Metaphor

In language, a metaphor is a rhetorical trope defined as a direct comparison between two seemingly unrelated subjects. Typically, a first object is described as being or having the properties of a second object. In this way, the first object can be economically described because implicit and explicit attributes from the second object can be used to fill in the description of the first. Some (particularly in cognitive linguistics) see metaphor as a basic cognitive function, while others prefer the term analogy for this concept. However, metaphor is not always used for practical description and understanding; sometimes it is used for purely aesthetic reasons. Metaphors are commonly confused with similes, which use the words "like" or "as."

Relationship to other figures of speech

A simile is like a metaphor, in that both compare one object with another, but while a metaphor is implicit, a simile makes the comparison explicit with a word such as "like," "as," or "than." In this respect, a metaphor is a more concrete assertion of identity, and may result in a confusion if taken literally, whereas a simile is clearly just a comparison.

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Metonymy is the substitution of a closely related word for the intended subject. Unlike a metaphor, a metonymy does not transfer qualities from one word to another; rather, it uses an existing association to draw a link between words.

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Allegory is an extended section of prose or verse which carries a meaning or message about something other than its literal subject. This can be described as an implicit metaphor.

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Metaphor taken to its extreme may be called a hyperbole (in cases where a metaphor is exaggerated) or catachresis (in cases where a metaphor borders on nonsense).

Related Topics:
Hyperbole - Catachresis

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