23 Weite
the metaphors which can be used to depict &
a Gright
Answers
Explanation:
Fiction writing would be nothing without a smattering of rhetorical devices. Bland lines like, "She was mad," are turned into colorful canvases like, "Her rage knew no end. Nothing more than a whitecap on the crest of a wave, she flung herself into battle with the fervor of a beast."
Comparing a woman to the whitecap of a wave is a metaphor. You're saying, "She was in a fury," without having to say it. In an effort to help you craft the most entertaining and suitable metaphors, let's take a look at the various types of metaphors.
Primary Metaphors
The primary metaphor is the most basic of metaphors. You've likely heard many primary metaphors throughout the course of your life and studies. Consider the classic sayings "love is blind" and "patience is a virtue." In these metaphors, two items are compared, side by side, and the meaning is clear.
In truth, these examples range on the border of dead metaphors. So, hold on for the ride. We're about to address those metaphors too.
Complex Metaphors
Complex metaphors are a combination of primary metaphors. With these, you're comparing two or more subjects.
An example might be, "Travel is no more than a sorcerer's cauldron full of emeralds." You might have to elaborate a bit on these metaphors after you've laid them on your readers. Hopefully, they'll understand your meaning, considering a sorcerer's cauldron is full of magic and emeralds are a powerful stone.
Dead Metaphors
A dead metaphor is akin to a cliché. It's a metaphor that's so overused, the entire crowd roars with eyerolls. Many of these come from exhausted love poems.
How many times have we heard someone say, "I'd be lost without you?" In fact, dead metaphors are sometimes deliberately used to invoke an eyeroll or slather on sarcasm.
Creative Metaphors
When you find yourself teetering dangerously on the edge of a dead metaphor, consider a creative metaphor instead. Make up your own! Just be sure you're writing in terms your audience will grasp.
If you're writing a novel about a time traveler, perhaps you'll come up with something fresh like, "The castle door whooshed open, reaching for her faster than a knight's gauntlet."
Extended Metaphors
A creative metaphor could lead you down the colorful path to an extended metaphor. That is, you'll be able to take that metaphor and keep referring back to it throughout an entire paragraph or the whole of your work.
Let's take the example of the knight's gauntlet at the castle door. After the main character steps through the door, perhaps she's met with an actual knight. You can use another metaphor to describe him, referencing time travel or his armor.
For example, the character might go on to notice that his gauntlet was colder than her brother's scowl. Extended metaphors are the romantic partners of creative metaphors because the ball's completely in your court and, when you've struck upon a good image, you can refer back to it a time or two again.
Absolute Metaphors
These metaphors are a tricky bunch. You must be very careful with them because they compare two terms that aren't related. Instead of painting a fetching scene, readers might be fetching your book from the fireplace.
Absolute metaphors, also known as paralogical metaphors or antimetaphors, can frustrate readers if they don't understand the connection you're making between the two. Or, worse, you face crafting a line that was meant to be insightful but just comes across as nonsensical.
An example might be, "Love is death by pampering." What exactly would the writer be getting at there? But, don't shy away from these, either. If you do it right, the local book club will be picking apart your lines over a heated debate with tea and scones.
Conceptual Metaphors
These metaphors take one subject and illustrate it in different terms. Have you ever heard a scorned lover say she "lost two weeks of her life on him"?
Implied Metaphors
Have you ever encountered a pack of mean girls? They tend to say things without actually saying them. For example, they might say, "Hanging out with her was worse than my date with Frankie."
At this point, the audience would know that Frankie, whoever he is, is unpleasant to be around. Therefore, spending time with her would be less-than-desirable. Implied metaphors live in the realm of subtlety and sarcasm.
Mixed Metaphors
Mixed metaphors are often reserved for comedy. They deliberately combine two metaphors that are incongruous or outright absurd.