MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

SECONDARY SCHOOL PROGRAMME

SEPTEMBER 2020

WEEK TWO: LESSON THREE

SUBJECT: English Language

GRADE: Eight

TOPIC: Figures of Speech

SUB TOPIC: Metaphor

OBJECTIVES: With the use of the definition and examples of metaphors students will correctly
identify metaphors, and explain its effectiveness in the given sentences.

Concept: Metaphors are among the list of figures of speech and are used by writers to make their
descriptions more vivid.

Content: A metaphor is a figure of speech that is used to make a comparison between two things
that are not alike but do have something in common.

A metaphor’s comparison is more indirect, usually stating that

one thing is another. The comparison makes use of words such
as “is”, “was”, “are”, “were”.

Example: Her tears were a river flowing down her cheeks.

A river and tears are not alike. One is a body of water in nature while the other can be produced by our
eyes. They; however, do have one thing in common: both are a type of water that flows.

As a river is much larger than a few tears, the metaphor is a creative way of saying that the girl is crying
a lot. There are so many tears that it reminds the writer of a river. This description helps the readers to
experience the severity of the girl’s sadness.

Examples of metaphors:
Animal:

1. The classroom is a zoo.

2. She is a peacock.

3. Mary’s eyes were fireflies.

Nature:

1. He is a shining star.

2. Those best friends are two peas in a pod.

3. That lawn is a green carpet.

Everyday metaphors:

1. John’s suggestions were just a Band-Aid for the problem.

2. Her lovely voice was music to his ears.

3. Their home is a prison.

Activity 1:

Directions: Read each statement below carefully; then, write two things are being compared on the
lines provided. The first one has been completed for you.

1. The promise between us is a delicate flower.

Ans: Promise is compared to a delicate flower.

2. The noise is music to my ears.

Ans:_________________compared to____________________.

3. My dad was an angry beast when I brought home my poor report card.

Ans:_________________compared to_____________________.

4. The lion at the show was a funny clown because it would play with its food.

Ans:_________________compared to____________________.

5. The teacher was a bear to deal with in the class because he was so strict.

Ans:________________compared to_____________________.
Types of Metaphors:

Metaphor

Implicit metaphors: do not directly state one of

Explicit metaphors: are easy to understand
because the two things being compared are
easily identifiable. E.g. The alligator's teeth are
white daggers . Here the writer is comparing
the alligator's teeth to daggers.
the objects being compared. Instead they
describe one item with the words you would
typically use to describe another. E.g. The girl
stalked her brother before finally pounching on
her prey. The girl is being described as something
else. The word "stalked" and the phrase
"pounced on her prey" give the clue. these words
are used to describe a predatory animal. The
writer is comparing the girl to a predatory
animal, such as a lion

Activity 2

Directions: Read each statement below carefully; then’ on the line provided write whether the
metaphor is “implicit” or “explicit”. The first one has been completed for you.

A. Represents Explicit Metaphors

B. Represents Implicit Metaphors

1. ____A_____ The detective listened to her tales with a wooden face.

2. __________ The typical teenage boy’s room is a disaster area.

3. __________ The child was our lone prayer to an empty sky.

4. __________Think now history has many cunning passages and contrived corridors.

5. __________Scars are the road maps to the soul.

Homework:

Directions: Using images from newspaper clippings, magazines, books, student’s drawing or the internet
create a metaphor clipboard. An example has been completed for you.