Incorporating Incorporating MetaphorsMetaphors

Incorporating Incorporating VoiceVoice

Make Your Make Your Writing Come Writing Come

Alive with Alive with MetaphorsMetaphors

Incorporating Incorporating MetaphorsMetaphors

MetaphorsMetaphors make a comparison make a comparison withoutwithout using using likelike or or asas. They are hidden . They are hidden comparisons because, at times, they are comparisons because, at times, they are difficult to find. difficult to find.

When a statement is literal, it is not a metaphor:

The classroom was cold.

When the statement is making a comparison, it is metaphorical:

Her voice was cold.

Incorporating Incorporating MetaphorsMetaphors

MetaphorsMetaphors are often used in both are often used in both literature and in essays. They are viewed literature and in essays. They are viewed as a strong and effective writing tool and as a strong and effective writing tool and can create powerful and lasting images can create powerful and lasting images and ideas. They are also a great way to and ideas. They are also a great way to give your essay depth and maturity.give your essay depth and maturity.

My teacher knew everything; she was a walking encyclopediashe was a walking encyclopedia.

Incorporating Incorporating MetaphorsMetaphors

Be careful not to use too many Be careful not to use too many MetaphorsMetaphors in your writing. in your writing. This can cause your writing to This can cause your writing to seem as if it doesn’t have seem as if it doesn’t have enough in-depth information.enough in-depth information. MetaphorsMetaphors without a strong without a strong foundation are hollow.foundation are hollow. They They are dimly lit roomsare dimly lit rooms, never , never quite illuminating your point quite illuminating your point (see what I did there?) and are (see what I did there?) and are likely to result in lower likely to result in lower grades. Consequently, choose grades. Consequently, choose your words carefully, your words carefully, especially when incorporatingespecially when incorporating MetaphorsMetaphors in your essay.in your essay.

Incorporating Incorporating MetaphorsMetaphors

MetaphorsMetaphors not only can not only can make your writing more make your writing more intriguing but also can help intriguing but also can help you to think more deeply you to think more deeply about your subjects. about your subjects. Basically, Basically, metaphorsmetaphors are not are not just fancy additions to just fancy additions to writing; they are ways of writing; they are ways of thinking.thinking.

"Language is the road map of a "Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people culture. It tells you where its people come from, and where they are come from, and where they are going.”going.”

Incorporating Incorporating MetaphorsMetaphors

Metaphors are dimly lit rooms.Metaphors are dimly lit rooms.

How do you begin to create MetaphorsMetaphors?For one thing, you must be ready to play with language and ideas. A comparison like the following might appear in an first draft of an essay:

Metaphors are dimly lit rooms, never quite illuminating your point.

As you revise your draft, you might try adding more details to the comparison to make it more precise and interesting:

Incorporating Incorporating MetaphorsMetaphors

The grass is a of green velvet. grass is a of green velvet.

““grass is a carpet of green velvet” grass is a carpet of green velvet” is a metaphormetaphor.

You are comparing grass to velvet.

What are you comparing?What are you comparing?

Incorporating Incorporating MetaphorsMetaphors

““the room was a pigsty” the room was a pigsty” is a metaphormetaphor.

You are comparing a room to a pigsty.

I couldn’t find anything; the room was athe room was a

What are you comparing?What are you comparing?

Incorporating Incorporating MetaphorsMetaphors

““Chicago was an icebox” Chicago was an icebox” is a metaphormetaphor.

You are comparing Chicago to an icebox.

After living in Florida all of my life, I thought Chicago was anChicago was an

What are you comparing?What are you comparing?

Incorporating Incorporating MetaphorsMetaphors

““dancers were rubber bands” dancers were rubber bands” is a metaphormetaphor.

You are comparing dancers to rubber bands.

The musical was incredible to watch and the were rubber bandswere rubber bands.

What are you comparing?What are you comparing?

Incorporating Incorporating MetaphorsMetaphors

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Green – Basic MetaphorGreen – Basic MetaphorBlue – Expand to a More Detailed MetaphorBlue – Expand to a More Detailed Metaphor

Incorporating Incorporating MetaphorsMetaphors

___________________ (is/was) a

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__________________ (is/was) an

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Green – Basic MetaphorGreen – Basic MetaphorBlue – Expand to a More Detailed MetaphorBlue – Expand to a More Detailed Metaphor

Incorporating Incorporating MetaphorsMetaphors

___________________ (is/was) a

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___________________ (is/was) a

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Green – Basic MetaphorGreen – Basic MetaphorBlue – Expand to a More Detailed MetaphorBlue – Expand to a More Detailed Metaphor

Incorporating Incorporating MetaphorsMetaphors

___________________ (is/was) a

_______________________________

___________________ (is/was) a

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Green – Basic MetaphorGreen – Basic MetaphorBlue – Expand to a More Detailed MetaphorBlue – Expand to a More Detailed Metaphor

Incorporating Incorporating MetaphorsMetaphors

_________________ (is/was)

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__________________ (is/was) a

______________________________

Green – Basic MetaphorGreen – Basic MetaphorBlue – Expand to a More Detailed MetaphorBlue – Expand to a More Detailed Metaphor

Green – Basic MetaphorGreen – Basic MetaphorBlue – Expand to a More Detailed MetaphorBlue – Expand to a More Detailed Metaphor

Incorporating Incorporating MetaphorsMetaphors

___________________ (is/was) a

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___________________ (is/was) a

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