Metaphor

Metaphors are comparisons that show how two things that are not alike in most ways are similar in one important way. Metaphors are a way to describe something we know and something we don't know. Authors use them to make their writing more interesting or entertaining. The different types of metaphor are simile, personification, anthropomorphism,hyperbole, and analogy. Simile are use the words “as” or “like” to make the connection between the two things that are being compared. An example of a simile would be "As sour as vinegar." Personification is giving human traits to non-living objects."Wind yells while blowing" is an example of personification because wind cannot yell. Only a living thing can yell. Another type of metaphor is an anthropomorphism an interpretation of what is not human or personal in terms of human or personal characteristics. Like a cartoon any time an animal acts like a human, talking, driving a car, sitting having a meal, would be an of a anthropomorphism. Hyperbole is a statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally. When someone is hungry and someone states "I could eat a horse." is an example of a hyperbole because it's not possible to eat an entire horse. Analogy is the comparison of two pairs which have the same relationship. Like a heart and a pump.

In "THE FORCE THAT THROUGH THE GREEN FUSE DRIVES THE FLOWER" by Dylan Thomas. There are some personification within this poem. One of them are "Drives my green age; that blasts the roots of trees" he is describing how the green age is showing his youth. Another good metaphor in the poem is "Drives my red blood; that dries the mouthing streams" its showing the same for the other metaphor but I like this because it makes sense how a tree is represent like a human. Our blood is the water that flows thought the roots and how aging how we grow faster and faster.

Some metaphor that I found was in a poem called "A Meditation for his Mistress" by Robert Herrick.In this poem Herrick talks about his mistress who reminds of a beautiful flower and how she had to be taken away from him. There are some metaphor which represents this "YOU are a tulip seen to-day" this metaphor was stating how good looking she was that day.Another two personification that was state was "Yet one rude wind or ruffling show Will force you hence, and in an hour." this showing the wind that represent death and how she was taken away in a short period of time like a flower would die with one big force of wind.

In "I'm Nobody! Who Are You?", "Hope Is the Thing with Feathers" and "Success Is Counted Sweetest" by Emily Dickinson there are a lot of metaphors within these poems. For example in "I'm Nobody! Who Are You?" some metaphor are "How dreary to be somebody!" Dickinson is explaining how lifeless is to be someone living. Another is "To tell your name the livelong day" states how to say your name all the time to be someone instead of being no one. Other personification are in "Hope Is the Thing with Feathers" one of them are "And sings the tune without the words" this something that speaks in everybody mind not in words."And sore must be the storm" this metaphor means when all our hopes are gone its like a storm it feels like everything is gone. Another poem is "Success Is Counted Sweetest" there are two metaphor that really stands out and they are "Who took the flag today" and "Can tell the definition" these are stating who ever is successful today would be the only person to state what they are.

L)a by E.E Cummings is another type of metaphor.
l(a
le
af
fa
ll
s)
one
l
iness
This poem means "loneliness a leaf falls" this is representing that we are alone like a leaf falling. Its a metaphor because he is showing or representing a person to a leaf. How in everyday life we are alone always when we are born, are in a group of friends, or even when we die we are alone. This is a great personification because its bases on something on real life but compare to a non living object.

In conclusion, metaphors is a very strong tool to used in everyday life. For example like a family tree the father, mother, sons etc are a metaphor there are representing us a tree of leaves. Metaphor are use in my life like when I sit in a chair that has "legs" or when am hungry I can say "I can eat a horse right now". Poems always use metaphor like E E Cummings, Emily Dickinson and Robert Herrick. What I mainly life about metaphors is that we can use them to make us laugh, cry, mad or even show someone that you care. This tool has the ability make people think and see how the person is feeling to have a better understanding in life with metaphors.

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© Peter Gil 2010