Introduction: Metaphor Examples. A metaphor is a figure of speech between unrelated ideas. Metaphor carries the qualities of one thing over another thing. Its origin starts from the 15th century, and you cannot say that Metaphor has a single root.
Metaphor in the English language comes from the old French that originated from the Latin source. The Latin word comes from the Metaphor Freeks, which means to transfer one thing to another. It means if we summarize the meaning of Metaphor in all three languages, the concept is the same.
The Metaphor moves the qualities from one thing to another. Imposing the ideas or characteristics of one thing or object to another. Here, you will learn about the Metaphors and their types with examples and stages to identify them.
A metaphor is a figure of speech that connects unrelated things. The ideas or concepts of one object, properties, and concepts of one thing over another. For example, the school was a zoo. It is used in literature, daily life, songs, and movies. Let’s check some Metaphor Examples.
Examples of Metaphor
Metaphors are everywhere in your life: work, home, movies, and songs. Let’s see each category of metaphor usage and Metaphor Examples.
Metaphor from songs
There are many examples from the songs like You’re not nothing but a hound dog. It means you cry all the time over little things. You take too much stress on small things. Let move to another example is: you shoot me down, but I would not fall. It means I am a titanium man.
Metaphor from daily life
Below are some Metaphor from daily life
1:Life is a roll caster.
This Metaphor refers to the fact that there are always ups and downs in life. It is up to you to scream the ride or enjoy it. It also means that life is a circle moving around the same things. You always come to the point from your starting point. Life is moving very fast, and every turn of life gives you a jerk, and you face these difficulties of life.
2: The Classroom was a zoo
It refers to a classroom filled with children like a zoo filled with animals. It also suggests that animals do not have a sense of good or bad, and students roam in the classroom like they have no meaning. This Metaphor refers to the condition of a noisy environment in the school. It seemed all the students were making noise, and the classroom looked like a zoo having random activities.
3: The calm lake was a mirror
In the real sense, it carries the meaning that the lake is not a mirror, but it has the qualities of a mirror. It stands still and reflects all the things and realities of life. It means a calm lake reflects the real facts of life very clearly.
Comparison between simile, Metaphor, and analogy
Let’s do some comparisons
Simile vs Metaphor
A simile is a figure of speech that compares ideas or objects using words like and as. A simile is a preposition that operates in the comparison, while these words are not used in the Metaphor.
Analogy vs Metaphor
Both of these are used in the comparison, but the analogy is logical consequences having a time relation between the things under the comparison. A metaphor is a word that is friendly and explains what is exactly in contrast.
Steps to Identify the Metaphor
There are four steps by which you can identify the Metaphors.
Some metaphors, like from daily life, are very easy to predict, but some metaphors could be easier to identify. Some are tricky to know, but these are not impossible to know. You have to use these simple tricks to identify the Metaphor.
Step1
Smell the comparison
If you need clarification about whether it is a simile, a metaphor, or an analogy, all three work on the same business of comparison. The first step is sensing the smell of contrast in the text. You have to make sense of the comparison between two unrelated things or ideas.
Step 2
Observe if the comparison is standing on crutches.
A simile lies in the supports. It has the words like and as, which shows that it is a simile. It means if you see all these crutches, you can say it is a simile and Metaphor.
Step 3
Run it through the explanation check.
Now, in the 3rd step, your problem is narrowed down to two things: analogy and Metaphor, because simile had extracted in step 2. Now, you can separate the Metaphor from the analogy. If the writer has taken two ideas on the time and similarity is between two things, it means it is an analogy. Analogy refers to the similarity between two things in the respective time.
Step 4
Observe the Metaphor under the microscope.
In the last step, you have to know that the previous step in the framework is a metaphor, and you can now understand the meaning and concept of that Metaphor.
Types of the Metaphor
Now, you have become familiar with Metaphor and understand its meaning and its comparison steps. There are the following types of metaphors used.
1: Standard Metaphor
A standard metaphor is a comparison between one idea and another having a direct relation between objects that are synonyms. For example, X and Y are equal to each other in quantities; Now you can put 2X or 2Y because both have the same value.
Another example is Faria, who is my sunshine. In this example, Faria had related to the sun. It does mean Faria is sunshine, but the reader can understand that Faria is important to a writer as sunshine in life.
2: Implied Metaphor
It implied a comparison between two things that are not associated with each other.
For example
The commander barked at the soldiers to stand alert.
3: Visual Metaphor
A visual metaphor compares the things that are the visual image of each other. This type of Metaphor is used in advertising the objects.
For example
Spicy Cheetos had compared with the fire.
4: Extended Metaphor
The Metaphor uses descriptive language to compare things. This type of Metaphor is used in the full poem, a couple of paragraphs, and a stanza of the poem.
5: Mixed Metaphor
As the name indicates, it is a combination of two commonly used metaphors.
For example
Let’s get all the dead hens on the same page.
Metaphor examples for kids
The children mind are faster than the adults and can grasp the things very fast. Teaching metaphor to the students through examples make their understanding more comprehensive. If you want to teach the kids metaphor then you have to use different examples of metaphor. Here are some Metaphor Examples which make them to learn quickly and remain in their mind.
Heart of stone
It means the cruel or stern nature.
My father has a heart of stone.
The zoo metaphor
The zoo metaphor means the more noisy and crowded place. The classroom turned into zoo during the break time.
Time is money
It means that time is as important as the money.
Time is money my dear friend
Indian culture is salad bowl
It means that the salad bowl is a common cultural idea that reflects the Indian multiple cultures having their identities.
Love is rose
It means that love is beauty and hardship like the petals and thorns of the rose.
The mind is computer
It means that the mechanism of brain is compared with the computer. Brain works like computer stores the information and accommodates them.
A friend is a treasure
It means that friend is given the attributes to the treasure. They are important and hard to find out.
How do you write a metaphor?
Metaphor work best when they are connected to the abstract content that reader understand it already.
For examples
All religion, arts and science are the branches of same trees. They are originated from the same thing.
The purpose of the metaphor
Metaphor is a figure that helps the reader to understand, remember, pay attention and apply it on the message. It is applied to objects which are not possible .
Metaphore is around our daily life and make it easier to understand.
Metaphore makes the life message vivid.
It creates the expectation in ones mind and they start to make resembles with it.
It influences decisions and help to get better decision in time.
It open the door to discovery and uncovers the many things.
It shakes the things up and make it visible and able to use in your life when and how?
It helps to communicate the complex concepts and makes the reader mind broad and light up.
It help the reader to understand the situation and think more broadly.
You have to choose the metaphor where when andhiw to choose them.
You have to select the metaphor to use and to avoid in the message.
Bottom line: Metaphor Examples
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two things, objects, and ideas that are unrelated to each other. It is used in movies, songs, daily life, and literature. For example, you are my sunshine. The school was a zoo. The calm lake was a mirror.
All these are examples of the Metaphor. It is different from the analogy and smile. It has four steps to identify the Metaphor from analogy and simile. There are many types of metaphors, but the most common are five.
The standard Metaphor, implied Metaphor, visual Metaphor, Extended Metaphor, and mixed Metaphor. Hope this article clarifies the concept of metaphors.
Also read: Examples of metaphors in advertising; Metaphor ads; Metaphors in Advertising
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