Friday, November 30, 2012

Grammar Corner: Analogy and Metaphor

In the literary world, analogy is like duct tape while metaphor is a fun house mirror.  These are the rudimentary tools used to engage the reader.  In an analogy, you compare one thing to another thing and in so doing, add to and enhance the meaning of the first thing.

ex) My writing is like a river filled with sharks.
ex) Her pregnant belly was as a big as a beach ball.


The key to analogy is comparison.  Metaphor, on the other hand, foregoes comparison and ups the ante.  In a metaphor a thing is called something else entirely and the desired effect is to create vivid imagery and give the reader greater insight into the scene, character, or theme.

ex) My brain is a broken computer.
ex) The dog was the master of the house, lording over his human subjects.



Amanda LaFantasie (Skoora) © 2012

3 comments:

  1. I find this topic extremely interesting, especially because there are so many different points of views on it. But its good to know the constructive, definitive difference. But gosh, there is a lot of philosophy behind the two. Especially metaphor.

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    1. Metaphor is so much fun. The one form of 'comparative tool' that I left out was personification but I might add that one later. I think metaphor might be my favorite out of the group though.

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  2. Remind me never to ask a teenager to write a sonnet.

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