What is a Metaphor?
A comparison between two things that are not literally the same.
Metaphor: The Art of Comparison
A metaphor is a writer's secret weapon, allowing them to draw upon a seemingly infinite bank of comparisons to craft vivid and engaging storytelling. Essentially, a metaphor involves comparing two things that are not literally the same, in order to create a new and more powerful image. From Shakespeare's declaration that 'All the world's a stage', to Sylvia Plath's drip-fed metaphor of a tarnishing mirror in 'Mirror', the metaphor has been used to evoke emotions and set the scene for generations of readers.
By tapping into the reader's imagination, a well-placed metaphor can make a piece of writing all the richer and more satisfying. But it can be a tricky beast to master for the uninitiated writer. A good metaphor should be both surprising and apt - it should make the reader think, and then say 'I see what you mean!'.
For the reader, a metaphor is an invitation to enter the writer's world, to embrace their particular vision and to see and feel it anew. For the writer, it is a way of flexing creative muscles and demonstrating the beauty of language itself. Whether you liken the moon to a pillow, or the sea to a weeping widow, the humble metaphor has the power to transform a line of text into a thing of beauty and wonder.
A skilled writer knows that the metaphor is a tool of great power - a way of conjuring up vivid and surprising comparisons that will capture the reader's imagination.
In Robert Frost's famous poem 'The Road Not Taken', the final stanza ends with the lines: 'Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— / I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference.'
There are many interpretations of what the poem might mean, but one thing is clear - the use of metaphor in the poem is masterful. The metaphor is the 'fork in the road', and Frost uses it to reflect on the choices we all make in life, and the way one decision can change everything.
In 'The Great Gatsby' F. Scott Fitzgerald describes the sun at the end of chapter 6 as 'A ripe golden fruit'. Later, it is described as 'A symbol of Gatsby's wealth and the corrupting influence of money in the society in which he lives.'
This metaphor is particularly interesting because it serves a dual purpose - it conveys the image of the sun as something tangible and beautiful, but it also hints at the darker themes of the book, of money and corruption, which underlie the superficially glamorous world of Jay Gatsby.