DevicesFoundational
Metaphor
A figure of speech that asserts identity between unlike things.
Principle
A metaphor must reveal, not merely decorate.
Takeaways
- The strongest metaphors reorganise how the reader sees the original thing.
- Mixed or layered metaphors muddy the image.
- An overworked metaphor calls attention to itself rather than its object.
Overview
Metaphor names one thing in terms of another to surface a hidden likeness. Unlike simile, it asserts rather than compares — the equivalence is held as truth for the duration of the figure.
Examples
- Time, the thief, who steals the night.
- The argument was a wall between them.
- Memory is silt that settles only in stillness.