| How to Write a Metaphor May 7th 2012, 00:00 Metaphors are the cold knife in your side, the speed bumps that keep you from picking up writing momentum, the hidden monster lurking in the closet of ... of ... oh, darn it. Metaphors are tough – no doubt about it – but if you follow these instructions, they can become the spice in the cuisine that is your written work! - Know what a metaphor is. A metaphor associates two concepts by stating or implying that one of them is the other (whereas a simile compares two things by saying one is "like" or "as" the other). To know what to aim for, it may help to look at a few famous examples.
- The last line of The Great Gatsby contains a very famous metaphor: "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."[1]
- William Gibson's cyberpunk novel Neuromancer opens with the line: "The sky above the port was the color of television, turned to a dead channel." [2]
- Metaphors are especially useful in poetry, as they convey a lot of ideas in a just a few words. Check out these lines from the Sylvia Plath poem "Cut": What a thrill— My thumb instead of an onion. The top quite gone Except for a sort of hinge Of skin.... A celebration this is. Out of a gap A million soldiers run, Redcoats every one.[3]
- Think imaginatively about what you're trying to describe. What characteristics does it have? What does it do? How does it make you feel? Does it have a smell or taste? Brainstorm by writing down whatever descriptions come to mind. Don't get bogged down by obvious details; metaphor is all about thinking outside the box.
- Free-associate. Jot down lots of other things that share some of these qualities, but again, don't be too linear; the less obvious the association, the more interesting the metaphor. If you're writing a metaphor about a concept, for example, flex your brain by trying to equate it with an object. (Ex. if your topic is justice, ask yourself what kind of animal it would be.)
- Avoid clichés (like the plague). As Salvadore Dalí said, "The first man to compare the cheeks of a young woman to a rose was obviously a poet; the first to repeat it was possibly an idiot."[4]
- Decide what kind of mood you'd like to set. Is there a particular tone you'd like to set or maintain? Does your metaphor need to suit the larger context of whatever it is you're writing? Use this to weed associations out of your list.
- Run with it. Write a few sentences, a paragraph, or a page comparing your original topic to some of the associations you came up with. Don't worry about forming metaphors just yet; focus on the ideas and see where they take you.
- Read everything aloud. Since metaphor draws attention to the mechanics of the language, it's important that your phrasing literally sound right. A metaphor conveying softness shouldn't have a lot of harsh consonants; one describing depth might include deeper vowel tones ("ohh" and "umm"); one conveying redundancy might include alliteration (i.e. repeated sounds); etc.
- Transform your comparisons into metaphors. Write a metaphorical sentence equating your original topic with one of your other objects or concepts. Does it make sense? Is it original? Does the sound match the feeling? Will a different one sound better? Don't accept the first thing that works; be willing to discard an idea if a better one comes to mind.
- Writing is a skill. The more you practice it, the better you get.
- Remember that stuff called "grammar"? Well, turns out it has a purpose. Be sure you write correctly so your audience clearly understands you.
- No matter how hard you try, some metaphors just don't work. If this happens, that's okay. Just kill it and move on to something else. Maybe your muse will inspire you in greater ways elsewhere.
- Understanding other figures of speech may provide additional insight into how to associate seemingly unrelated things.
- personification: association of a non-human (usually inanimate) object with a human characteristic. This is a way of giving depth to a description by bringing in all the lyrical baggage of a term we normally associate with a person. "The intrepid spelunkers entered the mountain's open maw." As you can see, the human characteristic need not be uniquely human, but it often is. "The old familiar chair welcomed her back, as if she had never gone."
- analogy: comparison of two pairs of things, a:b::c:d (e.g. hot is to cold as fire is to ice). Analogy can be used to make a satirical point, as in "My brother says he's trustworthy, but given his track record, my brother is trustworthy like Machiavelli was humanitarian." While not linear, Spenser's 16th century analogy is subtly sublime, "My love is like to ice and I to fire..."
- allegory: an extended story in which people, things or ideas represent other things, giving the story two meanings, one literal and one symbolic. In an allegory, nearly every figure and object has a meaning. Just think of Animal Farm, an allegory about the Soviet Union wherein farm animals revolt against their masters, form their own egalitarian society, and gradually recreate the very hierarchy that they fought to escape from.
- parable: a story that demonstrates the teller's point or lesson. Famous examples include Aesop's Fables (ex. a mighty lion spares a puny mouse who later frees the lion from a hunter's trap – i.e. even the weak have their strengths). Don't read any of this people can make it up and if your writing an essay it is likely that it will not be correct.
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