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What Is a Metaphor? | Definition & Examples

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

What Is a Metaphor?

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 .

Table of contents

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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Last updated on Feb 11, 2022

90+ Must-Know Metaphor Examples to Improve Your Prose

What figure of speech is so meta that it forms the very basis of riddles? The answer: a metaphor.

As Milan Kundera wrote in The Unbearable Lightness of Being : “Metaphors are dangerous. Metaphors are not to be trifled with.” Yet, paradoxically, they are an inescapable part of our daily lives — which is why it’s all the more important to understand exactly how they function.

To help, this article has a list of 97 metaphor examples to show you what they look like in the wild. But if you have a moment to spare, let's learn a bit more about what a metaphor is.

What is a metaphor?

A metaphor is a literary device that imaginatively draws a comparison between two unlike things. It does this by stating that Thing A is Thing B. Through this method of equation, metaphors can help explain concepts and ideas by colorfully linking the unknown to the known; the abstract to the concrete; the incomprehensible to the comprehensible. It can also be a rhetorical device that specifically appeals to our sensibilities as readers.

To give you a starting point, here are some examples of common metaphors:

  • “Bill is an early bird.”
  • “Life is a highway.”
  • “Her eyes were diamonds.”

Note that metaphors are always non-literal. As much as you might like to greet your significant other with a warhammer in hand (“love is a battlefield”) or bring 50 tanks of gasoline every time you go on a date (“love is a journey”), that’s not likely to happen in reality. Another spoiler alert: no, Katy Perry doesn't literally think that you're a firework. Rather, these are all instances of metaphors in action.

How does a metaphor differ from a simile?

Simile and metaphor are both figures of speech that draw resemblances between two things. However, the devil’s in the details. Unlike metaphors, similes use like and as to directly create the comparison. “Life is like a box of chocolates,” for instance, is a simile. But if you say, “Life is a highway,” you’re putting a metaphor in motion.

The best way to understand how a metaphor can be used is to see it in practice — luckily, we’ve got a bucket-load of metaphor examples handy for you to peruse.

The Ultimate List of 90+ Metaphor Examples

Metaphors penetrate the entire spectrum of our existence — so we turned to many mediums to dig them up, from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to the Backstreet Boys’ ancient discography. Feel free to skip to your section of interest below for metaphor examples.

Literature Poetry Daily Expressions Songs Films Famous Quotations

Metaphors in literature are drops of water: as essential as they are ubiquitous. Writers use literary metaphors to evoke an emotional response or paint a vivid picture. Other times, a metaphor might explain a phenomenon. Given the amount of nuance that goes into it, a metaphor example in a text can sometimes deserve as much interpretation as the text itself.

Metaphors can make prose more muscular or imagery more vivid:

1. “Exhaustion is a thin blanket tattered with bullet holes.” ― If Then , Matthew De Abaitua
2. “But it is just two lovers, holding hands and in a hurry to reach their car, their locked hands a starfish leaping through the dark.” ― Rabbit, Run , John Updike
3. “The sun in the west was a drop of burning gold that slid near and nearer the sill of the world.” — Lord of the Flies , William Golding
4. “Bobby Holloway says my imagination is a three-hundred-ring circus. Currently I was in ring two hundred and ninety-nine, with elephants dancing and clowns cart wheeling 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.” — Seize the Night ,   Dean Koontz

Writers frequently turn to metaphors to describe people in unexpected ways:

5. “But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!” — Romeo & Juliet , William Shakespeare
6. “Who had they been, all these mothers and sisters and wives? What were they now? Moons, blank and faceless, gleaming with borrowed light, each spinning loyally around a bigger sphere.  ‘Invisible,’ said Faith under her breath. Women and girls were so often unseen, forgotten, afterthoughts. Faith herself had used it to good effect, hiding in plain sight and living a double life. But she had been blinded by exactly the same invisibility-of-the-mind, and was only just realizing it.” ― The Lie Tree , Frances Hardinge
7. “’I am a shark, Cassie,’ he says slowly, drawing the words out, as if he might be speaking to me for the last time. Looking into my eyes with tears in his, as if he's seeing me for the last time. "A shark who dreamed he was a man.’” ― The Last Star , Rick Yancey
8. “Her mouth was a fountain of delight.” — The Storm , Kate Chopin
9. “The parents looked upon Matilda in particular as nothing more than a scab. A scab is something you have to put up with until the time comes when you can pick it off and flick it away.” — Matilda , Roald Dahl
10. “Mr. Neck storms into class, a bull chasing thirty-three red flags." — Speak , Laurie Anderson
11. “’Well, you keep away from her, cause she’s a rattrap if I ever seen one.’” — Of Mice and Men , John Steinbeck

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Metaphors can help “visualize” a situation or put an event in context:

12. “But now, O Lord, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand.” —Isaiah 64:8
13. “He could hear Beatty's voice. ‘Sit down, Montag. Watch. Delicately, like the petals of a flower. Light the first page, light the second page. Each becomes a black butterfly. Beautiful, eh? Light the third page from the second and so on, chainsmoking, chapter by chapter, all the silly things the words mean, all the false promises, all the second-hand notions and time-worn philosophies.’” — Fahrenheit 451 , Ray Bradbury

To entertain and tickle the brain, metaphor examples sometimes compare two extremely unlike things:

14. “Delia was an overbearing cake with condescending frosting, and frankly, I was on a diet.” ― Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception , Maggie Stiefvater
15. "The sun was a toddler insistently refusing to go to bed: It was past eight thirty and still light.” — Fault in Our Stars , John Green
16. “If wits were pins, the man would be a veritable hedgehog.” ― Fly by Night , Frances Hardinge
17. “What's this?" he inquired, none too pleasantly. "A circus?" "No, Julius. It's the end of the circus." "I see. And these are the clowns?" Foaly's head poked through the doorway. "Pardon me for interrupting your extended circus metaphor, but what the hell is that?” ― Artemis Fowl , Eoin Colfer
18. “Using a metaphor in front of a man as unimaginative as Ridcully was the same as putting a red flag to a bu — the same as putting something very annoying in front of someone who was annoyed by it.” ― Lords and Ladies , Terry Pratchett

Metaphors can help frame abstract concepts in ways that readers can easily grasp:

19. “My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations.” — Fault In Our Stars , John Green
20. “If you can look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow and which will not, speak then to me.” — Macbeth , William Shakespeare
21. “Memories are bullets. Some whiz by and only spook you. Others tear you open and leave you in pieces.” ― Kill the Dead , Richard Kadrey
22. “Wishes are thorns, he told himself sharply. They do us no good, just stick into our skin and hurt us.” ― A Face Like Glass , Frances Hardinge
23. “’Life' wrote a friend of mine, 'is a public performance on the violin, in which you must learn the instrument as you go along.” ― A Room with a View , E.M. Forster
24. “There was an invisible necklace of nows, stretching out in front of her along the crazy, twisting road, each bead a golden second.” ― Cuckoo Song , Frances Hardinge
25. “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” — As You Like It , William Shakespeare

Particularly prominent in the realm of poetry is the extended metaphor: a single metaphor that extends throughout all or part of a piece of work . Also known as a conceit , it is used by poets to develop an idea or concept in great detail over the length of a poem. (And we have some metaphor examples for you below.)

If you’d like to get a sense of the indispensable role that metaphors play in poetry, look no further than what Robert Frost once said: “They are having night schools now, you know, for college graduates. Why? Because they don’t know when they are being fooled by a metaphor. Education by poetry is education by metaphor.”

Poets use metaphors directly in the text to explain emotions and opinions:

26. She must make him happy. She must be his favorite place in Minneapolis. You are a souvenir shop, where he goes to remember how much people miss him when he is gone. —“ Unrequited Love Poem ,” Sierra DeMulder
27. She is all states, and all princes, I. Nothing else is. Princes do but play us; compared to this, All honour's mimic, all wealth alchemy. —“ The Sun Rising ,” John Donne
28. I watched a girl in a sundress kiss another girl on a park bench, and just as the sunlight spilled perfectly onto both of their hair, I thought to myself: How bravely beautiful it is, that sometimes, the sea wants the city, even when it has been told its entire life it was meant for the shore. —“I Watched A Girl In A Sundress,” Christopher Poindexter

Extended metaphors in particular explore and advance major themes in poems:

29. All our words are but crumbs that fall down from the feast of the mind. Thinking is always the stumbling stone to poetry. A great singer is he who sings our silences. How can you sing if your mouth be filled with food? How shall your hand be raised in blessing if it is filled with gold? They say the nightingale pierces his bosom with a thorn when he sings his love song. —“ Sand and Foam ,” Khalil Gibran
30. But a BIRD that stalks down his narrow cage / Can seldom see through his bars of rage / His wings are clipped and his feet are tied So he opens his throat to sing. —“ Caged Bird ,” Maya Angelou
31. Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by / And that has made all the difference. —“ The Road Not Taken ,” Robert Frost
32. Marriage is not a house or even a tent it is before that, and colder: the edge of the forest, the edge of the desert the edge of the receding glacier where painfully and with wonder at having survived even this far we are learning to make fire —“ Habitation ,” Margaret Atwood
33. These poems do not live: it's a sad diagnosis. They grew their toes and fingers well enough, Their little foreheads bulged with concentration. If they missed out on walking about like people It wasn't for any lack of mother-love. —“ Stillborn ,” Sylvia Plath
34. Hope is the thing with feathers / That perches in the soul / And sings the tune without the words / And never stops at all. —“ Hope Is The Thing With Feathers ,” Emily Dickinson

Daily Expressions

Here’s some food for thought (35): you’ve probably already used a metaphor (or more) in your daily speech today without even realizing it. Metaphorical expressions pepper the English language by helping us illustrate and pinpoint exactly what we want to say. As a result, metaphors are everywhere in our common vocabulary: you may even be drowning in a sea (36) of them as we speak. But let’s cut to our list of metaphor examples before we jump the shark (37).

38. Love is a battlefield.

39. You’ve given me something to chew on.

40. He’s just blowing off steam.

41. That is music to my ears.

42. Love is a fine wine.

43. She’s a thorn in my side.

44. You are the light in my life.

45. He has the heart of a lion.

46. Am I talking to a brick wall?

47. He has ants in his pants.

48. Beauty is a fading flower.

49. She has a heart of stone.

50. Fear is a beast that feeds on attention.

51. Life is a journey.

52. He’s a late bloomer.

53. He is a lame duck now.

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Metaphors are a must-have tool in every lyricist’s toolkit. From Elvis to Beyonce, songwriters use them to instinctively connect listeners to imagery and paint a visual for them. Most of the time, they find new ways to describe people, love — and, of course, break-ups. So if you’re thinking, “This is so sad Alexa play Titanium,” right now, you’re in the right place: here’s a look at some metaphor examples in songs.

54. You ain't nothin' but a hound dog / Cryin' all the time —“Hound Dog,” Elvis Presley
55. You're a fallen star / You're the getaway car / You're the line in the sand / When I go too far / You're the swimming pool / On an August day / And you're the perfect thing to say — “Everything,” Michael Buble
56. '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-y-y — “Firework,” Katy Perry
57. I'm bulletproof nothing to lose / Fire away, fire away / Ricochet, you take your aim / Fire away, fire away / You shoot me down but I won't fall, I am titanium —“Titanium,” David Guetta
58. Life is a highway / I wanna ride it all night long / If you're going my way / I wanna drive it all night long —“Life Is A Highway,” Rascal Flatts
59. She's a Saturn with a sunroof / With her brown hair a-blowing / She's a soft place to land / And a good feeling knowing / She's a warm conversation —“She’s Everything,” Brad Paisley
60. I'm a marquise diamond / Could even make that Tiffany jealous / You say I give it to you hard / So bad, so bad / Make you never wanna leave / I won't, I won't —“Good For You,’ Selena Gomez
61. Remember those walls I built / Well, baby, they're tumbling down / And they didn't even put up a fight / They didn't even make a sound —“Halo,” Beyonce
62. Did I ever tell you you're my hero? / You're everything, everything I wish I could be / Oh, and I, I could fly higher than an eagle / For you are the wind beneath my wings / 'Cause you are the wind beneath my wings —“Wind Beneath My Wings,” Bette Midler
63. You are my fire / The one desire / Believe when I say I want it that way —“I Want It That Way,” Backstreet Boys
64. Your body is a wonderland / Your body is a wonder (I'll use my hands) / Your body is a wonderland —“Your Body Is A Wonderland,” John Mayer
65. I'm walking on sunshine (Wow!) / I'm walking on sunshine (Wow!) / I'm walking on sunshine (Wow!) / And don't it feel good —“I’m Walking On Sunshine,” Katrina and the Waves
66. If you wanna be with me / Baby there's a price to pay / I'm a genie in a bottle / You gotta rub me the right way —“Genie in a Bottle,” Christina Aguilera
67. If God is a DJ, life is a dance floor / Love is the rhythm, you are the music / If God is a DJ, life is a dance floor / You get what you're given it's all how you use it —“God Is A DJ,” P!nk
68. If this town / Is just an apple / Then let me take a bite —“Human Nature,” Michael Jackson
69. I just wanna be part of your symphony / Will you hold me tight and not let go? —“Symphony,” Clean Bandit
70. My heart's a stereo / It beats for you, so listen close / Hear my thoughts in every note —“Stereo Hearts,” Gym Class Heroes
71. I'm the sunshine in your hair / I'm the shadow on the ground / I'm the whisper in the wind / I'm your imaginary friend —“I’m Already There,” Lonestar

Films can add a different angle to the concept of a metaphor: because it’s a visual medium, certain objects on-screen will actually represent whatever the filmmaker intends it to represent. The same principle applies, of course — there’s still a direct comparison being made. It’s just that we can see the metaphor examples with our own eyes now.

Films can visually make clear comparisons between two elements on the screen:

72. “What beautiful blossoms we have this year. But look, this one’s late. I’ll bet that when it blooms it will be the most beautiful of all.” —from  Mulan
73. “Love is an open door Can I say something crazy? Will you marry me? Can I say something even crazier? Yes!” —from  Frozen

Metaphors are used in dialogue for characters to express themselves:

74. “You're television incarnate, Diana. Indifferent to suffering, insensitive to joy.” — Network
75. “Life's a climb. But the view is great.” — Hannah Montana: the Movie

Famous Quotations

Did you know that Plato was using metaphors to express his thoughts all the way back in 427 BC? Since then, some of our greatest minds have continued to turn to metaphors when illuminating ideas in front of the general public — a practice that’s become particularly prominent in political speeches and pithy witticisms. Here’s a sample of some of the ways that famous quotes have incorporated metaphor examples in the past.

76. “All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree.” —Albert Einstein
77. “A good conscience is a continual Christmas.” —Benjamin Franklin
78. “America has tossed its cap over the wall of space.” —John F. Kennedy
79. “I don't approve of political jokes; I have seen too many of them get elected.” —Jon Stewart
80. “Conscience is a man’s compass.” —Vincent Van Gogh
81. “In the depths of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” —Albert Camus
82. “Time is the moving image of eternity.” ―Plato
83. “Every human is a school subject. This is rather a metaphorical way of saying it, to put it straight, those you love are few, and the ones you detest are many.” ―Michael Bassey Johnson
84. “Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.” —Will Rogers
85. “Life is little more than a loan shark: it exacts a very high rate of interest for the few pleasures it concedes.” —Luigi Pirandello
86. “America: in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words.  With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come.” —Barack Obama
87. “Bolshevism is a ghoul descending from a pile of skulls. It is not a policy; it is a disease. It is not a creed; it is a pestilence.” —Winston Churchill
88. “Books are mirrors of the soul.” —Virginia Woolf
89. “My life has a superb cast, but I can't figure out the plot.” —Ashleigh Brilliant
90. “I feel like we’re all in a super shitty Escape Room with really obvious clues like, ‘vote’ and ‘believe women’ and ‘don’t put children in cages.’” — Natasha Rothwell
91. “I travel the world, and I'm happy to say that America is still the great melting pot — maybe a chunky stew rather than a melting pot at this point, but you know what I mean.” —Philip Glass
92. “Life is a long road on a short journey.” —James Lendall Basford
93. “What therefore is truth? A mobile army of metaphors, metonymies, anthropomorphisms: in short a sum of human relations which become poetically and rhetorically intensified, metamorphosed, adorned, and after long usage seem to a nation fixed, canonic and binding.” —Nietzsche
94. “Life is a foreign language: all men mispronounce it.” —Christopher Morley
95. “Dying is a wild night and a new road.” —Emily Dickinson
96. “And your very flesh shall be a great poem.” —Walt Whitman

And as a bonus gift, here’s one last metaphor for the road, from one of our brightest philosophers. We’ll let Calvin have the last word:

metaphor in essay examples

Did we miss any of your favorite metaphors? Have more metaphor examples for us? Leave them in the (non-metaphorical) box below and we'll add them right in.

6 responses

James Hubbs says:

21/10/2018 – 23:44

Very useful article. Thank you. However, Fahrenheit 451 was written by Ray Bradbury, not George Orwell.

↪️ Reedsy replied:

22/10/2018 – 00:42

Great spot, James! That's now been fixed. Glad that the article was useful :)

Jonboy says:

21/05/2019 – 19:11

That Sylvia Plath quote nailed me. Ouch! Haven't read it but have to now...

21/06/2019 – 17:02

Another metaphor I love is “I’m just like them— an ordinary drone dressed in secrets and lies.” It’s from Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

DAVID COWART says:

18/11/2019 – 01:59

life is a highway is Tom Cochrane, not Rascal Flats

↪️ Martin Cavannagh replied:

22/11/2019 – 12:54

Rascal Flatts did a cover of the song. We were deciding between the two and decided that "Rascal Flatts" sounded funnier :D

Comments are currently closed.

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Definition of Metaphor

A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two non-similar things. As a literary device, metaphor creates implicit comparisons without the express use of “like” or “as.” Metaphor is a means of asserting that two things are identical in comparison rather than just similar. This is useful in literature for using specific images or concepts to state abstract truths.

For example, one of the most famous metaphors in literature is featured in this line from William Shakespeare ’s  Romeo and Juliet : What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet, the sun! In this metaphor, Juliet is compared to the sun. In fact, this figure of speech claims that Juliet is the sun. Of course, the reader understands that Romeo does not believe that Juliet is literally the sun. Instead, the comparison demonstrates the idea that Romeo equates Juliet with the beauty , awe, and life-giving force of the sun. To Romeo, symbolically, Juliet and the sun are the same.

Common Examples of Metaphor

There are many common examples of metaphors in everyday conversation and writing. Here are some well-known uses of this figure of speech:

  • Laughter is the best medicine.
  • She is just a late bloomer.
  • Is there a black sheep in your family?
  • His heart of stone surprised me.
  • I smell success in this building.
  • He’s buried in a sea of paperwork.
  • There is a weight on my shoulder.
  • Time is money.
  • No man is an island.
  • That actor is a tall drink of water.
  • Age is a state of mind.
  • Last night I slept the sleep of the dead .
  • The new parents had stars in their eyes.
  • The criminal has blood on his hands.
  • There is a garden in her face.
  • Our family is a patchwork quilt.
  • She has been living in a bubble.
  • Your argument is a slippery slope.
  • We found it under a blanket of sand.
  • I’m pleased to meet your better half.

Examples of Metaphor in Movie Lines

Some of the most well-known lines in movies feature metaphors. Here are some memorable movie lines that showcase metaphor as an effective device:

  • A Dream is a wish your heart makes. (Walt Disney’s Cinderella )
  • The rain on my car is a baptism. ( Say Anything )
  • Life is pain, highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something. ( The Princess Bride )
  • Fasten your seat-belts; it’s going to be a bumpy night. ( All About Eve )
  • Life is a cabaret, old chum. ( Cabaret )
  • Say ‘hello’ to my little friend. ( Scarface )
  • It was beauty killed the beast. ( King Kong )
  • Hell is a teenage girl. ( Jennifer’s Body )
  • You sit on a throne of lies. ( Elf )
  • I drink your milkshake. ( There Will Be Blood )

Famous Examples of Metaphor

Metaphor is also found in many famous examples of poetry, prose , drama , lyrics , and even clever quotations. Here are some famous examples of metaphor:

  • Your heart is my piñata. (Chuck Palahniuk)
  • Life is a highway. (Tom Cochrane)
  • For woman is yin, the darkness within, where untempered passions lie. (Amy Tan)
  • Love is a battlefield. (Pat Benatar)
  • Each friend represents a world in us. (Anais Nin)
  • You are sunlight and I moon. ( Miss Saigon )
  • If music be the food of love, play on (William Shakespeare)
  • Adults are just obsolete children and the hell with them. (Dr. Seuss)
  • Time is a drug. Too much of it kills you. (Terry Pratchet)
  • hope is the thing with feathers   ( Emily Dickinson )

Difference Between Metaphor and Simile

It can be difficult in some instances to distinguish between metaphor and simile as literary devices . Both are figures of speech designed to create comparisons. In fact, simile is a subset of metaphor. However, they are distinguished by the presence of one of two words: “like” and “as.” Metaphors create direct comparisons without using either of these words. Similes feature either like or as in making a comparison.

A good example to distinguish between these two literary devices comes from the movie adaptation of the novel Forrest Gump by Winston Groom. One of the movie’s themes is based on a comparison between life and a box of chocolates. The main character , Forrest Gump, quotes his mother: “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.” In this case, the comparison between life and a box of chocolates is a simile due to the presence of the word like.

In a different scene, the audience hears Forrest’s mother say: “Life is a box of chocolates, Forrest. You never know what you’re going to get.” This comparison is a metaphor due to the absence of the word like (or as). Both quotes feature comparative figures of speech. However, the uses of metaphor and simile create subtle differences in the meaning of comparing life to a box of chocolates.

Additional: Difference Between Metaphor, Allegory, and Simile

As far as the difference between an allegory and metaphor is concerned, both seem to belong to the same group of figures of speech. The reason is that both mean comparison. However, an allegory presents a long or sustained comparison that may comprise a full story , having allegorical characters and situations. It could be a story within a story such as the Allegory of Cave . Conversely, a metaphor is just a word or a phrase showing an implied comparison, while a simile is almost near in meanings as it shows the same thing with the use of the word ‘like’ or ‘as.’

Writing Metaphor

Overall, as a literary device, metaphor functions as a means of creating a direct comparison between two seemingly different things. This is effective for readers in that metaphor can create an association between two dissimilar entities or ideas that, as a result of the metaphor, illuminate each other and deepen the meaning of both. Metaphor is an essential figure of speech for writers of both poetry and prose.

It’s important that writers construct proper metaphors so that the comparative meaning is not lost for the reader. In fact, metaphors are dependent on the understandable combination of a principal term and a secondary term. The principal term conveys the concrete or literal entity, and the secondary term is used figuratively to add meaning. For example, in the metaphor “the car was a lemon,” the principal term is “car” and the secondary term is “lemon.” The use of lemon adds figurative meaning for the car.

Here are some ways that writers benefit from incorporating metaphor into their work:

Create Imagery

Metaphors allow writers to create imagery for readers that is limited by description alone . In other words, an effective metaphor eliminates the need for excessive explanation or description on the part of the writer. Instead, by implicitly comparing two different things, an image is created for the reader to allow for greater meaning and understanding. This imagery is a powerful result of using metaphor as a literary device.

Evoke Thought and Emotion

When writers utilize metaphor as a literary device, it often causes the reader to think about the “logic” or truth in such a comparison. These thoughts, in turn, may evoke emotion in the reader with a successful metaphor through the realization that the comparison is valid. This is especially effective in poetry as a means of portraying truths in a lyrical yet concise manner.

Using Metaphor in a Sentence

  • The wolf’s eyes were onyx in the dark.
  • Is it your room? Serious it’s a hot furnace!
  • Zain is a chicken, scared all the time.
  • I hate it here. This place is a zoo.
  • Sofi’s bed was a marshmallow. So soft!

Examples of Metaphor in Literature

Metaphor is a very effective literary device. Here are some examples of metaphor and how it adds to the significance of well-known literary works:

Example 1: Fire and Ice by Robert Frost

Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice.

In this poem , Frost compares end-of-world destructive forces to both fire and ice . These are metaphors that serve as figures of speech in the sense that the poet does not literally mean that the world will end because of fire and ice. Instead, fire represents destructive forces associated with desire, such as power , jealousy, and anger. Similarly, ice represents destructive forces associated with hate, such as prejudice, hostility, and isolation. These metaphors are an effective literary device in that it causes the reader to consider that desire and hatred are as destructive as fire and ice.

Example 2: Dreams by Langston Hughes

Hold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow .

In this poem, Hughes utilizes metaphor to compare life to a broken-winged bird and a barren field as consequences to the loss of dreams. In the first stanza , Hughes claims that if dreams die then life is a “broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” This is significant use of metaphor in that it characterizes life without dreams as something fragile that has been irreparably harmed. The metaphor creates an image for the reader of a bird that is wounded, grounded, and unable to reach its purpose or potential. If life is this bird, then, without dreams, it is also wounded, grounded, and thwarted in purpose.

Hughes utilizes the second metaphor in the second stanza for life without dreams. In this case, when dreams go, life is a “barren field frozen with snow.” This metaphor creates a comparison between life and an empty, frozen wasteland. Therefore, due to Hughes’s use of metaphor as a literary device in this poem, life becomes death and a burial ground without dreams.

Example 3: since feeling is first by E.E. Cummings

we are for eachother: then laugh, leaning back in my arms for life’s not a paragraph And death i think is no parenthesis

In this poem, Cummings uses metaphor in a clever way to compare life and death to the constraints of a writing formality and punctuation . In fact, it is a negative comparison in the sense that the poet states life is “not” a paragraph and death is “no” parenthesis. The use of metaphor as a literary device in this work is both poetic and self-reflexive with significance. The metaphors for life and death are poetic because the poet is showcasing that life and death are concepts too monumental to be “contained” in writing or “enclosed” by punctuation (paragraph and parenthesis). Yet, the metaphors are also self-reflexive in that the comparisons of life and death are simultaneously “contained” in and “enclosed” by the poem itself.

Synonyms of Metaphor

Although no words could be used interchangeably for a metaphor, some could be near in meanings such as trope , image, allegory, parable , symbol , simile, and emblem. There are various other tropes, too, but almost every other trope has its own definition, meaning, and examples. Therefore, they could not be used interchangeably when there is a question of distinct clarification of meanings.

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Examples of Metaphors in Literature

Allison Bressmer

Allison Bressmer

Cover image for article

Though you may not have noticed, you have likely heard or used quite a few metaphors today. Perhaps you’ve said someone has a “heart of gold” or conversely, a “heart of stone” or called a lively child “a real firecracker!”

A metaphor makes a direct comparison between two things that are generally not related or similar, but share a specific quality or characteristic that is emphasized through the comparison.

While we may learn about metaphor most directly through poetry and literature, metaphors aren’t just for artists. They add color and carry meaning even in our everyday language.

What Is a Metaphor?

How is a metaphor different from a simile, why use metaphors, examples of types of metaphors, what is a mixed metaphor, how to use metaphors in your writing, examples of metaphors, why metaphors are powerful.

A metaphor is a type of figurative language . It is a figure of speech used to convey a message that goes beyond the literal meaning of their words.

Figures of speech are not intended to be taken literally.

A person can’t have a heart of gold or stone, and a child is a human, not an explosive!

Image showing what is a metaphor

So what’s the point of the comparison then? The point is to go beyond literal meanings.

Gold is precious; it’s pure and valuable. A person with a heart of gold is sincere and kind—a purely good person who adds value to others’ experiences.

Stone is cold and hard. A person with a heart of stone shows no emotional tenderness or empathy—no softness or warmth in their personalities.

A firecracker is full of energy and vibrancy. That firecracker child is probably running around the house and full of sass!

A metaphor makes a direct comparison between two unlike things in order to highlight the one (or so) shared quality between those two things. A metaphor outright “calls” or “labels” that one thing as another thing: the heart is gold or stone; the child is a firecracker.

While a metaphor makes a direct comparison—it states that one thing is another thing—a simile makes its comparisons a little less directly by including the words like or as .

  • Simile: She’s as fast as a cheetah!
  • Metaphor: She’s a cheetah!

Image showing metaphor vs similes

  • Simile: Their relationship was like a tornado.
  • Metaphor: Their relationship was a tornado.

Sometimes you might prefer the directness of a metaphor; other times a simile will carry your meaning more effectively. Some comparisons just work better as similes than metaphors and vice versa. Whatever works for your specific situation, metaphors and similes can bring creativity and intensity to your words and writing style.

There are plenty of reasons to use metaphors in your work!

1. To Add Creativity

Writers want to express ideas creatively. They want to draw readers into experiences or emotions. They want to describe characters or scenes or events with originality to keep their readers engaged.

Image showing reasons to use metaphors

Sometimes, literal language just isn’t enough to get those jobs done. Or, maybe it can, but metaphor can do it better, with more intensity and vibrancy.

In Lucille Clifton’s poem “Miss Rosie,” the speaker, frustrated and angry by what Miss Rosie has become, calls her “you wet-brown bag of a woman.” I suppose the speaker could have said “Miss Rosie—you are useless” and still conveyed anger, but I doubt I would remember it. It’s kind of hard to forget that creative “wet-brown-bag” comparison.

2. To Bring Emotional Intensity

What statement conveys more feeling?

  • I love you very much.
  • My love for you is a raging fire.

Okay, perhaps my metaphor example is corny. But it is also more intense. Raging fire emphasizes the passion and heat and “out-of-controlness” that comes with being in love. It easily out-intensifies very much.

3. To Use the Power of Imagery

Each of the examples of metaphor used so far in this post have probably activated your senses. You can picture and perhaps even feel that cold heart of stone, or the pure, shining beauty of the heart of gold . You might have felt the heat of the fire and pictured its wild, red-hot flames.

4. To Provoke Thought

The meaning of a metaphor isn’t always glaringly obvious. You might have had to stop and think about the characteristics of a wet, brown bag before you could understand the speaker’s accusation in “Miss Rosie.” Once you stop and think, though, you can see the layers of meaning. A wet brown bag was once useful, but is now mushy, musty waste that’s good for nothing.

5. To Create Atmosphere

Image showing metaphors create atmosphere

Sometimes, the sensory images or emotions evoked through metaphor can help set an atmosphere or mood for a scene or event, drawing audiences more deeply into the experience.

  • The wedding was a fairytale.

The metaphor makes it easy to image a picture-perfect, enchanting celebration, full of happily-ever-after vibes.

  • I finally found escape in the abandoned barn. The torrential rain was rapid machine-gun fire echoing threats of my destruction.

The metaphor adds to the danger of this moment. Not only has the person had to escape, but even the sound of the rain itself perpetuates the feeling that the character is under attack.

Image showing the five types of metaphors

So far, the metaphors you’ve seen in this post have been standard metaphors . Standard metaphors simply make that direct comparison between two unlike things:

  • Traffic was a beast today.
  • That baby is a treasure!

However, standard is not the only type of metaphor. Here are some others:

Implied Metaphor

She hissed her warning— “Keep your mouth shut or I’ll shut it for you.”

In this case, no snake is mentioned, but the “hiss” implies the comparison of “she” to that dangerous, threatening creature.

Visual Metaphor

Visual metaphors show, rather than directly state, the comparison.

Does anyone remember the once-popular ad campaign that showed someone in a kitchen holding an egg and saying “this is your brain.” Then, the person cracked the egg into a hot pan, and as we watched that egg sizzle, said “This is your brain on drugs.”

Instead of directly saying, “drug use makes your brain a fried egg,” the campaign made a visual comparison.

Extended Metaphor

This term really defines itself! An extended metaphor is one that continues over multiple lines or stanzas of poetry, or sentences or paragraphs or segments of prose. Emily Dickinson’s poem “Hope is the Thing with Feathers'' is an example.

Dead Metaphor

A dead metaphor is one whose meaning, due to frequent use and/or the passage of time, has shifted or just lost its metaphorical power and become rather boring or cliche.

For example, some metaphors I’ve used in this post could be considered dead.

Heart of gold and heart of stone ; love is a raging fire— these are metaphors that have lost some of their luster, maybe even prompt an eye roll, though we still understand their meanings.

If we call someone a laughing-stock, we mean the person is a fool, a joke, an embarrassment. But many who use the metaphor probably don’t know its likely origin, going back to the 1500s, when people were publicly punished and ridiculed by having their ankles and wrists locked into holes between two sliding boards—a contraption called “stocks.”

Thankfully, we don’t use that form of punishment anymore, but we have kept the metaphor.

A mixed metaphor is a mistake. It occurs when a person combines elements of two unrelated metaphors to confusing, and often humorous, effect.

For example, we might call a person who is emotionally strong a tough cookie, which is itself an interesting (possibly dead) metaphor. What qualities does a cookie share with a strong person? I can’t find an origin story, but I’ll assume that it refers to a cookie that perhaps required a bit of effort to bite into.

If you say someone is not the sharpest knife in the drawer, you’re saying that they aren’t too smart. This metaphor’s meaning is easier to discern as “sharp” or “keen” are synonyms for “smart.”

Image showing what is a mixed metaphor

But if you say a person is “not the toughest cookie in the drawer” you’ve just mixed your metaphors, and haven't really said much of anything—other than perhaps you need to “sharpen” yourself!

Image showing how to use metaphors

Don’t force metaphors or try too hard to sound “poetic.” Sometimes, the desire to be creative can lead you to produce overdone, overwrought, or overly complex metaphors. Remember, you want the metaphor to enhance the readers’ experience, not leave them frustrated and confused.

Think with your senses. Metaphors can create or deepen your work’s sensory effect. What metaphors can you use to intensify the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, or touch of your work?

Don’t overwhelm your work— especially prose—with metaphors. Metaphors are powerful figures of speech, but that doesn’t mean they should fill every line of your speech or text. Use metaphors thoughtfully and strategically in order to maintain their power and effect.

Be original. Avoid the cliches and stay away from often used images. For example, there are already plenty of love-compared-to-roses and snow-compared-to-blankets metaphors.

You might have to do some brainstorming. The first ideas that come to mind might be obvious because they’re common. Keep thinking. Check out ProWritingAid’s Clichés Report to look for these exhausted figures of speech. Then you can try to freshen them up with a new, creative metaphor!

Screenshot of ProWritingAid's cliche report

Sign up for a free account and try it for yourself.

Now that we know what a metaphor is, let’s take a closer look at some examples of metaphors at work in the real world.

Metaphor Examples from Literature

“The sun was a toddler insistently refusing to go to bed: It was past eight thirty and still light.”— Fault in Our Stars , John Green

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”— As You Like It , William Shakespeare

“Her mouth was a fountain of delight.”— The Storm , Kate Chopin

“Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.”— Mother to Son , Langston Hughes (the entire poem is an example of an extended metaphor)

“I’m a riddle in nine syllables”— Metaphors , Sylvia Plath (each line of the poem is a different metaphor, but the metaphors are all describing one thing.

“But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? / It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.”— Romeo and Juliet , William Shakespeare

“The frosted wedding cake of the ceiling”— The Great Gatsby , F. Scott Fitzgerald

“Behind him, sitting on piles of scrap and rubble, was the blue kite. My key to Baba’s heart.”— The Kite Runner , Khaled Hosseini

Image showing example of metaphors

“This blood is a map of the road between us.”— Tear , Linda Hogan

“In her hands, I always became the pawn. I could only run away. And she was the queen, able to move in all directions, relentless in her pursuit, always able to find my weakest spots.”— The Joy Luck Club , Amy Tan

Metaphor Examples from Music

“Life is a highway / I wanna ride it all night long”—Tom Cochrane

“Baby you’re a firework!”—Katy Perry, Ester Dean, Stargate, Sandy Vee

“You are the thunder and I am the lightning”—Selena Gomez, Antonina Armato, Tim James, Devrim Karaoglu

“Love is a temple, Love a higher law”—U2

“You are the sunshine of my life”—Stevie Wonder

Metaphor Examples from Speeches or Famous Quotes

“I assume unhesitatingly the leadership of this great army of our people dedicated to a disciplined attack upon our common problems.”—Franklin D. Roosevelt, First Inaugural Address

"All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree.”—Albert Einstein

“If this virus were a physical assailant, an unexpected and invisible mugger, which I can tell you from personal experience it is, then this is the moment we have begun together to wrestle it to the floor.”— Boris Johson qtd. in the Guardian

“But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.”— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. , “I Have A Dream”

“What’s that got to do with women’s rights or negroes’ rights? If my cup won’t hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn’t you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full?”— Sojourner Truth , “Ain’t I a Woman?”

Metaphor Examples from Advertising

  • Budweiser is the “king” of beers
  • Chevrolet is the “heartbeat” of America
  • Exxon Oil used to tell drivers: “put a tiger in your tank!”

Image showing metaphors used in advertising

In her article “ The Words that Help Us Understand the World, ” Helene Schumacher says that metaphors “can explain complex concepts we may not be familiar with, help us to connect with each other, and can even shape our thought processes. They help us better understand our world.”

Author James Geary, quoted in the article, says “The only way we have of learning something new is by comparing it to something we already know.”

Metaphors bring to light something we had not perhaps considered or recognized. That something may be a depth of emotion, an insight. Whatever that “something” is, the metaphor delivers it in a unique, stirring way not matched by literal words alone.

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Allison Bressmer is a professor of freshman composition and critical reading at a community college and a freelance writer. If she isn’t writing or teaching, you’ll likely find her reading a book or listening to a podcast while happily sipping a semi-sweet iced tea or happy-houring with friends. She lives in New York with her family. Connect at linkedin.com/in/allisonbressmer.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 53 metaphor examples in literature, music, and everyday life.

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If you’re a writer or poet, you’ve likely heard of metaphors — and might even be a fan of using them in your own writing. Metaphors bring power, persuasiveness, and beauty to the written word.

Here, we explain what a metaphor is and list 50+ metaphor examples in literature, popular songs, famous quotations, and more. We also provide you with some tips on how to come up with unique metaphors of your own.

What Is a Metaphor?

A metaphor is a literary device and figure of speech that compares two unalike things in a non-literal manner . Usually, the two ideas being compared will have one trait in common but differ in all other respects.

Metaphors are used by writers for clarity, rhetorical effect, and emphasis; they're also used to add color to descriptions. You’ll see metaphors most often in poetry, fiction/prose, and song lyrics.

Now, how does a metaphor differ from a simile ? A simile is a type of metaphor that specifically uses the words "as" or "like" to make a comparison between two unalike things.

By contrast, metaphors do not use either of these words; rather, they will say that "A is B" to make the comparison (even though we know A is not literally the same as B).

Basically, all similes are metaphors — but not all metaphors are similes .

A Comprehensive List of 53 Metaphor Examples

For this list, we include a wide array of metaphor examples, which are divided into the following categories:

  • Metaphor Examples in Literature (including an extended metaphor example )

Metaphor Examples in Famous Quotations

Metaphor examples in music, everyday metaphor examples for kids and adults, original metaphor examples.

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Metaphor Examples in Literature

These metaphor examples come from famous works of fiction and poetry. We’ve also included an extended metaphor example , which is a long metaphor sustained for an entire paragraph, story, or poem (noted below).

"But thy eternal summer shall not fade" — William Shakespeare, Sonnet 18

But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

If you can look into the seeds of time, And say which grain will grow and which will not, Speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear Your favours nor your hate. — William Shakespeare, Macbeth

All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players. — William Shakespeare, As You Like It

"Her mouth was a fountain of delight." — Kate Chopin, "The Storm"

"The sun was a toddler insistently refusing to go to bed: It was past eight thirty and still light." — John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

"She’s all states, and all princes, I" — John Donne, "The Sun Rising"

"Hope" is the thing with feathers— That perches in the soul— And sings the tune without the words— And never stops—at all — Emily Dickinson, "'Hope' Is the Thing With Feathers"

"The sun in the west was a drop of burning gold that slid nearer and nearer the sill of the world." — William Golding, Lord of the Flies

I’m a riddle in nine syllables, An elephant, a ponderous house, A melon strolling on two tendrils. — Sylvia Plath, "Metaphors"

Marriage is not a house or even a tent — Margaret Atwood, "Habitation"

"She was a mind floating in an ocean of confusion." — Caroline B. Cooney, The Face on the Milk Carton

Extended Metaphor Example:

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.

— Maya Angelou, "Caged Bird"

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These next metaphor examples all come from quotations said or written by well-known writers, politicians, scientists, artists, and so on.

"Dying is a wild Night and a new Road." — Emily Dickinson

"Time is the moving image of eternity." ― Plato

"Books are the mirrors of the soul." — Virginia Woolf

"All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree." — Albert Einstein

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." — Pablo Picasso

"Your very flesh shall be a great poem." — Walt Whitman

"Conscience is a man’s compass." — Vincent van Gogh

"Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swill bucket." — George Orwell

"But there are many mountains yet to climb. We will not rest until every American enjoys the fullness of freedom, dignity, and opportunity as our birthright." — Ronald Reagan, Second Inaugural Address

"Trees are poems the earth writes upon the sky." — Kahlil Gibran

These metaphor examples were taken from popular song lyrics.

'Cause, baby, you're a firework Come on, show 'em what you’re worth — Katy Perry, "Firework"

Fire away, fire away You shoot me down but I won't fall I am titanium — David Guetta ft. Sia, "Titanium"

You are my fire The one desire Believe when I say I want it that way — Backstreet Boys, "I Want It That Way"

I'm a genie in a bottle You gotta rub me the right way — Christina Aguilera, "Genie in a Bottle"

Life is a highway I want to ride it all night long — Tom Cochrane, "Life Is a Highway"

body_idiom_raining_cats_dogs

This section provides everyday metaphor examples for kids and adults. You’ll often hear them in day-to-day life. These metaphors are most often referred to as idioms , which are established sayings whose meanings are not deducible from the individual words within them.

While it’s fine (and perfectly normal!) to use idioms in everyday speech, they can sound clichéd in writing and should therefore be avoided.

All metaphors have been bolded (except when the entire sentence is the metaphor).

Eyes are the windows to the soul.

It’s raining cats and dogs out here!

The sound of the pouring rain was music to my ears .

Love is a battlefield.

Time is money.

He has a heart of stone .

She has the strength of an ox .

My best friend stabbed me in the back .

It’s time to face the music .

That name doesn’t ring a bell .

Our vacation plans are still up in the air .

I had to break the bank to be able to afford this car.

That exam was a piece of cake .

I like reading novels, but poetry isn’t really my cup of tea .

That toddler is one smart cookie .

Telling jokes is a good way to break the ice .

My cousin is kind of the black sheep of the family.

Finally, here’s a short list of original metaphor examples to give you an idea as to how you could come up with your own metaphors.

She was sobbing so hard that her tears soon evolved into a fountain.

The forest was a lush, emerald ocean waiting to be explored.

His eyes were bright diamonds, leading me out of the darkness.

The job interview was the final battle, and she was ready to win.

He couldn’t imagine a world without her: she was his passion, his hope.

I began to drown in a sea of memories.

Hope is the last lingering flicker of a candle.

Whenever she goes running, she becomes a cheetah chasing its prey.

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How to Use Metaphors in Writing: 3 Essential Tips

Whether you’re writing a poem, a short story, or something else entirely, knowing how and when to use metaphors can help your writing stand out in a more impactful way. Here are three tips to help you use metaphors more effectively.

#1: Avoid C lichés and Common Idioms

Although we gave you tons of metaphorical idioms above, in writing you will actually want to avoid using these, as they can make your writing sound unoriginal and boring .

Using clichés in anything you write will generally signal to the reader that you’re a lazy, uninspired writer who doesn’t think that it’s worth taking the time to come up with your own unique, creative metaphors.

Your Dictionary has a long list of clichés you’ll want to avoid when you write.

The only time you might want to use a clichéd metaphor or idiom is when you’re writing dialogue for a character and want to make their speech sound more realistic . Other than this, though, definitely avoid them!

#2: Use Logical Comparisons

A metaphor compares two unalike things, and while these things should certainly be very different from each other, they still must share some clearly detectable commonality . What this means is that you can’t compare two things that are so different that the metaphor won't make any sense to the reader.

For example, if you wanted to use a metaphor to describe the rhythmic, pleasant, delicate melody of a flute, it wouldn't be logical to compare it to something harsh, uncomfortable, or irregular.

Ultimately, your metaphors should be easily understood by the reader. If you’re not sure whether the meaning of your metaphor is clear or relevant, ask a friend or family member to read it (in context) and tell you whether they were able to interpret it easily.

#3: Don’t Clutter Your Writing With Too Many Metaphors

Finally, be sure to avoid clogging up your writing with too many metaphors.

Although metaphors are great devices for emphasis and poetic effect, they can also clutter your writing with way too many comparisons and make what you’re trying to say unclear and vague.

You risk not only alienating the reader when you have so many metaphors, but also lessening the impact of each metaphor , since they’ll all start to blend together and become less memorable.

If you’re ever in doubt, consider whether it might be best to avoid placing a metaphor in a certain spot and instead see how the text reads without it. Remember as well that you only want to use your strongest metaphors !

What’s Next?

Exactly how do similes differ from metaphors ? Our in-depth guide provides a clear explanation and gives you some helpful examples of both figures of speech.

Working on a piece of fiction or trying to analyze a work for English class? Then you'll want to read up on what the most important literary devices and poetic devices are and how they work.

What is the purpose of an epilogue? Learn how epilogues work in novels and get some tips on how to write your own .

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Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Japan via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel.

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Metaphor examples for intermediate readers.

  • The detective listened to her tales with a wooden face.
  • She was fairly certain that life was a fashion show.
  • The typical teenage boy’s room is a disaster area.
  • What storms then shook the ocean of my sleep.
  • The children were roses grown in concrete gardens, beautiful and forlorn.
  • Kisses are the flowers of love in bloom.
  • His cotton candy words did not appeal to her taste.
  • Kathy arrived at the grocery store with an army of children.
  • Her eyes were fireflies.
  • He wanted to set sail on the ocean of love but he just wasted away in the desert.

I was lost in a sea of nameless faces.

  • John’s answer to the problem was just a Band-Aid, not a solution.
  • The cast on Michael’s broken leg was a plaster shackle.
  • Cameron always had a taste for the fruit of knowledge.
  • The promise between us was a delicate flower.
  • He’s a rolling stone, and it’s bred in the bone.
  • He pleaded for her forgiveness but Janet’s heart was cold iron.
  • She was just a trophy to Ricardo, another object to possess.
  • The path of resentment is easier to travel than the road to forgiveness.
  • Katie’s plan to get into college was a house of cards on a crooked table.
  • The wheels of justice turn slowly.
  • Hope shines–a pebble in the gloom.
  • She cut him down with her words.
  • The job interview was a rope ladder dropped from heaven.
  • Her hair was a flowing golden river streaming down her shoulders.
  • The computer in the classroom was an old dinosaur.
  • Laughter is the music of the soul.
  • David is a worm for what he did to Shelia.
  • The teacher planted the seeds of wisdom.
  • Phyllis, ah, Phyllis, my life is a gray day
  • Each blade of grass was a tiny bayonet pointed firmly at our bare feet.
  • The daggers of heat pierced through his black t-shirt.
  • Let your eyes drink up that milkshake sky.
  • The drums of time have rolled and ceased.
  • Her hope was a fragile seed.
  • When Ninja Robot Squad came on TV, the boys were glued in their seats.
  • Words are the weapons with which we wound.
  • She let such beautiful pearls of wisdom slip from her mouth without even knowing.
  • Scars are the roadmap to the soul.
  • The quarterback was throwing nothing but rockets and bombs in the field.
  • We are all shadows on the wall of time.
  • My heart swelled with a sea of tears.
  • When the teacher leaves her little realm, she breaks her wand of power apart.
  • The Moo Cow’s tail is a piece of rope all raveled out where it grows.
  • My dreams are flowers to which you are a bee.
  • The clouds sailed across the sky.
  • Each flame of the fire is a precious stone belonging to all who gaze upon it.
  • And therefore I went forth with hope and fear into the wintry forest of our life.
  • My words are chains of lead.
  • But into her face there came a flame; / I wonder could she have been thinking the same?

This is an illustration of a man standing next to a door. The door is wrapped in chains and has a lock on it. The man is opening a book and a key is flying from the book. It is a visual metaphor.

Metaphor Examples for Advanced Readers

  • The light flows into the bowl of the midnight sky, violet, amber and rose.
  • Men court not death when there are sweets still left in life to taste.
  • In capitalism, money is the life blood of society but charity is the soul.
  • Whose world is but the trembling of a flare, / And heaven but as the highway for a shell,
  • Fame is the fragrance of heroic deeds, / Of flowers of chivalry and not of weeds!
  • So I sit spinning still, round this decaying form, the fine threads of rare and subtle thought.
  • And swish of rope and ring of chain / Are music to men who sail the main.
  • Still sits the school-house by the road, a ragged beggar sunning.
  • The child was our lone prayer to an empty sky.
  • Blind fools of fate and slaves of circumstance, / Life is a fiddler, and we all must dance.
  • Grind the gentle spirit of our meek reviews into a powdery foam of salt abuse.
  • Laugh a drink from the deep blue cup of sky.
  • Think now: history has many cunning passages and contrived corridors.
  • You are now in London, that great sea whose ebb and flow at once is deaf and loud,
  • His fine wit makes such a wound that the knife is lost in it.
  • Waves of spam emails inundated his inbox.
  • In my heart’s temple I suspend to thee these votive wreaths of withered memory.
  • He cast a net of words in garish colours wrought to catch the idle buzzers of the day.
  • This job is the cancer of my dreams and aspirations.
  • This song shall be thy rose, soft, fragrant, and with no thorn left to wound thy bosom.
  • There, one whose voice was venomed melody.
  • A sweetness seems to last amid the dregs of past sorrows.
  • So in this dimmer room which we call life,
  • Life is the night with its dream-visions teeming, / Death is the waking at day.
  • Then the lips relax their tension and the pipe begins to slide, / Till in little clouds of ashes, it falls softly at his side.
  • The olden days: when thy smile to me was wine, golden wine thy word of praise.
  • Thy tones are silver melted into sound.
  • Under us the brown earth / Ancient and strong, / The best bed for wanderers;
  • Love is a guest that comes, unbidden, / But, having come, asserts his right;
  • My House of Life is weather-stained with years.
  • See the sun, far off, a shriveled orange in a sky gone black;
  • Three pines strained darkly, runners in a race unseen by any.
  • But the rare herb, Forgetfulness, it hides away from me.
  • The field of cornflower yellow is a scarf at the neck of the copper sunburned woman
  • Life: a lighted window and a closed door.
  • Some days my thoughts are just cocoons hanging from dripping branches in the grey woods of my mind.
  • Men and women pass in the street glad of the shining sapphire weather.
  • The swan existing is a song with an accompaniment.
  • At night the lake is a wide silence, without imagination.
  • The cherry-trees are seas of bloom and soft perfume and sweet perfume.
  • The great gold apples of light hang from the street’s long bough, dripping their light on the faces that drift below, on the faces that drift and blow.
  • From its blue vase the rose of evening drops.
  • When in the mines of dark and silent thought / Sometimes I delve and find strange fancies there,
  • The twigs were set beneath a veil of willows.
  • He clutched and hacked at ropes, at rags of sail, / Thinking that comfort was a fairy tale,
  • O Moon, your light is failing and you are nothing now but a bow.
  • Life is a dream in the night, a fear among fears, / A naked runner lost in a storm of spears.
  • This world of life is a garden ravaged.
  • And therefore I went forth, with hope and fear / Into the wintry forest of our life;
  • My soul was a lampless sea and she was the tempest.

Common Core State Standards Related to Metaphor

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.4 – Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.5 – Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

ELA Standards: Literature

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.4 – Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.4 – Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean). CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.4 – Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.4 – Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.4 – Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.4 – Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.4 – Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone). CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.4 – Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)

ELA Standards: Language

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.5 – Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.5a – Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.5b – Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.5a – Interpret figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in context. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.5b – Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.5a – Interpret figures of speech (e.g., personification) in context. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.5a – Interpret figures of speech (e.g., literary, biblical, and mythological allusions) in context. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.5a – Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in context. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.5a – Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.5a – Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their role in the text.

506 Comments

Onlinestudyingservices.

This is what I was looking for thanks

Thank you for providing me with this resource!

Can you please help me, how can I add methamorphic words in my essay about my dreams?

What do these metaphors mean? 1. a friendly classroom 2. a clear road ahead

Can you give me a metaphor about being stripped form your religious beliefs, forcing to follow laws and beliefs that are seen as sinful

this things rock

Is raining cats and dogs an idiom or a metaphor?

One interesting thing about idioms is that they are generally instances of figurative language that have been used so many times that they become a part of the language, understood by native speakers without having to decode it.

Raining cats and dogs is definitely an idiom. The specific instance of figurative language is less clear.

Some say the expression came from when cats and dogs climbed to the rafters of old, straw roofed buildings to take shelter from the weather. The rain came in and the animals slipped, occasionally falling.

In this sense, the expression could be interpreted as hyperbole. It could also be interpreted as a metaphor. Quite frequently, the two overlap. When I am designing questions, I usually limit the answers to one or the other to guide interpretation.

Best wishes!

I need to know if “Its Antarctica here “ is a metaphor

Boi don’t ask for names

Hi, I need 4 metaphors that are funny. Mostly about animals if that’s ok.

Why do you need to know my name.

I’m using this for my home work and it’s really helped me. Although I didn’t understand some of them I got my work done.

What does this means? “I am thankful for the way you slip metaphors like medicine on days when I forget to see the sky”? Thanky

I`ve got a good one:

The moon was a white balloon.

thank you i love your example.

I need a metaphor that involves a motorcycle.

this one was kinda easy but we are reading this bcoz we’re using it as a kahoot lol fhanks

I have to use figurative language for my assessment and I can’t think of any to describe jk Rowling :((

is there an answer sheet to this.?

Answers? These aren’t questions. They are metaphors.

what is meaning of The child was our lone prayer to an empty Sky

I believe the beloved child answered their prayers in a world that seemed empty.

will henderson

what does this metaphor mean : Words are the weapons with which we wound.

It means that words used in the context of an argument can be harmful like weapons used in battle.

Thanks For making this because I didi it with my school

kentcen miller

how do you know when your dealing with a metaphor ???

I love metaphors.

Can you give me a example of a metaphor describing distraction? Your help is greatly appreciated.

Trouble was a flashing red beacon to the student with free time.

Do you have any metaphors about something crazy that didn’t need to happen?

Can you please give examples for grade 3

You’re welcome. Thanks for visiting!

yeshaescala

thanks for your helpings <3

Fretchie Santos

I find this metaphors not amazing…

clarklouisemaile

wow thanks for the metaphors beacuse i think i will get 100 score

can you give easy examples

can you please explain to me what is the meaning of this methapors sample?

The speaker says that he or she is “lost in a sea of […] faces.” In this example, the faces are being compared to a sea without using the word like or as . This makes it a metaphor.

Literally, the speaker is saying that he or she is surrounded by people who he or she doesn’t know and that he or she feels alienated.

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metaphor in essay examples

Figurative Language

metaphor in essay examples

Figurative Language Definition

What is figurative language? Here’s a quick and simple definition:

Figurative language is language that contains or uses figures of speech . When people use the term "figurative language," however, they often do so in a slightly narrower way. In this narrower definition, figurative language refers to language that uses words in ways that deviate from their literal interpretation to achieve a more complex or powerful effect. This view of figurative language focuses on the use of figures of speech that play with the meaning of words, such as metaphor , simile , personification , and hyperbole .

Some additional key details about figurative language:

  • Figurative language is common in all sorts of writing, as well as in spoken language.
  • Figurative language refers to language that contains figures of speech, while figures of speech are the particular techniques. If figurative speech is like a dance routine, figures of speech are like the various moves that make up the routine.
  • It's a common misconception that imagery, or vivid descriptive language, is a kind of figurative language. In fact, writers can use figurative language as one tool to help create imagery, but imagery does not have to use figurative language.

Figurative Language Pronunciation

Here's how to pronounce figurative language: fig -yer-uh-tiv lang -gwij

Figures of Speech and Figurative Language

To fully understand figurative language, it's helpful to have a basic understanding of figures of speech. More specifically, it's helpful to understand the two main types of figures of speech: tropes and schemes .

  • Tropes are figures of speech that play with and shift the expected and literal meaning of words.
  • Schemes are figures of speech that involve a change from the typical mechanics of a sentence, such as the order, pattern, or arrangement of words.

Put even more simply: tropes play with the meaning of words, while schemes play with the structure of words, phrases, and sentences.

The Different Things People Mean When They Say Figurative Language

When people say figurative language, they don't always mean the precise same thing. Here are the three different ways people usually talk about figurative language:

  • Dictionary definition of figurative language: According to the dictionary, figurative language is simply any language that contains or uses figures of speech. This definition would mean that figurative language includes the use of both tropes and schemes.
  • Much more common real world use of figurative language: However, when people (including teachers) refer to figurative language, they usually mean language that plays with the literal meaning of words. This definition sees figurative language as language that primarily involves the use of tropes.
  • Another common real world use of figurative language: Some people define figurative language as including figures of speech that play with meaning as well as a few other common schemes that affect the rhythm and sound of text, such as alliteration and assonance .

What does all that boil down to for you? If you hear someone talking about figurative language, you can usually safely assume they are referring to language that uses figures of speech to play with the meaning of words and, perhaps, with the way that language sounds or feels.

Common Types of Figurative Language

There are many, many types of figures of speech that can be involved in figurative language. Some of the most common are:

  • Metaphor : A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unrelated things by stating that one thing is another thing, even though this isn't literally true. For example, the phrase "her lips are a blooming rose" obviously doesn't literally mean what it says—it's a metaphor that makes a comparison between the red beauty and promise of a blooming rose with that of the lips of the woman being described.
  • Simile : A simile, like a metaphor, makes a comparison between two unrelated things. However, instead of stating that one thing is another thing (as in metaphor), a simile states that one thing is like another thing. An example of a simile would be to say "they fought like cats and dogs."
  • Oxymoron : An oxymoron pairs contradictory words in order to express new or complex meanings. In the phrase "parting is such sweet sorrow" from Romeo and Juliet , "sweet sorrow" is an oxymoron that captures the complex and simultaneous feelings of pain and pleasure associated with passionate love.
  • Hyperbole : Hyperbole is an intentional exaggeration of the truth, used to emphasize the importance of something or to create a comic effect. An example of a hyperbole is to say that a backpack "weighs a ton." No backpack literally weighs a ton, but to say "my backpack weighs ten pounds" doesn't effectively communicate how burdensome a heavy backpack feels.
  • Personification : In personification, non-human things are described as having human attributes, as in the sentence, "The rain poured down on the wedding guests, indifferent to their plans." Describing the rain as "indifferent" is an example of personification, because rain can't be "indifferent," nor can it feel any other human emotion.
  • Idiom : An idiom is a phrase that, through general usage within a particular group or society, has gained a meaning that is different from the literal meaning of the words. The phrase "it's raining cats and dogs" is known to most Americans to mean that it's raining hard, but an English-speaking foreigner in the United States might find the phrase totally confusing.
  • Onomatopoeia : Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech in which words evoke the actual sound of the thing they refer to or describe. The “boom” of a firework exploding, the “tick tock” of a clock, and the “ding dong” of a doorbell are all examples of onomatopoeia.
  • Synecdoche : In synecdoche, a part of something is used to refer to its whole . For example, "The captain commands one hundred sails" is a synecdoche that uses "sails" to refer to ships—ships being the thing of which a sail is a part.
  • Metonymy : Metonymy is a figure of speech in which an object or concept is referred to not by its own name, but instead by the name of something closely associated with it. For example, in "Wall Street prefers lower taxes," the New York City street that was the original home of the New York Stock Exchange stands in for (or is a "metonym" for) the entire American financial industry.
  • Alliteration : In alliteration, the same sound repeats in a group of words, such as the “ b ” sound in: “ B ob b rought the b ox of b ricks to the b asement.” Alliteration uses repetition to create a musical effect that helps phrases to stand out from the language around them.
  • Assonance : The repetition of vowel sounds repeat in nearby words, such as the " ee " sound: "the squ ea ky wh ee l gets the gr ea se." Like alliteration, assonance uses repeated sounds to create a musical effect in which words echo one another.

Figurative Language vs. Imagery

Many people (and websites) argue that imagery is a type of figurative language. That is actually incorrect. Imagery refers to a writers use of vivid and descriptive language to appeal to the reader's senses and more deeply evoke places, things, emotions, and more. The following sentence uses imagery to give the reader a sense of how what is being described looks, feels, smells, and sounds:

The night was dark and humid, the scent of rotting vegetation hung in the air, and only the sound of mosquitoes broke the quiet of the swamp.

This sentence uses no figurative language. Every word means exactly what it says, and the sentence is still an example of the use of imagery. That said, imagery can use figurative language, often to powerful effect:

The night was dark and humid, heavy with a scent of rotting vegetation like a great-aunt's heavy and inescapable perfume, and only the whining buzz of mosquitoes broke the silence of the swamp.

In this sentence, the description has been made more powerful through the use of a simile ("like a great-aunt's..."), onomatopoeia ("whining buzz," which not only describes but actually sounds like the noise made by mosquitoes), and even a bit of alliteration in the " s ilence of the s wamp."

To sum up: imagery is not a form of figurative language. But a writer can enhance his or her effort to write imagery through the use of figurative language.

Figurative Language Examples

Figurative language is more interesting, lively, beautiful, and memorable than language that's purely literal. Figurative language is found in all sorts of writing, from poetry to prose to speeches to song lyrics, and is also a common part of spoken speech. The examples below show a variety of different types of figures of speech. You can see many more examples of each type at their own specific LitChart entries.

Figurative Language Example: Metaphor

Metaphor in shakespeare's romeo and juliet.

In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet , Romeo uses the following metaphor in Act 2 Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet , after sneaking into Juliet's garden and catching a glimpse of her on her balcony:

But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

Romeo compares Juliet to the sun not only to describe how radiantly beautiful she is, but also to convey the full extent of her power over him. He's so taken with Juliet that her appearances and disappearances affect him like those of the sun. His life "revolves" around Juliet like the earth orbits the sun.

Figurative Language Example: Simile

In this example of a simile from Slaughterhouse-Five , Billy Pilgrim emerges from an underground slaughterhouse where he has been held prisoner by the Germans during the deadly World War II firebombing of Dresden:

It wasn't safe to come out of the shelter until noon the next day. When the Americans and their guards did come out, the sky was black with smoke. The sun was an angry little pinhead. Dresden was like the moon now , nothing but minerals. The stones were hot. Everybody else in the neighborhood was dead.

Vonnegut uses simile to compare the bombed city of Dresden to the moon in order to capture the totality of the devastation—the city is so lifeless that it is like the barren moon.

Figurative Language Example: Oxymoron

These lines from Chapter 7 of Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls describe an encounter between Robert Jordan, a young American soldier fighting in the Spanish Civil War, and his lover María.

She held herself tight to him and her lips looked for his and then found them and were against them and he felt her, fresh, new and smooth and young and lovely with the warm, scalding coolness and unbelievable to be there in the robe that was as familiar as his clothes, or his shoes, or his duty and then she said, frightenedly, “And now let us do quickly what it is we do so that the other is all gone.”

The couple's relationship becomes a bright spot for both of them in the midst of war, but ultimately also a source of pain and confusion for Jordan, as he struggles to balance his obligation to fight with his desire to live happily by Maria's side. The contradiction contained within the oxymoron "scalding coolness" emphasizes the couple's conflicting emotions and impossible situation.

Figurative Language Example: Hyperbole

Elizabeth Bennet, the most free-spirited character in Pride and Prejudice , refuses Mr. Darcy's first marriage proposal with a string of hyperbole :

From the very beginning, from the first moment I may almost say, of my acquaintance with you, your manners impressing me with the fullest belief of your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain of the feelings of others, were such as to form that ground-work of disapprobation, on which succeeding events have built so immoveable a dislike; and I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry.

Elizabeth's closing statement, that Darcy is the "last man in the world" whom she would ever marry, is an obvious hyperbole. It's hard to believe that Elizabeth would rather marry, say, an axe murderer or a diseased pirate than Mr. Darcy. Even beyond the obvious exaggeration, Austen's use of hyperbole in this exchange hints at the fact that Elizabeth's feelings for Darcy are more complicated than she admits, even to herself. Austen drops various hints throughout the beginning of the novel that Elizabeth feels something beyond mere dislike for Darcy. Taken together with these hints, Elizabeth's hyperbolic statements seem designed to convince not only Darcy, but also herself, that their relationship has no future.

Figurative Language Example: Personification

In Chapter 1 of The Scarlet Letter , Nathaniel Hawthorne describes a wild rose bush that grows in front of Salem's gloomy wooden jail:

But, on one side of the portal, and rooted almost at the threshold, was a wild rose-bush, covered, in this month of June, with its delicate gems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in, and to the condemned criminal as he came forth to his doom, in token that the deep heart of Nature could pity and be kind to him.

In the context of the novel's setting in 17th century Boston, this rose bush, which grows wild in front of an establishment dedicated to enforcing harsh puritan values, symbolizes those elements of human nature that cannot be repressed, no matter how strict a community's moral code may be: desire, fertility, and a love of beauty. By personifying the rosebush as "offering" its blossoms to reflect Nature's pity (Nature is also personified here as having a "heart"), Hawthorne turns the passive coincidence of the rosebush's location into an image of human nature actively resisting its constraints.

Figurative Language Example: Idiom

Figurative language example: onomatopoeia.

In Act 3, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's The Tempest , Caliban uses onomatopoeia to convey the noises of the island.

Be not afeard. The isle is full of noises, Sounds, and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices...

The use of onomatopoeia makes the audience feel the sounds on the island, rather than just have to take Caliban's word about there being noises.

Figurative Language Example: Synecdoche

In Act 4, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's Macbeth , an angry Macbeth kicks out a servant by saying:

Take thy face hence.

Here, "thy face" stands in for "you." Macbeth is simply telling the servant to leave, but his use of synecdoche makes the tone of his command more harsh and insulting because he uses synecdoche to treat the servant not as a person but as an object, a body part.

Figurative Language Example: Metonymy

In his song "Juicy," Notorious B.I.G. raps:

Now I'm in the limelight 'cause I rhyme tight

Here he's using "limelight" as a metonymy for fame (a "limelight" was a kind of spotlight used in old theaters, and so it came to be associated with the fame of being in the spotlight). Biggie's use of metonymy here also sets him up for a sweet rhyme.

Figurative Language Example: Alliteration

In his song "Rap God," Eminem shows his incredible lyrical dexterity by loading up the alliteration :

S o I wanna make sure, s omewhere in this chicken s cratch I S cribble and doodle enough rhymes T o maybe t ry t o help get s ome people through t ough t imes But I gotta k eep a few punchlines Just in c ase, ‘ c ause even you un s igned Rappers are hungry l ooking at me l ike it's l unchtime…

Why Do Writers Use Figurative Language?

The term figurative language refers to a whole host of different figures of speech, so it's difficult to provide a single definitive answer to why writers use figurative language. That said, writers use figurative language for a wide variety of reasons:

  • Interest and beauty: Figurative language allows writes to express descriptions, ideas, and more in ways that are unique and beautiful.
  • Complexity and power: Because figurative language can create meanings that go beyond the literal, it can capture complex ideas, feelings, descriptions, or truths that cause readers to see things in a new way, or more closely mirror the complex reality of the world.
  • Visceral affect: Because figurative language can both impact the rhythm and sound of language, and also connect the abstract (say, love) with the concrete (say, a rose), it can help language make an almost physical impact on a reader.
  • Humor: By allowing a writer to layer additional meanings over literal meanings, or even to imply intended meanings that are the opposite of the literal meaning, figurative language gives writers all sorts of options for creating humor in their writing.
  • Realism: People speak and even think in terms of the sorts of comparisons that underlie so much figurative language. Rather than being flowery, figurative language allows writers to describe things in ways that match how people really think about them, and to create characters who themselves feel real.

In general, figurative language often makes writing feel at once more accessible and powerful, more colorful, surprising, and deep.

Other Helpful Figurative Language Resources

  • The dictionary definition of figurative : Touches on figurative language, as well as some other meanings of the word.
  • Figurative and Frost : Examples of figurative language in the context of the poetry of Robert Frost.
  • Figurative YouTube : A video identifying various forms of figurative language from movies and television shows.
  • Wikipedia on literal and figurative language : A bit technical, but with a good list of examples.

The printed PDF version of the LitCharts literary term guide on Figurative Language

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  • Downloadable (PDF) line-by-line translations of every Shakespeare play
  • Alliteration
  • Figure of Speech
  • Onomatopoeia
  • Personification
  • Understatement
  • Antimetabole
  • Juxtaposition
  • Flat Character
  • Foreshadowing
  • Static Character
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  • Rhyme Scheme
  • Anthropomorphism
  • Connotation
  • Anadiplosis
  • Common Meter

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Extended Metaphor Examples, How to Write Guide

Extended Metaphor examples

An extended metaphor is a literary device that extends a metaphorical comparison throughout a piece of writing, weaving it into the narrative, poem, or speech. Unlike a simple metaphor that draws a quick comparison, an extended metaphor continues to link two ideas, adding depth and dimension to the work. This artistic tool paints a vivid picture and builds a cohesive theme, allowing the writer to explore complex emotions or abstract concepts in an accessible way.

What is an Extended Metaphor?

An extended metaphor is a metaphor that unfolds across multiple lines, sentences, or even an entire work. It is a literary device used to draw a comparison between two unlike things, but instead of being a brief analogy, it continues throughout the piece. By developing the metaphor example over an extended passage, the writer can provide a multi-layered illustration that deepens the reader’s understanding and emotional engagement with the subject.

What is the Best Example of Extended Metaphor?

One of the most celebrated examples of an extended metaphor is found in William Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet.” In Act 2, Scene 2, the famous balcony scene, Juliet employs an extended metaphor comparing Romeo to a rose. She says, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet.” Juliet extends this metaphor example in romeo and juliet , contemplating the nature of identity and love beyond mere names. This eloquent use of an extended metaphor has made it one of the most quoted and analyzed metaphor examples in English literature.

100 Extended Metaphor Examples

extended metaphor examples

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1. Life as a Journey: A common metaphor where life’s stages are likened to stops along a trip. 2. The Ship of State: Comparing a country’s governance to the steering of a ship. 3. Time as a River: Describing time’s constant and unchangeable flow. 4. Mind as a Garden: Cultivating thoughts like plants in a garden. 5. Education as Construction: Building knowledge in stages, like a structure. 6. A Business as a Machine: Describing a business where all parts must function together. 7. Human Emotions as Weather: Describing feelings as sunny, stormy, etc. 8. War as a Game: The strategies and tactics likened to a chess game. 9. Love as a Battlefield: Conveying love as an ongoing struggle or conflict. 10. The Internet as an Information Superhighway: Linking information like roads and highways. 11. A Book as a Portal: Opening doors to new worlds or experiences. 12. The Heart as a Pump: Comparing the heart’s function to a mechanical pump. 13. The Mind as a Computer: Likening human cognition to computer processing. 14. Society as a Body: Different societal segments as body parts. 15. The Family as a Tree: Branching family connections from common roots. 16. Life as a Theatre: Life’s events as acts and scenes on a stage. 17. Consciousness as Light: Brightness and darkness symbolizing awareness and ignorance. 18. The Soul as a Fortress: Inner strength and integrity depicted as impenetrable walls. 19. Relationships as a Dance: Graceful, awkward, or dynamic movements mirroring relational dynamics. 20. Ideas as Seeds: Ideas growing and bearing fruit like seeds in soil. 21. Community as a Quilt: Different people and parts woven together. 22. Faith as a Mustard Seed: Small beginnings growing into substantial belief. 23. A Country as a Melting Pot: Different cultures blending together. 24. Grief as an Ocean: Overwhelming sorrow depicted as an endless, deep sea. 25. Life as a Tapestry: Interwoven events creating a full picture. 26. Democracy as a Ship: Navigating the complex waters of governance. 27. Wisdom as Light: Illuminating the path of understanding. 28. Youth as Springtime: New beginnings, freshness, and growth. 29. Knowledge as a Building: Constructing understanding layer by layer. 30. Aging as Autumn: The winding down and preparation for life’s winter. 31. A Novel as a Friend: Providing companionship, empathy, and understanding. 32. Death as Sleep: The peaceful transition from life. 33. Career as a Ladder: Climbing rungs representing advancement. 34. The Earth as a Mother: Nurturing and providing for its inhabitants. 35. Science as a Torch: Lighting the way to discovery. 36. Fear as a Monster: An overpowering, terrifying force. 37. Justice as Scales: Weighing evidence and rendering fair decisions. 38. Memory as a Library: Storing thoughts and experiences like books on shelves. 39. Progress as a Climb: A difficult ascent symbolizing struggle and achievement. 40. Peace as a River: Flowing smoothly and bringing life. 41. Education as a Key: Opening doors to opportunity. 42. A Child’s Mind as a Sponge: Absorbing knowledge effortlessly. 43. The Universe as a Symphony: Cosmic harmony and orchestrated movement. 44. A Team as a Well-oiled Machine: Coordination and efficiency in action. 45. Poverty as a Prison: Trapping individuals in a cycle of despair. 46. Equality as a Level Playing Field: Fair competition without advantage or hindrance. 47. Success as a Mountain Summit: The pinnacle of achievement after a hard climb. 48. Opportunity as a Door: An entry point to something new and promising. 49. Challenge as a Puzzle: A complex problem needing solving. 50. Creativity as a Fountain: A constant flow of fresh ideas and inspiration. 51. Language as a Bridge: Connecting cultures, individuals, and ideas. 52. Hope as a Beacon: Guiding through darkness and uncertainty. 53. Lies as Webs: Intricate, tangled, and trapping. 54. Argument as War: The adversarial clash of opinions and positions. 55. Technology as a Double-edged Sword: Offering both benefits and risks. 56. Courage as Armor: Protection against fear and doubt. 57. Words as Weapons: Cutting, defending, or attacking with language. 58. History as a Teacher: Offering lessons from the past. 59. The Market as an Ocean: Waves, currents, and unpredictable movements of economy. 60. Civilization as a Building: Constructing and maintaining social structures. 61. Global Economy as a Web: Interconnected and dependent on various strands. 62. Cities as Organisms: Growing, adapting, living, and sometimes dying. 63. Art as a Mirror: Reflecting society and individual experiences. 64. Emotions as Colors: Painting feelings with shades and hues. 65. Innocence as a White Dove: Pure, gentle, and untainted. 66. The Brain as an Orchestra: Different parts playing in harmony. 67. Reality as a Film: Viewing life through different lenses. 68. Freedom as a Bird: Soaring without restraint or confinement. 69. Humanity as a Body: Working together or suffering together. 70. Literature as a Window: Glimpses into different worlds and minds. 71. Culture as an Iceberg: Visible aspects with much hidden beneath. 72. Nations as Neighbors: Interaction, disputes, and common boundaries. 73. Dreams as Stars: Guiding lights or distant, untouchable goals. 74. Destiny as a Path: A predetermined route through life. 75. Tradition as a Chain: Linking generations and preserving values. 76. Ethics as Compass: Guiding moral decisions and behavior. 77. A Company as a Family: Interconnected relationships working toward common goals. 78. Economy as a Balloon: Inflating, deflating, and sensitive to conditions. 79. Marriage as a Partnership: Shared responsibilities and mutual support. 80. Addiction as a Pit: Difficult to escape and potentially destructive. 81. Character as a Diamond: Formed under pressure, hard, and valuable. 82. Suffering as a Furnace: Refining and purifying through hardship. 83. Leadership as a Shepherd: Guiding, protecting, and nurturing followers. 84. Reputation as a Shadow: Following, reflecting, and sometimes distorting. 85. Growth as Sunrise : A gradual increase or improvement. 86. Ideas as Flames: Spreading, warming, and sometimes consuming. 87. Work as Worship: Dedication and reverence in one’s profession. 88. Politics as Theater: Playing roles, scripting speeches, and performing for an audience. 89. Faith as a Shield: Protection against doubts and fears. 90. Beauty as a Flower: Fragile, appealing, and sometimes fleeting. 91. The Human Body as a Temple: Sacred and to be cared for. 92. Truth as a Light: Dispelling darkness and revealing reality. 93. Friendship as a Treasure: Valuable, rare, and to be cherished. 94. Music as a Universal Language: Speaking to all across cultural barriers. 95. Loss as a Void: An emptiness that can’t be filled. 96. Anger as Fire: Burning, destructive, but also purifying. 97. Patience as a Tree: Slow-growing, sturdy, and long-lasting. 98. Love as Water: Essential, nourishing, and taking many forms. 99. Change as Seasons: Natural, cyclical, and often expected. 100. Wisdom as a Tree: Deep-rooted, expansive, and providing shelter.

Extended metaphors are potent tools in literature and rhetoric, allowing complex ideas to be conveyed with creativity and depth. These examples represent various themes and subjects, illustrating the richness of metaphorical language.

Extended Metaphor Sentence Examples

  • The office was a jungle, complete with its lions, snakes, and occasional tree to hide beneath: Here, a typical work environment is likened to the wild unpredictability of a jungle, illustrating various office personalities and dynamics.My heart’s engine roared to life, igniting every piston with fiery passion: This portrays the heart’s emotional responses as the workings of a mechanical engine.
  • His thoughts were a never-ending labyrinth, always leading him to the same dead ends: The intricacies of the mind are compared to a maze, signifying confusion.
  • Our relationship was a delicate dance, each step either in harmony or a dangerous misstep: This denotes the complexities and balance in a relationship.
  • Childhood is an open field, slowly being filled with experiences and memories: Childhood’s vast potential is likened to a field awaiting cultivation.
  • Life in the city was like an ever-spinning carousel, dizzying and full of ups and downs: The constant motion of urban life is portrayed as a carousel ride.
  • Her voice was a soothing river, flowing with stories and lullabies from days long past: The voice’s calming nature is compared to the gentle flow of a river.
  • Their friendship was like a sturdy bridge that weathered every storm and weight it bore: This highlights the strength and durability of a bond.
  • The night was a thick book, filled with tales of stars and distant galaxies: Night’s mysteries are likened to a book of celestial stories.
  • His ambitions were a towering skyscraper, reaching for the skies but with a risk of toppling: The height and potential dangers of unbridled ambition are portrayed.

Extended metaphor sentence examples are where a metaphor is extended throughout the entire sentence, or even a whole paragraph or passage. These metaphors help to draw a more in-depth comparison between two unlike things. For instance, comparing life to a journey or the human mind to a labyrinth. Extended metaphors can create powerful imagery and make abstract concepts more tangible and relatable.

Extended Metaphor About Life Examples

  • Life is a tape measure, marking milestones and significant moments along its length: Life’s phases are compared to measurements on a tape.
  • Life is an unpredictable ocean, with calm waves and tempestuous storms: The highs and lows of life are likened to oceanic conditions.
  • Life is a train journey, with stations of joy, sorrow, and inevitable goodbyes: Life’s events are likened to train stops.
  • Life is a mosaic, where every piece, no matter how broken, contributes to its beauty: The value of all life experiences, good or bad, is highlighted.
  • Life is a marathon, not a sprint; the value lies in enduring, not just running: Persistence and long-term vision in life are emphasized.
  • Life is a classroom, and every challenge is a lesson to be learned: Life’s challenges are seen as educational moments.
  • Life is a novel, and every day writes a new page, whether of mystery, romance, or tragedy: The unpredictability and variety of life are showcased.
  • Life is a bakery, filled with sweet moments and occasional burnt cookies: Pleasant and unfavorable experiences in life are highlighted.
  • Life is a canvas, and our actions and choices are the strokes of paint: The idea that we shape and color our own lives is depicted.
  • Life is a mountain, offering valleys of rest and peaks of triumph: Life’s ups and downs, challenges, and moments of reprieve are described.

Life offers endless experiences and emotions, and extended metaphors about life are a poetic way to describe the intricate and multi-layered aspects of existence. Comparing life to diverse things like a marathon, a mosaic, a bakery, or an ocean can unveil profound insights. Extended Life metaphors often serve as philosophical reflections, highlighting the essential lessons and values.

Extended Metaphor in Movies Examples

  • “The Matrix” – life as a simulated reality, where the truth is hidden beneath layers of deception: This film uses the metaphor of a digital simulation to question reality.
  • “Inception” – the mind as a multi-layered maze, where dreams blend with reality: The complexities of the subconscious are explored through dream levels.
  • “The Lion King” – the circle of life, where every end leads to a new beginning: The natural flow and cycle of life are portrayed in Simba’s journey.
  • “The Shawshank Redemption” – prison as a state of mind, and freedom as a state of being: The physical and mental aspects of captivity and liberation are explored.
  • “Avatar” – the planet Pandora as a living, breathing entity interconnected with its inhabitants: The deep connection between nature and living beings is emphasized.
  • “Wall-E” – Earth as a wasteland, depicting the consequences of unchecked consumerism: The movie serves as a warning about environmental neglect.
  • “Up” – the house with balloons as a symbol of dreams, memories, and letting go: Personal attachments and the journey to move on are depicted.
  • “Frozen” – Elsa’s powers as a metaphor for suppressed emotions and self-acceptance: Embracing one’s true self and managing emotions are key themes.
  • “Inside Out” – the mind as a control center, manned by emotions: The intricate workings of emotions and their influence are depicted.
  • “Moby Dick” (adapted from the novel) – the white whale as an obsession that can lead to ruin: The dangers of unchecked ambition and revenge are illustrated.

Movies frequently use extended metaphors to deepen themes, build characters, and create a more vivid cinematic universe. These metaphors for movies can range from symbolic objects or characters to entire plot structures that mirror real-world issues. By doing so, filmmakers are able to communicate complex ideas in an accessible and engaging way.

Short Extended Metaphor Examples

  • My days became a bakery, always rising before the sun to create something fresh: The routine of early mornings and creation is likened to a baker’s life.
  • Her words were a garden, always blooming with vibrant tales: The beauty and growth of her words are emphasized.
  • Our love is a duet, always in tune, even when improvising: A harmonious relationship is described through music.
  • Your mind is a treasure chest, filled with gems of ideas: Valuable thoughts and insights are highlighted.
  • This town is a sleepy cat, basking in the afternoon sun: A laid-back, leisurely town is portrayed.
  • The car’s engine was a grumbling bear, aching for some rest: Mechanical issues and noises likened to an animal’s growl.
  • His career was a roller coaster, filled with thrilling highs and terrifying drops: A career’s unpredictability and excitement are depicted.
  • The forest was a hidden palace of nature’s jewels, waiting to be explored: The beauty and mysteries of nature are likened to royal treasures.
  • Her laugh was a merry carousel, infectious and full of joy: A lively and contagious laughter is illustrated.
  • He was a weathered ship, still sailing despite the storms of time: Resilience and continued pursuit, despite age, are emphasized.

Short extended easy metaphors are concise yet profound comparisons that convey larger truths or themes. Even in a single sentence or a brief phrase, these metaphors can encapsulate complex ideas, emotions, or observations. By likening one thing to another—such as love to a duet or a town to a sleepy cat—a short extended metaphor can paint a vivid picture or evoke strong feelings.

Extended Metaphor in Literature

  • “Animal Farm” by George Orwell – the farm as a microcosm of a corrupt political system: The novel illustrates the flaws of totalitarianism.
  • “Harry Potter” series by J.K. Rowling – Hogwarts as a sanctuary, a place of growth and self-discovery: The magical school represents personal development.
  • “Les Misérables” by Victor Hugo – society as a dark maze where the downtrodden are lost: Society’s failures and injustices are portrayed.
  • “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger – Holden’s red hunting hat as a symbol of his uniqueness: Themes of isolation and self-discovery are highlighted.
  • “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee – the mockingbird as a symbol of innocence: Moral conscience and loss of innocence are central themes.
  • “Moby Dick” by Herman Melville – the white whale as an obsession: Obsession and self-destruction are explored.
  • “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald – the green light as a symbol of unattainable dreams: The illusion of the American Dream is portrayed.
  • “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte – the red room as a symbol of oppression: Themes of confinement, rebellion, and growth are developed.
  • “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding – the island as a symbol of human society: The inherent evil in human nature is depicted.
  • “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez – the Buendía family as a symbol of Latin America’s history: Time, solitude, and magical realism are explored.

Literature often utilizes extended metaphors to weave deeper meaning, symbolism, and thematic resonance within a story. Classic and modern works alike employ these metaphors as a means to explore societal issues, human nature, relationships, and more. These extended literature metaphors serve to engage readers, prompting them to think beyond the surface of the narrative.

Extended Metaphor in Poems

  • “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost – the diverging roads as choices in life: Decisions, paths, and reflections on life are explored.
  • “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley – the ruined statue as the impermanence of power: The transient nature of power and the ravages of time are depicted.
  • “Dover Beach” by Matthew Arnold – the tide as a metaphor for the ebbing faith in a tumultuous world: A sense of loss, despair, and longing for stability is conveyed.
  • “Sonnet 18” by William Shakespeare – the summer’s day as a comparison to the beloved’s beauty: The timelessness of love and beauty is celebrated.
  • “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth – daffodils as a symbol of solitude and joy: Reflections on nature, joy, and the human connection are presented.
  • “The Waste Land” by T.S. Eliot – the barren land as a symbol of cultural disillusionment: Desolation, fragmentation, and the search for redemption are depicted.
  • “Hope is the thing with feathers” by Emily Dickinson – hope as a bird that perches in the soul: The resilient nature of hope and its comforting presence are described.
  • “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost – the wall as a metaphor for boundaries and human separation: Barriers, relationships, and the paradox of isolation are explored.
  • “A Poison Tree” by William Blake – the growing poison tree as a metaphor for anger and vengeance: The destructive nature of unchecked emotions and resentment is depicted.
  • “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou – rising above adversity as a symbol of resilience and empowerment: Themes of strength, pride, and defiance against oppression are highlighted.

Poetry frequently embraces extended metaphors in poems as a way to connect with readers on an emotional level. By drawing an extended comparison between two unrelated things, poets can evoke a wide range of feelings, thoughts, and images. Whether it’s the depiction of hope as a bird or the wasteland as a symbol of cultural disillusionment, extended metaphors enrich poetic expression and provoke deeper reflection.

How do you write an Extended Metaphor?

Writing an extended metaphor is an art that requires a bit of practice, creativity, and understanding of the subject matter you are trying to describe. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you create your own extended metaphor:

Step 1: Identify Your Core Concept

First, decide what you want to write about. It could be a theme, emotion, character, or a complex idea. Your metaphor will revolve around this core concept.

Step 2: Choose a Metaphorical Subject

Next, select something that can symbolize your core concept. This metaphorical subject should have characteristics or features that you can align with the attributes of your core concept. It may help to brainstorm a list and then choose the most fitting one.

Step 3: Map the Connections

Outline the specific parallels between the core concept and the metaphorical subject. List down how each characteristic or feature of the metaphorical subject relates to the core concept. The more detailed, the better.

Step 4: Build Your Extended Metaphor

Begin to weave these parallels into your writing. You can start with a clear statement of the metaphor and then extend it by using the connections you’ve mapped out. Use vivid and descriptive language to paint a clear picture.

Step 5: Maintain Consistency

An extended metaphor continues throughout a paragraph, stanza, or even an entire work. Be consistent with the metaphorical subject and its characteristics. Don’t mix different metaphors, as it might confuse the reader.

Step 6: Utilize Supporting Imagery

Add details, imagery, and examples that support the metaphor. Describe the metaphorical subject in a way that reinforces the similarities without repeating them unnecessarily.

Step 7: Check for Clarity

Read over your extended metaphor to ensure that the comparison is clear and the connections are logical. If possible, get feedback from someone else to ensure that your metaphor is effective and accessible to others.

Step 8: Revise and Refine

Take the time to revise and polish your extended metaphor. Remove any redundancy, and make sure every element of the metaphor contributes to the overall understanding of the core concept.

Step 9: Consider Tone and Style

Make sure your extended metaphor fits the tone and style of the piece. An extended metaphor in a scholarly article may look different from one in a poem or a novel.

Step 10: Conclude with Impact

If your extended metaphor has a beginning and an end (like in a poem or a specific passage), make sure to conclude it in a way that reinforces the main point and leaves a lasting impression.

If you were to write an extended metaphor about life being a journey, you might compare the different stages of life to parts of a trip, hardships to obstacles on the road, achievements to milestones, and so on.

By following these steps, you can create an engaging and thoughtful extended metaphor that adds depth and meaning to your writing. Whether in poetry, fiction, or non-fiction, extended metaphors can bring abstract ideas to life and make your work more resonant and memorable.

What is Extended Metaphor Also known as?

An extended metaphor is also known as a conceit or sustained metaphor. It is a literary device that extends a metaphor over several lines, paragraphs, or even an entire literary work. Unlike a simple implied metaphor , which often compares two unlike things in one concise statement, an extended metaphor continues the comparison throughout the piece, drawing multiple parallels between the subjects and exploring them in greater detail. By doing so, it allows the writer to delve more deeply into the nuances of the comparison, creating a richer and more layered understanding of the subject.

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Essays on Metaphor

A metaphor essay notes that a metaphor is a figure of speech, defined by the use of words and expressions in a figurative sense. Metaphor essays highlight that it often uses analogy, similarity, and comparison. Essays on metaphor explain that metaphor is used in text to describe something using the characteristics of something else. It is usually included to provide a pore poetic, artistic and sensual explanation of something, rather than a literal one. Essays specify that writers use metaphors to emphasize something, to distinguish the described object, make it memorable. Our metaphor essay samples will tell you everything there is to know about metaphors – just check some of our best essay samples below.

The Famished Road by Ben Okri is a book that must always be discussed by referring to its title because the road serves as the book's primary symbol. There was a waterway at the start. The waterway turned into a road, and the road split off to reach the entire...

Words: 1214

Birches employs the metaphor of a boy swimming in the birches. This is a metaphor for being a teenager. The metaphor compares the youthful excitement that many individuals disregard in their youth and wish they had done when they are older. The individual ends up struggling with the burdens of...

Themes in Equus There are several themes that have been developed in the play Equus, most importantly the theme of religion and worship. Peter Shaffer doesn't stop to develop this theme from the beginning to the end of the play. Moreover, he makes use of different devices to build the theme...

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A box of chocolate or a bowl of cherries is a life symbol that my response would attempt to explore objectively in my interpretation. The solution attempts to explore life in two broad viewpoints in line with its position in today's culture. It's either leaning towards a chocolate box or...

Words: 2960

The novel called Germinal by Zola was first published in French on March 1885. It created a very significant mark in the french tradition among other great novels like Ladies Delight, Nana, L’ Assommoir, La Bete Humaine and The Belly of Paris. Its original copy was 591 pages but was...

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Judy Brady's dramatic irony has been included in I Want a Wife (1971) as the writer needs a wife to accompany her to college. The writer is a woman, but the reader might first think that she was a male. It is also ironic that a woman should accompany her...

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Metaphor Essay Examples

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Shame and Guilt: Hidden Metaphors in Bernard Schink’s the Reader

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