A metaphor is figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between two unlike things that actually have something important in common. The word metaphor comes from a Greek word meaning to "transfer" or "carry across." Metaphors "carry" meaning from one word, image, or idea to another.
Some metaphors are so common that we may not even notice that they are metaphors. Look at these familiar metaphors of “life as a journey”. You find them in advertising slogans:
- "Life is a journey, travel it well." (United Airlines)
- "Life is a journey. Enjoy the Ride." (Nissan)
- "Life's a journey--travel light" (Hugo Boss Perfume)
Here is another from a song: “Life's a journey not a destination And I just can't tell just what tomorrow brings.
The simplest metaphor form is made with nouns.
America is a melting pot. Meaning: place where different peoples, styles and cultures are mixed together.
My father is a rock. Meaning: very strong or reliable person
The policeman let him off with a yellow card. Meaning: Warning - (in soccer) a yellow card that the referee shows to players when cautioning them.
Other ways of making metaphors are with verbs or adjectives.
He broke into her conversation. Meaning like burglars break into buildings.
His head was spinning with ideas. Meaning: like some computer hard drives spin at over 10,000 revolutions per minute.
Reading that book kindled my interest in politics. Meaning like the need to start a camp fire with twigs and small branches, kindling.
Look out for those metaphors!
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