably. For example, Napoleon Bonaparte famously compared his soldiers to ants: “Soldiers are like ants: they only see what is immediately before them.”

This metaphor effectively communicates an idea about discipline and order within the army without needing to explain it explicitly. Another well-known example is the quote by Albert Einstein: “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” This metaphor communicates a message of hope and resilience in the face of adversity.

How To Create Your Own Metaphors

Creating your own metaphors can be a fun and creative way to express yourself, but it does take practice. Start by coming up with two or more ideas that are related in some way, then look for similarities between them. Think about how one idea could represent another concept – this will help you form your metaphor.

Once you have an idea for a metaphor, write it down so you can refer back to it later. If possible, draw on real-life experiences or analogies to help make your metaphor more relatable.

Finally, use examples to illustrate your metaphor and make it easier for the reader to understand. With practice, you can easily start incorporating metaphors into your business writing.

Benefits Of Using Metaphors In Business Writing

Using metaphors in business writing can be a powerful tool for conveying complex ideas, boosting engagement, and driving action.

Writing with metaphors allows writers to connect with their readers more effectively by providing clarity and understanding of difficult topics. This method of communication is especially helpful when trying to explain abstract concepts or make persuasive arguments.

The benefits of using metaphors in business writing include the following:

Engaging the reader – Metaphors are an easy way to draw readers into your topic and help them understand what you’re trying to say.
Enhancing comprehension – You can clarify even the most challenging topics by utilizing analogies and comparisons.
Creating a memorable experience – When used correctly, metaphors can help your readers remember the points you’re trying to make.
Improving readability – Metaphors can break up complex or long passages, making them easier to digest.
Driving action – You can demonstrate the importance of a particular idea by using vivid examples and analogies that illustrate its impact.

Tips For Writing Effective Metaphors

Using metaphors in business writing can be a powerful way to communicate your message. However, it’s important to use them appropriately and effectively.

Here are some tips for writing effective metaphors that will help you create strong visuals, convey complex ideas and engage your readers:

Firstly, keep your metaphor simple and focused on the topic at hand. Try not to complicate things by introducing too many elements or distractions. Your goal should be to capture the essence of the idea without making it overly complex or convoluted.
Secondly, try to avoid clichés and overwrought language when writing a metaphor. This will make your phrase stand out from others and give it more impact and clarity. Choose unique and specific words so your audience can easily understand the image you’re trying to create.
Finally, be sure to let your metaphor breathe. Don’t cram too much into a single sentence or phrase, as this will make it difficult for readers to comprehend your point. Allowing each part of your metaphor to have its own space gives it more impact and makes it easier for people to visualize your message.

Using metaphors in your business writing lets you draw attention to key points and help readers understand complex topics more easily.

With the tips mentioned in this article, you are now equipped with the knowledge to write compelling and informative business content that stands out from the crowd.

From providing examples of effective metaphors to ways to create your own, you have all the tools necessary to craft captivating stories that engage your audience and keep them coming back for more.

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25 Metaphors for Essays
Metaphors for Essays. "The world is a stage.". This metaphor suggests that life is a performance and we are all actors on the stage of the world. "Time is money.". This metaphor equates the value of time with the value of money, implying that time is a valuable resource that should not be wasted. "He is a snake in the grass.".
Good Metaphors for Writing Essays in 2024 (With Examples)
If you want to know how to use a metaphor in an essay the right way, know that it is most effective when the concepts being compared have natural similarities. Avoid forcing similarities to fit an idea. Metaphors shouldn't make a piece of writing unnecessarily complicated. Metaphors should be used to make complex concepts easier to understand.
Using Metaphors in Creative Writing
The term metaphor meant in Greek "carry something across" or "transfer," which suggests many of the more elaborate definitions below: Metaphor Table. Definition. Origin. A comparison between two things, based on resemblance or similarity, without using "like" or "as". most dictionaries and textbooks.
Using Metaphors in Academic Writing
Grammatical metaphors: Also known as nominalization, this type of metaphor rewrites verbs or adjectives as nouns. It's most commonly used in academic and scientific texts as a way to separate spoken and written language, remove personal pronouns, and write in a concise manner. For instance, ' Millions of men, women and children starved to ...
How To Use A Metaphor: Examples and Use Cases
Example: Love is a battlefield. Mixed - a mixed metaphor is when you cross two or more metaphors to make an outrageous or silly comparison. They're usually funny. Example: We'll burn that bridge when we get to it. Dead - a dead metaphor is essentially a cliche. It has been overused, and it's tired and boring.
College Essays with Metaphors: A Guide to Crafting Powerful Personal
Using metaphors effectively in your college essays requires careful thought and planning. Here are some tips to help you incorporate metaphors into your writing: Start with a brainstorming session: Think about the qualities, experiences, and emotions that define you and your story. Consider different objects or concepts that could represent ...
Using Metaphors to Enhance Your Writing
Metaphors often engage our senses by connecting an otherwise intangible subject to sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste. If you can engage any of these senses through metaphor, your writing will become more vivid, entertaining and memorable; it will be easier for readers to relate to what you're saying, because they can experience it viscerally.
Metaphor Guide: From Basic to Brilliant Writing
Originates from the Greek, "metaphora," meaning to transform. A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things without using the word "like" or "as.". It is a versatile literary tool used to draw comparisons between two or more unrelated ideas or objects.. Metaphors may be used to evoke specific imagery, elicit an ...
Metaphors and Analogies: How to Use Them in Your Coursework
A metaphor from Johnny Cash's song Ring of Fire: 'Love is a burning thing, and it makes a fiery ring.' Bonnie Tyler's famous lyrics from Total Eclipse of the Heart make a great metaphor: 'Love is a mystery, everyone must stand alone.' Keep reading the article to find out how to write an essay with the effective use of metaphors in academic writing.
What Is a Metaphor?
A metaphor is a rhetorical device that makes a non-literal comparison between two unlike things. Metaphors are used to describe an object or action by stating (or implying) that it is something else (e.g., "knowledge is a butterfly"). Metaphors typically have two parts: A tenor is the thing or idea that the metaphor describes (e.g ...
When & How to Write a Metaphor
When to Use Metaphor. Strictly speaking, metaphors should be used only in creative writing since they rely on figurative language (not literal meaning) and are therefore untrue statements. Metaphors are also often vague and may sound too colloquial for formal work. Sometimes a subtle metaphor will slip into formal work (especially in the form ...
How To Master Similes And Metaphors In Your Writing
If, by the way, you need a way to remember the difference, that's a useful mnemonic; simi les are simi lar, metaphors are… the other one. Simile: In battle, he was as brave as a lion. Metaphor: He was a lion in battle! Simile: Love is like a battlefield. Metaphor: Love is a battlefield. Simile: This is like being in paradise!
How to Use Metaphors in an Essay
Using metaphors in an essay - 5 key tips. 1. Be sure about the meaning of the metaphor. Always be sure about the meaning of the metaphor you have used: it should express your thought very clearly, and be relevant to your topic, thesis or argument. It requires good verbal intelligence (this ability may be developed through reading hundreds of ...
How to Use Examples, Analogies, Similes and Metaphors when ...
In this video, I break down how to use examples, metaphors, analogies, and similes to build and explain your ideas in your writing. You can use these in your...
How to Write a Metaphor: 13 Steps (with Pictures)
2. Free-associate. Jot down lots of other things that share some of these qualities, but again, don't be too linear; the less obvious the association, the more interesting the metaphor. If you're writing a metaphor about a concept, flex your brain by trying to equate it with an object.
Using metaphors in college essays?
While metaphors can enhance your writing and catch the attention of the admissions officers, you also want them to easily understand the point you are trying to convey. So, as you work on your essay, feel free to incorporate your metaphors, but be mindful to not overuse them or make them too complex.
How to Develop a Personalized Metaphor for Your Applications
A metaphor is a comparison between two unlike things, tying something—an experience, a person, a thing, a place—to something else. At first glance, the comparison might seem unrelated but when the two ideas are juxtaposed, a new meaning emerges. Unlike a simile, your description doesn't use "like" or "as," so the comparison is ...
Figures of Speech 101: How To Use Metaphors
A metaphor is a figure of speech that uses one thing to represent another. You can use metaphors to make a point more clearly, to add emotion to a situation, or to make an idea more relatable. A metaphor is different from a simile, which uses the words "like" or "as" to compare two things. Metaphors are often used in poetry and ...
Powerful Examples of Similes and Metaphors to Improve Your Writing
Here are some more simile examples to inspire you: Her eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky. He was as stubborn as a mule, refusing to change his mind. Their love was as deep as the ocean. The baby's laughter was as sweet as the sound of a music box. The room was as silent as a graveyard at midnight.
Drag it Out: How to Use Extended Metaphors for Maximum Effect
Extended Metaphors. Extended metaphors (also known as a conceit) take two (sometimes more) concepts and evaluate them over a series of sentences to create a more intricate picture of how one thing is like the other. Extended metaphors use complex logic such as the following to flesh out the argument: Compare (how one is like the other)
How to Use an Extended Metaphor Effectively
An extended metaphor is when we take that comparison and we stretch it out over several stanzas, paragraphs, chapters, or lines. We're using that metaphor as a vehicle to make a larger point and really explore the assorted meanings of that comparison. Okay, so, quick recap so we avoid confusion between these literary devices: Simile is the ...
How to Use Metaphors Successfully in a Personal Statement
Nevertheless, I will give you a couple of rules to follow. First, the metaphor should come from your unique experience or personality. You should decide which of your experiences or which aspect of your personality will serve best as a metaphor. Think of which one is most closely related to how you view your particular path.
How To Use Metaphors Effectively in Business Writing
When used effectively, metaphors can give readers a deeper understanding of the subject, both figuratively and literally. In business writing, metaphors can be used to illustrate complex concepts in a way that's easy for readers to comprehend. They can also be used to make points more concisely and add drama and interest to otherwise dry topics.

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What Is a Metaphor? | Definition & Examples

Table of contents

Direct metaphor

Implied metaphor

Extended metaphor

Mixed metaphor

Dead metaphor

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Eoghan Ryan

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