Metaphor

A metaphor is used to help us understand the unknown. We use things that we already know in comparison to the unknown to get a better understanding. An example of a metaphor is "Space is the ocean, vast and unexplored". This is a metaphor because it is describing the unknown with something more known. There are many kinds of metaphors, theres a simile, personification, anthropomorphism, hyperbole, parable, fable, and analogy. A simile is often used as a metaphor, comparing two unlike things to get a better understanding. An example of a simile is "John eats like a pig". It is a simile because it is comparing a person to how an animal eats to describe his eating habits to a pig. Personification is another form of metaphor being used to give objects or animals human qualities in order to give them a more better understanding. An example of personification is "The sun peeked happily from behind a cloud". It is a personification because the sun was given a human characteristic to describe its radiance. Another way to use a metaphor is anthropomorphism, it uses human forms or qualities to an entity that is not human. Specifically it describes Gods or Goddesses in human form and possessing human characteristics such as, love, hatred, or jealousy. An example of anthropomorphism is "Zues was a jealous god". This is anthropomorphism because it has given a thing that is not human, in this case a God, the human quality of jealousy. A hyperbole is used as an exaggeration or overstatement, such as "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse". This is a hyperbole because it uses an exaggeration to describe one's hunger. A parable is a succinct story, in prose or verse, which illustrates one or more lessons of self improvement using human characters. An example of a parable is "after Jim's and Sarah's long perilous journey, they learned how to trust and the true worth of companionship". This is a parable because it shows what the human characters went through to learn an important lesson in life. Another example of a metaphor is a fable. Although similar to a parable, a fable uses non human characters such as animals, mythical creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized to illustrate a moral lesson. An example of a fable is the "Hare and the Tortoise", the animals were used to illustrate that slow and steady wins the race. This an example of a fable because the animals are used to teach that it is better to approach life at a slow and steady pace instead of running ahead of yourself. Analogy is another form of a metaphor. This is the comparision of two pairs which have the same relationship. The key is to ascertain the relationship between the first so you can choose the correct second pair. An analogy is "Living is to dying as birth is to death". This is an analogy because it compares living to dying which is in the same relationship of the life cycle, as to comparing death to birth which is also in the same relationship in the life cycle.

Looking at poetry is a good way to understand metaphors. In the poem "Peace" the type of metaphor being used is Personification. In lines 1-3 "The wind is now a roaring, smashing monster of destruction". The wind is being described as a roaring, smashing monster of destruction, to give a better understanding of how powerful and destructive it is. It was given the quality of a smashing monster to better describe the damage it did on the area. In the poem "Joy" the type of metaphor being used is Personification. In lines 6-9 "Amidst the frozen white, a tiny tip of green, first blade of grass, the messenger of spring". The grass is being described as a blade that cut threw the frozen snow, it was a sign that winter was coming to an end and spring was approaching. In "The Gastronomic Gym" the type of metaphor being used is personification. In lines 1-5 "Pasta twirling and spinning, peas do vertical jumps mashed potatoes swimming. Meat doing bench press and pumps. Food has begun to exercise". The food are given the ability to do physical exercise to describe the process of being digested. In "The Lion in Love" the type of metaphor being used is a Fable. In this fable the lesson that is being taught is, "Love can tame the wildest". The lion is being used to represent the king of the beast, or the wildest in nature. He falls in love with a young beautiful maiden and asks her parents for her hand in marriage. The parents deny him at first adding that he has to relinquish his dangerous claws and teeth. The lion was so madly in love he trimmed his claws and took out his teeth without hesitation. The lion's actions for his love defines "Love can tame the wildest". Emily Dickinson was a poet born on, December 10, 1830. She didn't achieve fame until after she died on, May 15, 1886. In her poem "I took my power in my hand"  in lines 7-8 she uses the metaphor "Was it Goliath was too large, Or only I too small". This metaphor explains that she does not know what stopped her from conquering her problem (Goliath), was it that her problem was to big for her to handle by herself, or was it that she was too small to approach the problem. In her poem "Success is counted sweetest" in lines 1-4 shes uses the metaphor "Success is counted sweetest By those who ne'er succeed. To comprehend a nectar Requires sorest need". In this metaphor success is being compared to sweetness. It explains how having success can be the sweetest thing to a person that never succeeded. It says in order to comprehend the value of success it has to be needed desperately. E e cummings is a poet that made a poem differently from most standard forms. His creation is called "l(a" these are all letters and punctuation. It differs from most poems because it is presented in a manner to visualize a falling leaf. It is a metaphor because it is comparing loneliness to a leaf that is falling from a tree. The leaf was once part of a whole, but became separated, and was by itself all alone. If presented in a normal manner it would appear like this "loneliness (a leaf falls)".

Metaphors are a part of your daily life in ways you wouldn't recognize. Metaphors are in music, TV shows, and even in our daily conversations! The way metaphors could be applied is limitless! Metaphors could be used as a guideline to life, could be used as a motivation to achieve greatness, and even be used to help others in need of advice. A metaphor I apply to my life is "A Mountain Climb - Life consists of hierarchies.  We are always climbing the corporate ladder". It symbolizes that I am constantly on the way to greater and better things.