Metaphor

A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn’t literally
true, but helps explain an idea or make a comparison. The word metaphor  is coming from a
Greek term meaning to "transfer" or "carry across." Metaphors "carry" meaning from one
word, image, idea, or situation to another.

The Philosophy of Rhetoric (1937) by rhetorician I. A. Richards describes a metaphor as

having two parts: the tenor and the vehicle.

 The tenor is the thing a metaphor describes.

 The vehicle is the thing to which the tenor is compared.

For instance, in the metaphor "Love is a battlefield," love is the tenor because it's the thing
being described, while "battlefield" is the vehicle because it's the thing love is being
compared to.

Metaphors are a form of figurative language, which refers to words or expressions that mean
something different from their literal definition. In the case of metaphors, the literal
interpretation would often be pretty silly. For example, imagine what these metaphors
would look like if you took them at face value:

Love is a battlefield.

Baby, you’re a firework.

Metaphors can make your words come to life (or in the case of the exam, to death). Often,
you can use a metaphor to make your subject more relatable to the reader or to make a
complex thought easier to understand. They can also be a tremendous help when you want
to enhance your writing with imagery. As a common figure of speech, metaphors turn up
everywhere from novels and films to presidential speeches and even popular songs. When
they’re especially good, they’re hard to miss.
Metaphors show up in literature, poetry, music, and writing, but also in speech. If you hear
someone say “metaphorically speaking,” it probably means that you shouldn’t take what they
said as the truth, but as more of an idea. For example, it’s finals period and after exams,
students are saying things like “That test was murder.” It’s a fair guess they’re still alive if
they’re making comments about the test, so this is an example of speaking metaphorically or
figuratively.

Examples of Metaphor in Literature

But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is
thesun!  (William Shakespeare –  Romeo & Juliet)

This is one of the most famous metaphors in all of English literature. Obviously, Juliet, is
not literallythe sun, or Romeo would burn to death. The effect of using metaphor here is
similar to the effect of simile, but stronger. Because Romeo doesn’t insert “comparing” words
into his line, we get the sense that he is really stunned by Juliet’s beauty. She is, for him, just
as radiant as the sun.

I’ve eaten a bag of green apples. (Sylvia Plath, Metaphors)

Sometimes, the meaning of a metaphor is not clear. Sylvia Plath’s poem Metaphors is full of
figurative language like this one, whose meaning is not clear. In general, the poem is about
Plath’s pregnancy, so this line may refer to her morning sickness (green apples can be sour
and highly acidic, and a bag of them would certainly upset your stomach!) But the act of
eating so many apples is strangely overindulgent, which adds a different view to the
metaphor. What, on this metaphor, was the ravenous hunger that caused Plath to eat so
many apples? This one is very much open to interpretation.

Example of Metaphor in Pop Culture

God is a DJ, life is a dance floor, love is a rhythm. (Pink – God Is a DJ)

Again, an extended unmixed metaphor is often more effective than a simple one. These lyrics
paint a whole picture of the world within the metaphor of a nightclub – which is especially
 effective since the song itself was often played in nightclubs, allowing dancers to connect
their moment-to-moment experience with larger ideas.

Metaphor Definition

 A word or phrase for one thing that is used to refer to another thing in order to show
or suggest that they are similar

 An object, activity, or idea that is used as a symbol of something else

What is the difference between Metaphor and Simile?

Metaphor and simile are important topics in the field of literature, as such, knowing the
difference between metaphor and simile is essential for literature students. Simile and
metaphor are figures of speech are made heavy use of in daily lives, especially by public
speakers, not only to stress a point but also to make comparisons between objects and people.
They are very similar in nature that is why there is a lot of confusion amon g people. It is
really helpful to know the difference between metaphor and simile.

A metaphor is complete in itself and does not need an explanation. However, you can use
one after other similes to explain your meaning. If I say a great book is like a good meal, I am
using a simile to let people think that the book is as delicious as a meal. On the other hand, I
can use a metaphor to have the same effect when I say that the book is a food for thought.
Here, I am using a metaphor as I am not directly comparing a book with a delicious meal but
suggesting that the book is great to satiate the hunger of those who read books for this
purpose. 

• From the two, simile is easier to spot than metaphor.

• Similes make use of comparison words like ‘as and like’ whereas metaphor is conspicuous
by their absence.

• Metaphors are of many types and similes are just one of these types.
 • Metaphor is a direct comparison whereas simile is an approximation.

Often, metaphor is used loosely to mean any kind of symbolism. In literature, there are are
many other types of metaphors.

The primary metaphor is the most basic of metaphors. You've likely heard many primary
metaphors throughout the course of your life and studies. Consider the classic sayings "love is
blind" and "patience is a virtue." In these metaphors, two items are compared, side by side,
and the meaning is clear.

Conceptual: a metaphor in which one idea is understood in terms of another—for example:

 You're wasting my time.
 This gadget will save you hours.
 I don't have the time to give you.

In the last sentence, for example, you can't actually "have" or "give" time, but the concept is
clear from the context.
Dead: A dead metaphor is a cliche that has become so commonplace that the imagery has lost
its power.With a dead metaphor, the original image has already receded into the
background. Using too many dead metaphors will cause your reader to lose interest.
 The paper was white as snow.

 She had a heart of stone.

Root metaphors are directly related to a person's culture, identity, or perception of life. You
can see how they earned their name. These are concepts that are deeply rooted within a
person.

Extended Metaphors

A creative metaphor could lead you down the colorful path to an extended metaphor. That is,
you'll be able to take that metaphor and keep referring back to it throughout an entire
paragraph or the whole of your work.
The Importance of Metaphors

It is important to have metaphors in poetry because the reader can then see what the poet
means and feels. A metaphor is a comparison between two unlike things that have something
in common. A metaphor helps the writer create a verbal picture that helps the reader to see
ideas more clearly. It helps the writer convey his feeling more strongly.

How to Come Up with a Metaphor

You don’t need anything but your imagination to come up with a good metaphor, but some
added flair can go a long way. Remember, metaphors often represent something that is hard
to take literally. Think of the metaphor “rule with an iron fist” as an example. Outside of the
world of George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones, it would be a bit difficult to find a person
with an actual hand made of iron. However, we are still able to interpret that metaphor as
meaning someone who is hard and heavy-handed on governance.

The Debate Over Metaphor's Meaning

There are actually two accepted definitions of metaphor—one that's quite broad and one
that's more specific—and people commonly confuse the two without even noticing, so it
follows that there is some debate over which definition is correct. The truth is, both
definitions are correct, and for that reason it's useful to have a solid understanding of
both, as well as what makes them different. These are the two definitions given in the
Oxford Companion to English Language—the first one broad, the other narrow:

1. Metaphor: All figures of speech that achieve their effect through association,

comparison, and resemblance. Figures like antithesis, hyperbole, metonymy,

and simile are all species of metaphor.
2. Metaphor: A figure of speech which concisely compares two things by saying that one
is the other.
Why Do Writers Use Metaphor?

Writers, and people in general, use metaphors for countless reasons:

 They create memorable images with language.

 They help communicate personal or imaginary experiences in terms to which readers
can relate.
 By connecting different spheres of experience and language, they can lead the reader
to surprising and important discoveries; the figurative meaning that metaphors create
can help a reader to see the world or a concept in a new way.
 They can even sometimes hide a person's lack of knowledge about the things they're
discussing.

It should be noted that metaphors aren't merely additive—in other words, they aren't just
meant to embellish language or "spice it up." Metaphors actually shape our understanding of
the relationships between things in the world. Without even knowing it, we constantly
speak and think in metaphors.

references`

https://www.litcharts.com/literary-devices-and-terms/metaphor
https://literarydevices.net/metaphor/

https://www.thoughtco.com/metaphor-figure-of-speech-and-thought-1691385