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Last updated on Feb 11, 2022

90+ Must-Know Metaphor Examples to Improve Your Prose

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About Dario Villirilli

Editor-in-Chief of the Reedsy blog, Dario is a graduate of Mälardalen University. As a freelance writer, he has written for many esteemed outlets aimed at writers. A traveler at heart, he can be found roaming the world and working from his laptop.

What figure of speech is so meta that it forms the very basis of riddles? The answer: a metaphor.

As Milan Kundera wrote in The Unbearable Lightness of Being : “Metaphors are dangerous. Metaphors are not to be trifled with.” Yet, paradoxically, they are an inescapable part of our daily lives — which is why it’s all the more important to understand exactly how they function.

To help, this article has a list of 97 metaphor examples to show you what they look like in the wild. But if you have a moment to spare, let's learn a bit more about what a metaphor is.

What is a metaphor?

A metaphor is a literary device that imaginatively draws a comparison between two unlike things. It does this by stating that Thing A is Thing B. Through this method of equation, metaphors can help explain concepts and ideas by colorfully linking the unknown to the known; the abstract to the concrete; the incomprehensible to the comprehensible. It can also be a rhetorical device that specifically appeals to our sensibilities as readers.

To give you a starting point, here are some examples of common metaphors:

• “Bill is an early bird.”
• “Life is a highway.”
• “Her eyes were diamonds.”

Note that metaphors are always non-literal. As much as you might like to greet your significant other with a warhammer in hand (“love is a battlefield”) or bring 50 tanks of gasoline every time you go on a date (“love is a journey”), that’s not likely to happen in reality. Another spoiler alert: no, Katy Perry doesn't literally think that you're a firework. Rather, these are all instances of metaphors in action.

How does a metaphor differ from a simile?

Simile and metaphor are both figures of speech that draw resemblances between two things. However, the devil’s in the details. Unlike metaphors, similes use like and as to directly create the comparison. “Life is like a box of chocolates,” for instance, is a simile. But if you say, “Life is a highway,” you’re putting a metaphor in motion.

The best way to understand how a metaphor can be used is to see it in practice — luckily, we’ve got a bucket-load of metaphor examples handy for you to peruse.

The Ultimate List of 90+ Metaphor Examples

Metaphors penetrate the entire spectrum of our existence — so we turned to many mediums to dig them up, from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to the Backstreet Boys’ ancient discography. Feel free to skip to your section of interest below for metaphor examples.

Literature Poetry Daily Expressions Songs Films Famous Quotations

Metaphors in literature are drops of water: as essential as they are ubiquitous. Writers use literary metaphors to evoke an emotional response or paint a vivid picture. Other times, a metaphor might explain a phenomenon. Given the amount of nuance that goes into it, a metaphor example in a text can sometimes deserve as much interpretation as the text itself.

Metaphors can make prose more muscular or imagery more vivid:

1. “Exhaustion is a thin blanket tattered with bullet holes.” ― If Then , Matthew De Abaitua

2. “But it is just two lovers, holding hands and in a hurry to reach their car, their locked hands a starfish leaping through the dark.” ― Rabbit, Run , John Updike

3. “The sun in the west was a drop of burning gold that slid near and nearer the sill of the world.” — Lord of the Flies , William Golding

4. “Bobby Holloway says my imagination is a three-hundred-ring circus. Currently I was in ring two hundred and ninety-nine, with elephants dancing and clowns cart wheeling and tigers leaping through rings of fire. The time had come to step back, leave the main tent, go buy some popcorn and a Coke, bliss out, cool down.” — Seize the Night ,   Dean Koontz

Writers frequently turn to metaphors to describe people in unexpected ways:

5. “But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!” — Romeo & Juliet , William Shakespeare

6. “Who had they been, all these mothers and sisters and wives? What were they now? Moons, blank and faceless, gleaming with borrowed light, each spinning loyally around a bigger sphere.  ‘Invisible,’ said Faith under her breath. Women and girls were so often unseen, forgotten, afterthoughts. Faith herself had used it to good effect, hiding in plain sight and living a double life. But she had been blinded by exactly the same invisibility-of-the-mind, and was only just realizing it.” ― The Lie Tree , Frances Hardinge

7. “’I am a shark, Cassie,’ he says slowly, drawing the words out, as if he might be speaking to me for the last time. Looking into my eyes with tears in his, as if he's seeing me for the last time. "A shark who dreamed he was a man.’” ― The Last Star , Rick Yancey

8. “Her mouth was a fountain of delight.” — The Storm , Kate Chopin

9. “The parents looked upon Matilda in particular as nothing more than a scab. A scab is something you have to put up with until the time comes when you can pick it off and flick it away.” — Matilda , Roald Dahl

10. “Mr. Neck storms into class, a bull chasing thirty-three red flags." — Speak , Laurie Anderson

11. “’Well, you keep away from her, cause she’s a rattrap if I ever seen one.’” — Of Mice and Men , John Steinbeck

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Metaphors can help “visualize” a situation or put an event in context:

12. “But now, O Lord, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand.” —Isaiah 64:8

13. “He could hear Beatty's voice. ‘Sit down, Montag. Watch. Delicately, like the petals of a flower. Light the first page, light the second page. Each becomes a black butterfly. Beautiful, eh? Light the third page from the second and so on, chainsmoking, chapter by chapter, all the silly things the words mean, all the false promises, all the second-hand notions and time-worn philosophies.’” — Fahrenheit 451 , Ray Bradbury

To entertain and tickle the brain, metaphor examples sometimes compare two extremely unlike things:

14. “Delia was an overbearing cake with condescending frosting, and frankly, I was on a diet.” ― Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception , Maggie Stiefvater

15. "The sun was a toddler insistently refusing to go to bed: It was past eight thirty and still light.” — Fault in Our Stars , John Green

16. “If wits were pins, the man would be a veritable hedgehog.” ― Fly by Night , Frances Hardinge

17. “What's this?" he inquired, none too pleasantly. "A circus?" "No, Julius. It's the end of the circus." "I see. And these are the clowns?" Foaly's head poked through the doorway. "Pardon me for interrupting your extended circus metaphor, but what the hell is that?” ― Artemis Fowl , Eoin Colfer

18. “Using a metaphor in front of a man as unimaginative as Ridcully was the same as putting a red flag to a bu — the same as putting something very annoying in front of someone who was annoyed by it.” ― Lords and Ladies , Terry Pratchett

Metaphors can help frame abstract concepts in ways that readers can easily grasp:

19. “My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations.” —The Fault In Our Stars , John Green

20. “If you can look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow and which will not, speak then to me.” — Macbeth , William Shakespeare

21. “Memories are bullets. Some whiz by and only spook you. Others tear you open and leave you in pieces.” ― Kill the Dead , Richard Kadrey

22. “Wishes are thorns, he told himself sharply. They do us no good, just stick into our skin and hurt us.” ― A Face Like Glass , Frances Hardinge

23. “’Life' wrote a friend of mine, 'is a public performance on the violin, in which you must learn the instrument as you go along.” ― A Room with a View , E.M. Forster

24. “There was an invisible necklace of nows, stretching out in front of her along the crazy, twisting road, each bead a golden second.” ― Cuckoo Song , Frances Hardinge

25. “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” — As You Like It , William Shakespeare

Particularly prominent in the realm of poetry is the extended metaphor: a single metaphor that extends throughout all or part of a piece of work . Also known as a conceit , it is used by poets to develop an idea or concept in great detail over the length of a poem. (And we have some metaphor examples for you below.)

If you’d like to get a sense of the indispensable role that metaphors play in poetry, look no further than what Robert Frost once said: “They are having night schools now, you know, for college graduates. Why? Because they don’t know when they are being fooled by a metaphor. Education by poetry is education by metaphor.”

Poets use metaphors directly in the text to explain emotions and opinions:

26. She must make him happy. She must be his favorite place in Minneapolis. You are a souvenir shop, where he goes to remember how much people miss him when he is gone. —“ Unrequited Love Poem ,” Sierra DeMulder

27. She is all states, and all princes, I. Nothing else is. Princes do but play us; compared to this, All honour's mimic, all wealth alchemy. —“ The Sun Rising ,” John Donne

28. I watched a girl in a sundress kiss another girl on a park bench, and just as the sunlight spilled perfectly onto both of their hair, I thought to myself: How bravely beautiful it is, that sometimes, the sea wants the city, even when it has been told its entire life it was meant for the shore. —“I Watched A Girl In A Sundress,” Christopher Poindexter

Extended metaphors in particular explore and advance major themes in poems:

29. All our words are but crumbs that fall down from the feast of the mind. Thinking is always the stumbling stone to poetry. A great singer is he who sings our silences. How can you sing if your mouth be filled with food? How shall your hand be raised in blessing if it is filled with gold? They say the nightingale pierces his bosom with a thorn when he sings his love song. —“ Sand and Foam ,” Khalil Gibran

30. But a BIRD that stalks down his narrow cage / Can seldom see through his bars of rage / His wings are clipped and his feet are tied So he opens his throat to sing. —“ Caged Bird ,” Maya Angelou

31. Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by / And that has made all the difference. —“ The Road Not Taken ,” Robert Frost

32. Marriage is not a house or even a tent it is before that, and colder: the edge of the forest, the edge of the desert the edge of the receding glacier where painfully and with wonder at having survived even this far we are learning to make fire —“ Habitation ,” Margaret Atwood

33. These poems do not live: it's a sad diagnosis. They grew their toes and fingers well enough, Their little foreheads bulged with concentration. If they missed out on walking about like people It wasn't for any lack of mother-love. —“ Stillborn ,” Sylvia Plath

34. Hope is the thing with feathers / That perches in the soul / And sings the tune without the words / And never stops at all. —“ Hope Is The Thing With Feathers ,” Emily Dickinson

Expressions

Here’s some food for thought (35): you’ve probably already used a metaphor (or more) in your daily speech today without even realizing it. Metaphorical expressions pepper the English language by helping us illustrate and pinpoint exactly what we want to say. As a result, metaphors are everywhere in our common vocabulary: you may even be drowning in a sea (36) of them as we speak. But let’s cut to our list of metaphor examples before we jump the shark (37).

38. Love is a battlefield.

39. You’ve given me something to chew on.

40. He’s just blowing off steam.

41. That is music to my ears.

42. Love is a fine wine.

43. She’s a thorn in my side.

44. You are the light in my life.

45. He has the heart of a lion.

46. Am I talking to a brick wall?

47. He has ants in his pants.

48. Beauty is a fading flower.

49. She has a heart of stone.

50. Fear is a beast that feeds on attention.

51. Life is a journey.

52. He’s a late bloomer.

53. He is a lame duck now.

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Metaphors are a must-have tool in every lyricist’s toolkit. From Elvis to Beyonce, songwriters use them to instinctively connect listeners to imagery and paint a visual for them. Most of the time, they find new ways to describe people, love — and, of course, break-ups. So if you’re thinking, “This is so sad Alexa play Titanium,” right now, you’re in the right place: here’s a look at some metaphor examples in songs.

54. You ain't nothin' but a hound dog / Cryin' all the time —“Hound Dog,” Elvis Presley

55. You're a fallen star / You're the getaway car / You're the line in the sand / When I go too far / You're the swimming pool / On an August day / And you're the perfect thing to say — “Everything,” Michael Buble

56. 'Cause baby you're a firework / Come on show 'em what your worth / Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!" / As you shoot across the sky-y-y — “Firework,” Katy Perry

57. I'm bulletproof nothing to lose / Fire away, fire away / Ricochet, you take your aim / Fire away, fire away / You shoot me down but I won't fall, I am titanium —“Titanium,” David Guetta

58. Life is a highway / I wanna ride it all night long / If you're going my way / I wanna drive it all night long —“Life Is A Highway,” Rascal Flatts

59. She's a Saturn with a sunroof / With her brown hair a-blowing / She's a soft place to land / And a good feeling knowing / She's a warm conversation —“She’s Everything,” Brad Paisley

60. I'm a marquise diamond / Could even make that Tiffany jealous / You say I give it to you hard / So bad, so bad / Make you never wanna leave / I won't, I won't —“Good For You,’ Selena Gomez

61. Remember those walls I built / Well, baby, they're tumbling down / And they didn't even put up a fight / They didn't even make a sound —“Halo,” Beyonce

62. Did I ever tell you you're my hero? / You're everything, everything I wish I could be / Oh, and I, I could fly higher than an eagle / For you are the wind beneath my wings / 'Cause you are the wind beneath my wings —“Wind Beneath My Wings,” Bette Midler

63. You are my fire / The one desire / Believe when I say I want it that way —“I Want It That Way,” Backstreet Boys

64. Your body is a wonderland / Your body is a wonder (I'll use my hands) / Your body is a wonderland —“Your Body Is A Wonderland,” John Mayer

65. I'm walking on sunshine (Wow!) / I'm walking on sunshine (Wow!) / I'm walking on sunshine (Wow!) / And don't it feel good —“I’m Walking On Sunshine,” Katrina and the Waves

66. If you wanna be with me / Baby there's a price to pay / I'm a genie in a bottle / You gotta rub me the right way —“Genie in a Bottle,” Christina Aguilera

67. If God is a DJ, life is a dance floor / Love is the rhythm, you are the music / If God is a DJ, life is a dance floor / You get what you're given it's all how you use it —“God Is A DJ,” P!nk

68. If this town / Is just an apple / Then let me take a bite —“Human Nature,” Michael Jackson

69. I just wanna be part of your symphony / Will you hold me tight and not let go? —“Symphony,” Clean Bandit

70. My heart's a stereo / It beats for you, so listen close / Hear my thoughts in every note —“Stereo Hearts,” Gym Class Heroes

71. I'm the sunshine in your hair / I'm the shadow on the ground / I'm the whisper in the wind / I'm your imaginary friend —“I’m Already There,” Lonestar

Films can add a different angle to the concept of a metaphor: because it’s a visual medium, certain objects on-screen will actually represent whatever the filmmaker intends it to represent. The same principle applies, of course — there’s still a direct comparison being made. It’s just that we can see the metaphor examples with our own eyes now.

Films can visually make clear comparisons between two elements on the screen:

72. “What beautiful blossoms we have this year. But look, this one’s late. I’ll bet that when it blooms it will be the most beautiful of all.” —from  Mulan

73. “Love is an open door Can I say something crazy? Will you marry me? Can I say something even crazier? Yes!” —from  Frozen

Metaphors are used in dialogue for characters to express themselves:

74. “You're television incarnate, Diana. Indifferent to suffering, insensitive to joy.” — Network

75. “Life's a climb. But the view is great.” — Hannah Montana: the Movie

Did you know that Plato was using metaphors to express his thoughts all the way back in 427 BC? Since then, some of our greatest minds have continued to turn to metaphors when illuminating ideas in front of the general public — a practice that’s become particularly prominent in political speeches and pithy witticisms. Here’s a sample of some of the ways that famous quotes have incorporated metaphor examples in the past.

76. “All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree.” —Albert Einstein

77. “A good conscience is a continual Christmas.” —Benjamin Franklin

78. “America has tossed its cap over the wall of space.” —John F. Kennedy

79. “I don't approve of political jokes; I have seen too many of them get elected.” —Jon Stewart

80. “Conscience is a man’s compass.” —Vincent Van Gogh

81. “In the depths of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” —Albert Camus

82. “Time is the moving image of eternity.” ―Plato

83. “Every human is a school subject. This is rather a metaphorical way of saying it, to put it straight, those you love are few, and the ones you detest are many.” ―Michael Bassey Johnson

84. “Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.” —Will Rogers

85. “Life is little more than a loan shark: it exacts a very high rate of interest for the few pleasures it concedes.” —Luigi Pirandello

86. “America: in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words.  With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come.” —Barack Obama

87. “Bolshevism is a ghoul descending from a pile of skulls. It is not a policy; it is a disease. It is not a creed; it is a pestilence.” —Winston Churchill

88. “Books are mirrors of the soul.” —Virginia Woolf

89. “My life has a superb cast, but I can't figure out the plot.” —Ashleigh Brilliant

90. “I feel like we’re all in a super shitty Escape Room with really obvious clues like, ‘vote’ and ‘believe women’ and ‘don’t put children in cages.’” — Natasha Rothwell

91. “I travel the world, and I'm happy to say that America is still the great melting pot — maybe a chunky stew rather than a melting pot at this point, but you know what I mean.” —Philip Glass

92. “Life is a long road on a short journey.” —James Lendall Basford

93. “What therefore is truth? A mobile army of metaphors, metonymies, anthropomorphisms: in short a sum of human relations which become poetically and rhetorically intensified, metamorphosed, adorned, and after long usage seem to a nation fixed, canonic and binding.” —Nietzsche

94. “Life is a foreign language: all men mispronounce it.” —Christopher Morley

95. “Dying is a wild night and a new road.” —Emily Dickinson

96. “And your very flesh shall be a great poem.” —Walt Whitman

And as a bonus gift, here’s one last metaphor for the road, from one of our brightest philosophers. We’ll let Calvin have the last word:

6 responses

James Hubbs says:

21/10/2018 – 23:44

Very useful article. Thank you. However, Fahrenheit 451 was written by Ray Bradbury, not George Orwell.

↪️ Reedsy replied:

22/10/2018 – 00:42

Great spot, James! That's now been fixed. Glad that the article was useful :)

Jonboy says:

21/05/2019 – 19:11

That Sylvia Plath quote nailed me. Ouch! Haven't read it but have to now...

21/06/2019 – 17:02

Another metaphor I love is “I’m just like them— an ordinary drone dressed in secrets and lies.” It’s from Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

DAVID COWART says:

18/11/2019 – 01:59

life is a highway is Tom Cochrane, not Rascal Flats

↪️ Martin Cavannagh replied:

22/11/2019 – 12:54

Rascal Flatts did a cover of the song. We were deciding between the two and decided that "Rascal Flatts" sounded funnier :D

Comments are currently closed.

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25 Metaphors for Writing

The vibrant world of metaphors for writing, where the power of language transcends mere words and takes on a life of its own. In this exploration, we will delve into various metaphors that paint a vivid picture of the writing process.

Each metaphor is a lens through which we can view the art of writing, revealing its complexities and nuances. Let’s embark on a journey of words that go beyond mere communication, forming a symphony of expression and creativity.

Metaphors for Writing

1. the pen is mightier than the sword.

Meaning: This metaphor suggests that the power of words and ideas is stronger and more influential than physical force or violence.

In a Sentence: In the realm of literature, the pen is not just a writing instrument; it becomes a formidable force that shapes minds and ideologies, proving mightier than the sword.

2. A Blank Canvas

Meaning: This metaphor likens a blank piece of paper or a blank screen to a blank canvas, suggesting that the writer has the opportunity to create something new and original.

In a Sentence: Facing the blank canvas of a new writing project, the author feels the exhilarating freedom to paint a literary masterpiece with the strokes of imagination.

3. A Tapestry of Words

Meaning: This metaphor compares writing to the creation of a tapestry, with words and ideas being woven together to create a cohesive and intricate whole.

In a Sentence: In the hands of a skillful writer, each word becomes a thread, weaving seamlessly into a tapestry of emotions and ideas that captivates the reader.

4. A Symphony of Language

Meaning: This metaphor compares writing to the creation of music, with words and ideas coming together to form a harmonious and pleasing composition.

In a Sentence: The writer orchestrates a symphony of language, where each word plays a unique note, contributing to the harmonious melody of the narrative.

5. A Journey of the Mind

Meaning: This metaphor suggests that writing is a way of exploring and discovering new ideas, much like a journey through unfamiliar territory.

In a Sentence: Embarking on a literary journey, the writer navigates uncharted realms of thought, discovering hidden landscapes of imagination.

6. A Garden of Words

Meaning: This metaphor compares writing to the cultivation and growth of a garden, with words and ideas being carefully nurtured and tended.

In a Sentence: In the writer’s garden, ideas bloom like vibrant flowers, each word a carefully nurtured seed that sprouts into a landscape of literary beauty.

7. A House of Words

Meaning: This metaphor compares writing to the construction of a house, with words and ideas being carefully arranged to create a solid and coherent structure.

In a Sentence: The writer builds a house of words, crafting a narrative architecture that provides both stability and intrigue for the reader.

8. A Puzzle of Words

Meaning: This metaphor compares writing to the creation of a puzzle, with words and ideas fitting together to form a cohesive whole.

In a Sentence: As the writer assembles the puzzle of words, each piece falls into place, revealing a complete and satisfying picture for the reader to unravel.

9. A Mosaic of Words

Meaning: This metaphor compares writing to the creation of a mosaic, with words and ideas being arranged and pieced together to create a colorful and intricate design.

In a Sentence: The writer skillfully arranges words into a mosaic of emotions and images, creating a literary masterpiece that dazzles and captivates.

10. A River of Words

Meaning: This metaphor compares writing to a flowing river, with words and ideas flowing smoothly and naturally together.

In a Sentence: The writer’s words flow like a gentle river, carrying the reader on a journey through the narrative’s twists and turns with effortless grace.

11. A Fireworks Display of Language

Meaning: This metaphor compares writing to a fireworks display, with words and ideas being bright and colorful and creating a sense of excitement and wonder.

In a Sentence: The writer’s language bursts forth like a fireworks display, captivating the reader with the brilliance and intensity of each carefully crafted word.

12. A Ladder of Language

Meaning: This metaphor compares writing to a ladder, with words and ideas being used to climb higher and reach new heights of understanding and insight.

In a Sentence: With each rung of the literary ladder, the writer ascends to new levels of comprehension, offering the reader a panoramic view of knowledge and enlightenment.

13. A Painting with Words

Meaning: This metaphor compares writing to the creation of a painting, with words and ideas being used to create a visual and expressive representation of a subject.

In a Sentence: The writer’s words become strokes of a brush, painting a vivid canvas that immerses the reader in the rich colors and textures of the narrative.

14. A Sculpture of Words

Meaning: This metaphor compares writing to the creation of a sculpture, with words and ideas being shaped and molded to form a three-dimensional object.

In a Sentence: The writer sculpts the narrative with precision, molding words into a tangible and evocative form that engages the reader on multiple levels.

15. A Palette of Words

Meaning: This metaphor compares writing to the selection and use of colors on a palette, with words and ideas being chosen and arranged to create a particular effect or mood.

In a Sentence: The writer carefully selects from a palette of words, infusing the narrative with hues that evoke emotions and set the tone for the reader’s experience.

16. A Toolbox of Language

Meaning: This metaphor compares writing to the use of tools, with words and ideas being used to accomplish a specific task or purpose.

In a Sentence: Equipped with a toolbox of language, the writer skillfully employs words as instruments, shaping the narrative with precision and expertise.

17. A Map of Words

Meaning: This metaphor compares writing to a map, with words and ideas being used to guide the reader through a particular topic or idea.

In a Sentence: The writer unfolds a map of words, guiding the reader on a literary journey that navigates the intricate terrain of ideas and perspectives.

18. A Theater of the Mind

Meaning: This metaphor compares writing to a play, with words and ideas being used to create a vivid and immersive experience for the reader.

In a Sentence: The writer stages a theater of the mind, where the reader becomes an active participant in the unfolding drama of the narrative.

19. A Bridge of Words

Meaning: This metaphor compares writing to a bridge, with words and ideas being used to connect and facilitate communication between different ideas or perspectives.

In a Sentence: The writer constructs a bridge of words, spanning the gap between disparate thoughts and fostering a connection between the author and the reader.

20. A Window Into the Soul

Meaning: This metaphor compares writing to a window, with words and ideas being used to provide a glimpse into the inner thoughts and feelings of the writer.

In a Sentence: Through the writer’s words, the reader peers into a window into the soul, gaining insight into the depths of the author’s emotions and perspectives.

21. A Mirror of the World

Meaning: This metaphor compares writing to a mirror, with words and ideas being used to reflect and reveal the complexities and nuances of the world around us.

In a Sentence: The writer’s words serve as a mirror, reflecting the intricate tapestry of the world and inviting the reader to see familiar landscapes in a new and insightful light.

22. A Lens Into the Past

Meaning: This metaphor compares writing to a lens, with words and ideas being used to focus and examine the events and experiences of the past.

In a Sentence: The writer’s words act as a lens, bringing historical events into sharp focus and allowing the reader to explore the past with clarity and understanding.

In the kaleidoscope of metaphors for writing, each comparison offers a unique perspective on the art of expression. From the might of the pen to the vivid imagery of a fireworks display, writers wield a diverse array of tools to craft narratives that resonate with readers. As we conclude this exploration, may these metaphors inspire you to view writing not merely as a skill but as a rich tapestry of creativity and communication, where words become the threads that weave the fabric of human connection.

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The Big List of 125+ Metaphor Examples and Tips for Writers

Metaphors are everywhere! To help you understand this rhetorical device, here’s a big list of 125+ metaphor examples   (plus tips for writers ). But first, let’s talk about the engine of storytelling that make metaphors work.

All About Metaphors

What is a metaphor?

A metaphor compares two dissimilar things by equating one thing as the other thing. By this comparison, our minds can bring one idea into the conceptual space of another idea. When you compare two objects, one of them is seen in a different light, illuminated and re-configured through that comparison.

The concrete becomes abstract, the ephemeral grounded momentarily, the unknown related to the known in a way that helps us understand. This tendency to compare two unlike things is a very human activity.

In fact, our brains are designed to think in metaphorical constructs. George Lakoff explains that “One of the fundamental findings of cognitive science is that people think in terms of frames and metaphors […] The frames are in the synapses of our brains, physically present in the form of neural circuitry. When the facts don’t fit the frames, the frames are kept and the facts ignored.” We see things differently when we look through the lens of metaphor.

Our minds weave ideas together continuously so that we can better understand events, objects, and even people and their motivations. Metaphors are not literal at all — in fact, they are intentionally told as figurative retellings of the world, laying a fabric of imaginative story over raw reality and transforming that reality into a mini-story.

Before we get to the big list of metaphor examples , it’s useful to know there are different ways of writing metaphors.

Metaphor VS. Simile

Metaphor is the big idea behind the comparison between two different objects. However, in English, we use two different words to describe different instances of the rhetorical device known as a metaphor.

A metaphor proper compares two things by simply stating that this thing is that thing. A = B.

Metaphor Examples

Examples of basic metaphors include:

• “Mary is a ray of sunshine.”
• “I’m swimming in emails.”
• “Vacation is heaven.”
• “Love is a battlefield.”

Simile Examples

A simile is a metaphor that uses the words like or as to make the same sort of metaphorical comparison.

Examples of similes in action include:

• “Dale works like a grumpy donkey.”
• “Life is like a box of chocolates.”
• “Her face shines as a jewel.”

Writers on Metaphorical Writing

Metaphors can bring the joy of storytelling into every sentence that you create and can propel your readers forward through your story. To provide you with a navigational map through the sea of metaphors, I’ve listed 125 metaphor examples  at work. But before we get to the big list, let’s see what famous writers have said about the power of metaphor.

The British novelist Mary Anne Evans (who published as George Eliot ) wrote about how metaphor compels us to act: “For we all of us, grave or light, get our thoughts entangled in metaphors, and act fatally on the strength of them.”

The Czech writer Milan Kundera agreed with Eliot. He wrote: “Metaphors are dangerous. Metaphors are not to be trifled with.” Yet despite this danger, novelists need to use metaphor to communicate deeper truths.

The hilarious Terry Pratchett sums up the idea in one of his novels: “A metaphor is a kind o’ lie to help people understand what’s true.”

Pratchett was on the right path. Because as one of the authors of the entire modern way of thinking about logic and storytelling told us, achieving master in metaphor is the height of storytelling. Aristotle said: “The greatest thing by far is to be a master of metaphor; it is the one thing that cannot be learnt from others; and it is also a sign of genius, since a good metaphor implies an intuitive perception of the similarity in the dissimilar.”

The inimitable Ray Bradbury described his writing this way: “I speak in tongues. I write metaphors. Every one of my stories is a metaphor you can remember. The great religions are all metaphor. We appreciate things like Daniel and the lion’s den, and the Tower of Babel. People remember these metaphors because they are so vivid.”

Finally, the Italian novelist and critic Umberto Eco explained the device precisely: “Metaphors set up not only similarities but also oppositions. A cup and a shield are alike in their form (round and concave), but opposite in their function (peace vs. war), just as Ares and Dionysus are alike insofar as they are gods, but opposite with regard to the ends they pursue and to the instruments they use.”

The Big List of 125+ Metaphors

Metaphors make us human and bring us into a story. They serve as guideposts on the storytelling path and help us navigate our experience. The wonderful novelist Haruki Murakami tells us that we should not try to explain them, but instead embrace the idea. Murakami writes: “Allegories and metaphors are not something you should explain in words. You just grasp them and accept them.”

In the big list of metaphor examples below, you’ll find metaphors from many writers in many genres of literature.

Browse freely — skip around! Enjoy swimming in the sea of metaphor!

Everyday Expressions

Human beings naturally think in metaphor. So you probably use metaphorical ideas in conversation every day. Metaphorical expressions populate the English language with verve and insight. Here are a few everyday expressions that are, in fact, metaphors.

Fit as a fiddle

Happy as a clam

Dull as dishwater

That man is a pig.

She is an old flame

Silent as the grave

Time is money

He is sharp as a tack

You are my sunshine

You are the light in my life.

That politician is a lame duck.

Don’t talk to a brick wall

She has ants in her pants.

Fear feeds on attention.

Depression is a dark shadow.

Joy is a gift.

Life is a journey.

She’s a late bloomer.

Human beings invented storytelling when our communication was an oral culture. Stories we told around the fire, or sung by storytellers who memorized by listening to other storytellers. In fact, early writers such as Socrates and Plato argued about the relative merits of writing stories down instead of telling or singing them! Today, storytellers continue to use song to entrance us — and every lyricist uses metaphors.

It might seem crazy what I’m ’bout to say / Sunshine she’s here, you can take a break / I’m a hot air balloon that could go to space / With the air, like I don’t care, baby, by the way– Pharrell Williams – Happy

I can’t let you go, your hand prints on my soul / It’s like your eyes are liquor, it’s like your body is gold– End Game, Taylor Swift

See the girl with the diamonds in her shoes? Yeah / She walks around like she’s got nothing to lose / Faith– Stevie Wonder and Ariana Grand

Did I ever tell you you’re my hero? / You’re everything, everything I wish I could be / Oh, and I, I could fly higher than an eagle / For you are the wind beneath my wings / ‘Cause you are the wind beneath my wings “Wind Beneath My Wings,” Bette Midler

If this town / Is just an apple / Then let me take a bite– “Human Nature,” Michael Jackson

You are my fire / The one desire / Believe when I say I want it that way– “I Want It That Way,” Backstreet Boys

Your body is a wonderland / Your body is a wonder (I’ll use my hands) / Your body is a wonderland– “Your Body Is A Wonderland,” John Mayer

The world was on fire and no one could save me but you / It’s strange what desire will make foolish people do…. / What a wicked game you play, to make me feel this way — Wicked Game, Chris Isaak

I’m walking on sunshine (Wow!) / I’m walking on sunshine (Wow!) / I’m walking on sunshine (Wow!) / And don’t it feel good —“I’m Walking On Sunshine,” Katrina and the Waves

If you wanna be with me / Baby there’s a price to pay / I’m a genie in a bottle / You gotta rub me the right way– “Genie in a Bottle,” Christina Aguilera

If God is a DJ, life is a dance floor / Love is the rhythm, you are the music / If God is a DJ, life is a dance floor / You get what you’re given it’s all how you use it– “God Is A DJ,” P!nk

My heart’s a stereo / It beats for you, so listen close / Hear my thoughts in every note– “Stereo Hearts,” Gym Class Heroes

I’m the sunshine in your hair / I’m the shadow on the ground / I’m the whisper in the wind / I’m your imaginary friend– “I’m Already There,” Lonestar

A tornado flew around my room before you came / excuse the mess it made, it usually doesn’t rain in Southern California– Thinking Bout You – Frank Ocean

Oh, she got both feet on the ground / And she’s burning it down / Oh, she got her head in the clouds / And she’s not backing down / This girl is on fire– Alicia Keys – Girl On Fire

Metaphor is used extensively in the literary arts.  In fact, much of the formalist movement in literary criticism focused on analyzing the effects and the implications of metaphor in literature.

Writers therefore often think in metaphors. This is the common mode of expression of great writers. Here are examples from several of our greatest literary thinkers.

In the depths of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer. —Albert Camus

Books are mirrors of the soul. — Virginia Woolf

She is a friend of my mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order.― Toni Morrison

“Anger is the wind which blows out the lamp of the mind.” ―  Bodie Thoene

“If funkytown was a trailerpark, this guy would be a double-wide.”― Maya Angelou

What therefore is truth? A mobile army of metaphors, metonymies, anthropomorphisms: in short a sum of human relations which become poetically and rhetorically intensified, metamorphosed, adorned, and after long usage seem to a nation fixed, canonic and binding. —Friedrich Nietzsche

Dying is a wild night and a new road. —Emily Dickinson

I have a huge and savage conscience that won’t let me get away with things.― Octavia E. Butler

And your very flesh shall be a great poem.– Walt Whitman

“Happiness is the china shop; love is the bull.” ― H.L. Mencken

“Life is a moderately good play with a badly written third act.” ― Truman Capote

“Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people…. Religion is only the illusory Sun which revolves around man as long as he does not revolve around himself.” ― Karl Marx

“Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.” ― Truman Capote

“I’m a little pencil in the hand of a writing God, who is sending a love letter to the world.”― Mother Teresa

“Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. ” ― Edna St. Vincent Millay

Poetry is often constructed of extended metaphor. This is a technique that takes a single comparative idea and explores how that idea works in a longer work of poetry. In earlier times, this extended metaphorical device was also known as a  conceit . Here are some examples from poetic history.

Let’s start with a famous yet complete poem that contains several metaphors throughout:

Hold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow. — Dreams, Langston Hughes

And in this poem, Syliva Plath describes her pregnancy:

An elephant, a ponderous house A melon strolling on two tendrils….. I’ve eaten a bag of green apples, Boarded the train there’s no getting off. — Sylvia Plath, Metaphors

Before high piled books, in character, Hold like rich garners the full-ripened grain. — When I have Fears, John Keats

Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all. – Emily Dickinson

The world is charged with the grandeur of God. It will flame out, like shining from shook foil; It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil — God’s Grandeur, Gerard Manley Hopkins

We often sing lullabies to our children that we ourselves may sleep. All our words are but crumbs that fall down from the feast of the mind. Thinking is always the stumbling stone to poetry. A great singer is he who sings our silences. “Sand and Foam,” Khalil Gibran

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom. —“Caged Bird,” Maya Angelou

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. —“The Road Not Taken,” Robert Frost

Marriage is not a house or even a tent it is before that, and colder: the edge of the forest, the edge of the desert —“Habitation,” Margaret Atwood .

Metaphors in the Bible

One of the earliest written collections of a culture’s literature is today known as the Bible. The Bible is actually a collection of many shorter works, which were later compiled into one volume. The Bible contains many examples of literary technique, among them many instances of metaphorical language.

The teaching of the wise a fountain of life . — Proverbs 13:14

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.– Matthew 5:13

Jesus said to them, ‘ i am the bread of life; he who comes to me will not hunger, and he who believes in me will never thirst.’– John 6:35

O Lord, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand.– Isaiah 64:8

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.– Psalm 23:1

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘ i am the Light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.’– John 8:12

“I am the good shepherd, … and I lay down my life for the sheep.”– John 10:14-15

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.– Psalm 18:2

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.– John 15:5

Shakespeare

William Shakespeare is broadly considered to be the greatest playwright in the English language. It might be interesting to know that many of the common metaphors we use in everyday speech today originated in Shakespeare’s prose. Here are some examples of both everyday phrases that came from Shakespeare’s pen, as well as other metaphorical examples from Shakespeare’s wonderful writing.

‘wild goose chase’ ―  William Shakespeare,  Romeo and Juliet

‘seen better days’ ―  William Shakespeare, As You Like It

‘forever and a day’ ―  William Shakespeare, As You Like It

‘good riddance’ ―  William Shakespeare,  Troilus and Cressida .

“When the devout religion of mine eye Maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fires, And these, who, often drowned, could never die, Transparent heretics, be burnt for liars! One fairer than my love? The all-seeing sun Ne’er saw her match since first the world begun.” ― William Shakespeare,   Romeo and Juliet

But, look, the morn, in russet mantle clad, Walks o’er the dew of yon high eastern hill ―  William Shakespeare,  Hamlet

Look, love, what envious streaks Do lace the severing clouds in yonder East: Night’s candles are burnt out, and jocund day Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops — William Shakespeare,  Romeo and Juliet

His face is all carbuncles, and whelks, and knobs, and flames of fire; and his lips plows at his nose, and it is like a coal of fire, sometimes blue, and sometimes red; but his nose is executed, and his fire is out. ―  William Shakespeare,  Henry V

Thou  sure and firm-set earth, Hear not my steps, which way they walk, for fear The very stones prate of my whereabout, And take the present horror from the time, Which now suits with it. ―  William Shakespeare,  Macbeth

For his bounty, There was no Winter in’t; an Autumn  ’twas That grew the more by reaping: his delights Were dolphin-like; they show’d his back above The element they liv’d in: in his livery Walk’d crowns and crownets ―  William Shakespeare,  Antony & Cleopatra

Death, that hath suck’d the honey of thy  breath, Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty: Thou art not conquer’d; beauty’s ensign yet Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks, And death’s pale flag is not advancèd there. Why art thou yet so fair? shall I believe That unsubstantial Death is amorous; And that the lean abhorrèd monster keeps Thee  here in dark to be his paramour? ―  William Shakespeare,  Romeo and Juliet

O, then th’ Earth shook to see the heavens on fire, And not in fear of your nativity. Diseasèd Nature oftentimes breaks forth In strange eruptions;  oft  the teeming Earth Is with a kind of cholic pinch’d and vex’d By the imprisoning of unruly wind Within her womb; which, for enlargement striving, Shakes the old beldame Earth, and topples down Steeples and moss-grown towers. At your birth, Our grandam Earth, having this  distemperature , In passion shook ―  William Shakespeare,  Henry IV

Come, thick night, And  pall  thee in the  dunnest  smoke of Hell, That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, Nor Heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, To cry  Hold, hold ! ―  William Shakespeare,  Macbeth

Heaven’s cherubin, hors’d Upon the sightless couriers of the air, Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye, That tears shall drown the wind. ―  William Shakespeare,  Macbeth

It is suppos’d, He that meets Hector issues from our choice: And choice, being mutual act of all our souls, Makes merit her election; and  doth  boil, As ’twere from forth us all, a man distill’d Out of our virtues. ―  William Shakespeare,Troilus and Cressida

To be, or not to be; that is the question: Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And, by opposing, end them. ―  William Shakespeare,  Hamlet

O thou day o’ the world, Chain mine arm’d neck; leap thou, attire and all, Through proof of harness to my heart, and there Ride on the pants triúmphing! ―  William Shakespeare,  Antony & Cleopatra

This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle, This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, This other Eden, demi-paradise, This fortress built by Nature for herself… This precious stone set in the silver sea, Which serves it in the office of a wall, Or as a moat defensive to a house, Against the envy of less happier lands, This blessed plot, this earth, this realm this England… ―  William Shakespeare,  Richard II

All the world’s a stage , And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts ―  William Shakespeare,  As You Like It

I wasted time, and now doth time waste me; For now hath time made me his numbering clock: My thoughts are minutes; and with sighs they jar Their watches on unto mine eyes, the outward watch… Now sir, the sound that tells what hour it is Are clamorous groans, which strike upon my heart, Which is the bell: so sighs and tears and groans Show minutes, times, and hours. ―  William Shakespeare,  Richard II

Like to the Pontic sea, Whose icy current and compulsive course Ne’er feels retiring ebb, but keeps due on To the Propontic and the Hellespont, Even so my bloody thoughts, with violent pace ―  William Shakespeare,  Othello

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun! Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief That thou her maid art far more fair than she. Be not her maid, since she is envious. Her vestal livery is but sick and green, And none but fools do wear it. ―  William Shakespeare,  Romeo and Juliet

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date; ―  William Shakespeare, Sonnet 18

Death’s second self, that seals up all in rest. In me thou see’st the glowing of such fire, That on the ashes of his youth doth lie, As the death-bed, whereon it must expire, Consumed with that which it was nourish’d by. This thou perceiv’st, which makes thy love more strong, To love that well, which thou must leave ere long. ―  William Shakespeare, Sonnet 73

My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red, than her lips red: If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. ―  William Shakespeare, Sonnet 130

Writing Metaphor Examples

Now that you have some grounding in the historical use of metaphor in song, poetry and literature, here are some additional examples from writers through the centuries.

“The sun in the west was a drop of burning gold that slid near and nearer the sill of the world.”– Lord of the Flies , William Golding

“Her mouth was a fountain of delight.”– The Storm , Kate Chopin

“The parents looked upon Matilda in particular as nothing more than a scab. A scab is something you have to put up with until the time comes when you can pick it off and flick it away.”– Matilda , Roald Dahl

“’Well, you keep away from her, cause she’s a rattrap if I ever seen one.’”– Of Mice and Men , John Steinbeck

“He could hear Beatty’s voice. ‘Sit down, Montag. Watch. Delicately, like the petals of a flower. Light the first page, light the second page. Each becomes a black butterfly. Beautiful, eh? Light the third page from the second and so on, chainsmoking, chapter by chapter, all the silly things the words mean, all the false promises, all the second-hand notions and time-worn philosophies.’”– Fahrenheit 451 ,  Ray Bradbury

“There was an invisible necklace of nows, stretching out in front of her along the crazy, twisting road, each bead a golden second.”– Cuckoo Song , Frances Hardinge

“Every word was a singing sparrow, a magic trick, a truffle for me. The words made me laugh in delight.”― Elizabeth Gilbert,  Eat, Pray, Love

“Know that diamonds and roses are as uncomfortable when they tumble from one’s lips as toads and frogs: colder, too, and sharper, and they cut.”― Neil Gaiman,  Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders

“But it is just two lovers, holding hands and in a hurry to reach their car, their locked hands a starfish leaping through the dark.”― Updike, John, Rabbit, Run

“If Bagel’s face was a lump of clay on a pottery wheel, it’d been rapidly thrown from an angry grey blob to a rather enthusiastic vase.”― Mandy Ashcraft,  Small Orange Fruit

“I want to paint the way a bird sings.”― Claude Monet,  Monet By Himself

“He is capable of turning everything into anything–snow into skin, skin into blossoms, blossoms into sugar, sugar into powder, and powder back into little drifts of snow–for all that matters to him, apparently, is to make things into what they are not, which is doubtless proof that he cannot stand being anywhere for long, wherever he happens to be.”― Robert Musil,  The Man Without Qualities

“She remembered love, though, and a feeling of warmth. It was like remembering light, or the glow that sometimes persists after a light has gone out.”― Alexander McCall Smith,  Emma

“God blows on the leaves, they turn to gold, and we call it autumn.”― Joyce Rachelle

“What is it that you contain? The dead, time, light patterns of millenia opening in your gut. What is salted up in the memory of you? Memory past and memory future.”― Jeanette Winterson,  Gut Symmetries

“The sky is diluted scarlet. It is an oddity, a noticeable wound in the fabric of our world. In specific areas, like Solange’s island, it stands out like a blooming flower in a dying garden.”― Ilse V. Rensburg,  Time Torn

“His music gave no lesser joy than a vacation. Creativity in his music and its success stood out as an example to all kinds of artists, in the lectures of business speakers, engineers, and to anyone who built or constructed something in their respective profession.”― Amit Kalantri,  One Bucket of Tears

“She looked playful and eager, but not quite sure of herself, like a new kitten in a house where they don’t care much about kittens.”― Raymond Chandler,  The Lady in the Lake

“It’s like the tide, Jo, when it turns it goes slowly–but it can’t be stopped.”― Louisa May Alcott,  Little Women

“Reminiscences of old, dried-over pains were no consolation in the face of this. They had the effect of cold beads of water on a hot iron – they danced and fizzled up while the room stank from their steam.”― Gloria Naylor,  The Women of Brewster Place

“Depression is kind of quantum physics of thought and emotion. It reveals what is normally hidden. It unravels you”― Matt Haig,  Reasons to Stay Alive

“At one extreme…the hours seemed to aggregate and sell like a wave, swallowing huge chunks of her day. At the other extreme when her attention was disengaged and fractured she experienced time at its most granular wherein moments hung around like particles diffused and suspended and standing in water. There used to be a middle way, too, when her attention was focussed but vast and time felt like a limpid pool ringed by sunlit ferns.”― Ruth Ozeki,  A Tale for the Time Being

“Life is a hurricane, and we board up to save what we can and bow low to the earth to crouch in that small space above the dirt where the wind will not reach. We honor anniversaries of deaths by cleaning graves and sitting next to them before fires, sharing food with those who will not eat again. We raise children and tell them other things about who they can be and what they are worth: to us, everything. We love each other fiercely, while we live and after we die. We survive; we are savages.”― Jesmyn Ward,  Men We Reaped

“It was one of those dangerous moments when speech is at once sincere and deceptive, when feeling, rising high above its average depth, leaves flood-marks which are never reached again.”― George Eliot,  The Mill on the Floss

“Garbage in, garbage out. Or rather more felicitously: the tree of nonsense is watered with error, and from its branches swing the pumpkins of disaster.”― Nick Harkaway,  The Gone-Away World

“I said nothing for a time, just ran my fingertips along the edge of the human-shaped emptiness that had been left inside me.”― Haruki Murakami, Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman

“Half the people in the world think that the metaphors of their religious traditions, for example, are facts. And the other half contends that they are not facts at all. As a result we have people who consider themselves believers because they accept metaphors as facts, and we have others who classify themselves as atheists because they think religious metaphors are lies.”― Joseph Campbell, Thou Art That: Transforming Religious Metaphor

“I wonder which is preferable, to walk around all your life swollen up with your own secrets until you burst from the pressure of them, or to have them sucked out of you, every paragraph, every sentence, every word of them, so at the end you’re depleted of all that was once as precious to you as hoarded gold, as close to you as your skin – everything that was of the deepest importance to you, everything that made you cringe and wish to conceal, everything that belonged to you alone – and must spend the rest of your days like an empty sack flapping in the wind, an empty sack branded with a bright fluorescent label so that everyone will know what sort of secrets used to be inside you?”― Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin

“Illness is the night side of life, a more onerous citizenship. Everyone who is born holds dual citizenship, in the kingdom of the well and in the kingdom of the sick. Although we all prefer to use the good passport, sooner or later each of us is obliged, at least for a spell, to identify ourselves as citizens of that other place.”― Susan Sontag, Illness as Metaphor

“I found myself in a sea in which the waves of joy and sorrow were clashing against each other.”― Naguib Mahfouz

“The water made a sound like kittens lapping.”—  The Yearling , by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

“Her romantic mind was like the tiny boxes, one within the other, that come from the puzzling East . . .” —  Peter Pan , by J. M. Barrie

“Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy.” ― Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth

And just for fun…. here’s one last metaphor to wrap up the list!

“Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra and then suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath. At night, the ice weasels come.” ― Matt Groening, The Big Book of Hell

How to Use Metaphors in Writing —  3 Essential Tips

1. avoid common idioms and clichés.

Part of the reason that lists like the ones above exist is that most writers know about these comparisons. If you wish to be original, then you would do well to avoid re-using common metaphors that famous writers like William Shakespeare, George Eliot, and Toni Morrison have already used.

Using clichés in your writing will bore your readers and lead them to find more original, inspired writers to read. Here’s one helpful list of clichés you’ll want to avoid in your writing.

2. Compare Logically

A metaphor compares two dissimilar things. While these things should on the surface be very different, they must share some sort of detectable common attributes. Don’t compare two things that just can’t be compared. The metaphor should make some sort of logical sense to the reader.

For example, if you wanted to use a metaphor to describe the rhythmic sound of a drum, it would make sense to compare this to another thing with a rhythmic motion, such as a heartbeat or waves. But it would not make sense to compare a drumbeat to oil sitting in a pan, or a still pool of water. The connection has to exist for you to use it in your work.

Make your metaphors easy to understand so a reader can quickly grasp your point.

3. Avoid Purple Prose with too many metaphors

It is possible to over-use metaphors. Storytelling that launches into metaphorical descriptions without a good grounding in plot and the basics of character description turns into “purple prose” — writing that is full of colorful images but without a sense of momentum or purpose.

Your writing slows down when you use too many metaphors or use them in the wrong way. If you over-use the metaphorical toolset, you risk boring your reader.

Furthermore, if you use too many metaphors, this actually lessens the impact of each metaphor, since they’ll all start to blend together and each one will become less memorable on its own.

If your prose seems over-loaded with metaphors, try to strip down the description to the bare bones, and only use a metaphor that helps us to experience the scene in a new light. If the bare bones description works without a metaphor, it’s always wise to leave it out.

Less is more in the use of metaphors!

Good luck and keep writing!

Read more notes on writing: 

➤ literary devices & terms: 52+ definitions plus examples, ➤ what kind of writer are you pantsers vs plotters, ➤ a word count guide for every book genre: fiction & nonfiction , ➤ how many words do famous writers write every day, ➤ how to deliver a book to an editor: formatting your manuscript .

26 Metaphors for Essays: Crafting Literary Masterpieces

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Welcome to the realm of literary expression, where words transcend their literal meanings. In the intricate dance of language , metaphors emerge as poetic devices, breathing life into essays. This guide delves deep into the art of crafting essays with 26 metaphors, unraveling the tapestry of creativity and linguistic elegance.

26 Metaphors for Essays

• The Essay as a Journey : Navigating through the pages is like embarking on a literary expedition, each paragraph a step forward in exploration.
• Words as Building Blocks: Just as a builder meticulously selects bricks, the writer chooses words to construct the foundation of their essay.
• Essays as Time Capsules of Thought: Imagine essays as sealed capsules, preserving and encapsulating the essence of thoughts for future revelation.
• The Pen as a Sword: In the hands of a skilled writer, the pen transforms into a mighty sword, carving narratives that leave a lasting impact.
• The Canvas of Ideas: Essays are blank canvases awaiting the strokes of creativity, each idea a vibrant color adding depth to the masterpiece.
• The Musical Composition of Sentences: Sentences harmonize like musical notes, with metaphors as the chords that create a symphony of literary brilliance.
• Metaphors as Sparks of Imagination: Like sparks that ignite a fire, metaphors fuel the flames of imagination, turning the mundane into the extraordinary.
• Weaving Metaphors in the Fabric of Expression: Writers, akin to skilled weavers, interlace metaphors into the very fabric of their expression, creating textured narratives.
• The Alchemy of Creativity in Writing: Metaphors, like alchemists’ potions, possess the transformative power to turn ordinary words into literary gold.
• Essays as Gardens of Ideas: Cultivating ideas in essays is akin to tending a garden, with each thought blooming like a unique, vibrant flower.
• The Essayist as an Architect: Just as an architect plans a structure, essayists carefully design their compositions, selecting metaphors as architectural embellishments.
• Metaphors as Bridges: In the vast landscape of ideas, metaphors act as bridges, connecting the reader to the writer’s thoughts seamlessly.
• The Essayist as a Sculptor: Sculpting words, essayists chisel away the unnecessary, revealing the masterpiece within, with metaphors adding intricate details.
• The Essay as a Puzzle: Each paragraph in an essay is a puzzle piece, and metaphors are the connectors that bring coherence to the overall picture.
• Metaphors as Light in Darkness: Just as a beam of light dispels darkness, metaphors illuminate essays, revealing hidden nuances and depths.
• Essays as Culinary Delights: Crafting an essay is like preparing a culinary masterpiece, with metaphors as the seasonings that enhance the flavor.
• The Essay as a Conversation: Essays engage in a dialogue with readers, and metaphors serve as eloquent conversationalists, making the exchange more dynamic.
• Metaphors as Windows: They open windows to new perspectives, allowing readers to view familiar concepts in refreshing and insightful ways.
• The Essay as a Symphony: Like a symphony, essays require harmony, and metaphors contribute the musicality that resonates with the reader.
• Essays as Mirrors: Reflecting thoughts and ideas, essays are mirrors that reveal the depth of the writer’s insights, with metaphors as the silver lining.
• The Essayist as a Gardener of Ideas: Just as a gardener tends to plants, essayists nurture ideas, with metaphors acting as the fertilizer that promotes growth.
• Metaphors as Spice in Writing: Essays become literary dishes, and metaphors are the spices that infuse the writing with zest and vibrancy.
• Essays as Constellations: Like stars in a constellation, each idea in an essay forms a unique pattern, with metaphors connecting them into a meaningful whole.
• The Essayist as a Tour Guide: In the journey of an essay, the writer is a guide, and metaphors are the landmarks that make the experience memorable.
• Metaphors as Puzzle Pieces: Each metaphor fits into the essay like a puzzle piece, contributing to the overall coherence and completeness.
• The Essay as a Tapestry: Woven with threads of ideas, an essay is a tapestry, and metaphors add intricate patterns that make it visually and intellectually appealing.

These metaphors provide imaginative ways to conceptualize the art of essay writing.

Words as Building Blocks

In the intricate process of crafting an essay, words serve as the foundational building blocks, carefully selected to construct a robust structure that conveys the intended message. This metaphor emphasizes the importance of precision and thoughtfulness in word choice.

When to Use:

• Formal Context: In academic or professional essays where clarity and precision are paramount.
• Informal Context: When sharing personal reflections or experiences in a blog post.

Example: Formal Context: “In scholarly endeavors, each word acts as a building block, contributing to the solid foundation of academic discourse.”

Informal Context: “As I penned down my thoughts, I realized how each word became a building block, shaping the narrative of my personal journey.”

Variations:

• Colleague Interaction: “In our collaborative report, let’s ensure every word functions as a building block for a cohesive document.”
• Friend’s Feedback: “Your storytelling is fantastic! Each word feels like a building block, constructing a vivid picture in my mind .”

Pros and Cons:

• Pros: Enhances clarity, strengthens the essay’s structure.
• Cons: Risk of overthinking word choice; may slow down the writing process.

Grammar/Usage Rule: Ensure that each word used aligns with the overall tone and purpose of the essay, maintaining consistency and coherence.

Definition: The metaphor “words as building blocks” underscores the foundational role of individual words in constructing a well-organized and impactful essay.

• Consider the connotation and nuance of each word.
• Use a diverse vocabulary to add richness to the essay.

Essays as Time Capsules of Thought

As we delve into the realm of essay writing, envisioning essays as time capsules offers a poignant perspective. Each essay becomes a vessel, encapsulating and preserving the essence of thoughts, ideas, and perspectives for future revelations.

• Formal Context: Reflecting on the historical significance or evolution of ideas.
• Informal Context: Sharing personal reflections on life experiences.

Example: Formal Context: “In academic writing, essays act as time capsules, capturing the intellectual evolution of concepts over the years.”

Informal Context: “As I penned my reflections on the past year, I realized my journal entries serve as time capsules, preserving my thoughts and emotions.”

• Mentor-Mentee Discussion: “Your thesis is a time capsule, showcasing the evolution of your research journey.”
• Friend’s Feedback: “Your travel essay reads like a time capsule, vividly preserving the essence of your adventures.”
• Pros: Adds depth and significance to the essay; offers a reflective element.
• Cons: May require a thoughtful selection of ideas for preservation.

Grammar/Usage Rule: Ensure the ideas encapsulated in the essay align with the overall theme and purpose, maintaining coherence.

Definition: The metaphor “essays as time capsules” highlights the role of essays in preserving and encapsulating thoughts and ideas for future reference.

• Clearly define the time frame or context within which the ideas are encapsulated.
• Use vivid language to enhance the time-capsule imagery.

The Pen as a Sword

In the arsenal of writing metaphors, the imagery of the pen as a sword captures the transformative power wielded by skilled writers. Every stroke becomes a strategic move, carving narratives with precision and leaving a lasting impact on readers.

• Formal Context: Emphasizing the persuasive and influential nature of academic or professional writing.
• Informal Context: Crafting compelling narratives in personal essays or storytelling.

Example: Formal Context: “In legal discourse, the pen is indeed a sword, capable of shaping and reshaping the boundaries of jurisprudence.”

Informal Context: “As I penned my travel memoir, I felt the pen transform into a sword, carving tales of adventure and exploration.”

• Colleague Collaboration: “Let’s approach this proposal as if the pen is a sword, crafting a persuasive argument.”
• Friend’s Response: “Your creative writing is a sword, cutting through ordinary narratives with a unique edge.”
• Pros: Emphasizes the impact of words; encourages powerful and persuasive writing.
• Cons: Requires a nuanced approach to avoid excessive or inappropriate use.

Grammar/Usage Rule: Ensure that the metaphor aligns with the tone and objective of the writing, maintaining professionalism and impact.

Definition: The metaphor “the pen as a sword” symbolizes the influential and transformative power of words, likening them to a weapon in the hands of a skilled writer.

• Use this metaphor judiciously to highlight key points or arguments.
• Consider the ethical implications of wielding the “pen-sword.”

The Canvas of Ideas

In the realm of essay writing, viewing essays as blank canvases awaiting strokes of creativity emphasizes the unlimited potential for expression. Each idea is a vibrant color, contributing to the masterpiece being painted with words.

• Formal Context: Encouraging creativity in academic writing, particularly in subjects where innovative ideas are valued.
• Informal Context: Expressing personal thoughts, feelings, or reflections with a creative flair.

Example: Formal Context: “In scientific research, essays serve as canvases, allowing researchers to paint groundbreaking ideas that challenge existing paradigms.”

Informal Context: “My personal essay on resilience became a canvas of ideas, each paragraph a stroke depicting my journey through challenges.”

• Mentor-Mentee Discussion: “Approach your thesis as a canvas, where each idea contributes to the overall masterpiece.”
• Friend’s Feedback: “Your essay on friendship is a vibrant canvas, portraying the beauty of companionship.”
• Pros: Fosters creativity; encourages a fresh and innovative approach to writing.
• Cons: Requires a balance to prevent excessive embellishment that might dilute the message.

Grammar/Usage Rule: Ensure that the metaphor aligns with the overall purpose of the essay, maintaining coherence and relevance.

Definition: The metaphor “the canvas of ideas” illustrates the creative and expressive nature of essays, likening them to a blank canvas waiting to be adorned.

• Encourage experimentation with ideas, allowing for a diverse and colorful essay.
• Use vivid language to enhance the imagery of the canvas.

The Musical Composition of Sentences

In the symphony of essay writing, sentences harmonize like musical notes, and metaphors act as the chords that create a melodious and captivating composition. This metaphor highlights the rhythmic flow and cadence that metaphors contribute to the overall structure of an essay.

• Formal Context: Enhancing the eloquence of academic writing, particularly in literature or humanities disciplines.
• Informal Context: Infusing storytelling with a rhythmic and musical quality, making the narrative more engaging.

Example: Formal Context: “In literary analysis, consider each sentence as a musical note, and metaphors as the chords that elevate the entire composition.”

Informal Context: “As I crafted my personal essay, I aimed for a musical composition of sentences, where metaphors acted as harmonious chords guiding the reader through the narrative.”

• Colleague Collaboration: “Let’s approach the introduction like a musical composition, where each sentence sets the tone for the entire essay.”
• Friend’s Response: “Your storytelling reads like a musical composition, with metaphors serving as delightful harmonies.”
• Pros: Enhances the rhythm and flow of writing; adds a lyrical quality to the essay.
• Cons: Requires careful consideration to maintain coherence and prevent overuse.

Grammar/Usage Rule: Ensure that the musical metaphor aligns with the overall tone and theme of the essay, creating a harmonious blend.

Definition: The metaphor “the musical composition of sentences” evokes the rhythmic and harmonious quality of well-crafted sentences in essay writing.

• Pay attention to sentence structure and variety to create a musical rhythm.
• Experiment with pacing, using metaphors strategically to enhance the cadence.

Metaphors as Sparks of Imagination

Unlocking the door to creativity, metaphors serve as sparks that ignite the flames of imagination in the essay-writing process. This metaphor emphasizes the transformative power of metaphors in turning mundane concepts into vivid and imaginative expressions.

• Formal Context: Encouraging imaginative thinking in academic or technical writing, especially in fields where creativity is valued.
• Informal Context: Adding a touch of flair to personal narratives or creative non-fiction.

Example: Formal Context: “In scientific discourse, metaphors act as sparks, igniting new perspectives and fostering innovative approaches to complex problems.”

Informal Context: “As I delved into my reflective essay, I realized how metaphors served as sparks, transforming ordinary memories into vivid and imaginative stories.”

• Mentor-Mentee Discussion: “Think of metaphors as sparks in your thesis, infusing your research with imaginative and innovative thinking.”
• Friend’s Feedback: “Your metaphors are sparks of creativity, turning a simple story into a captivating adventure.”
• Pros: Stimulates creative thinking; adds a dynamic and engaging element to writing.
• Cons: Requires a balance to prevent excessive metaphorical embellishment.

Grammar/Usage Rule: Ensure that the metaphor aligns with the context and purpose of the essay, sparking imagination without veering off-topic.

Definition: The metaphor “metaphors as sparks of imagination” emphasizes the role of metaphors in sparking creative thinking and imaginative expression in essays.

• Experiment with unexpected metaphors to surprise and engage the reader.
• Use metaphors strategically to convey abstract concepts in a concrete and imaginative manner.

Weaving Metaphors in the Fabric of Expression

Imagine the act of essay writing as a textile art, where writers weave metaphors into the very fabric of their expression. This metaphor underscores the intricate and deliberate nature of incorporating metaphors seamlessly into the narrative.

• Formal Context: Emphasizing the artistry of language in academic or professional writing, particularly in literature or arts-related subjects.
• Informal Context: Conveying personal stories with a rich tapestry of metaphors, making the narrative more engaging.

Example: Formal Context: “In art history essays, consider metaphors as threads, intricately woven into the fabric of expression, adding depth and nuance to your analysis.”

Informal Context: “As I shared my life experiences in the essay, each metaphor became a thread, weaving through the fabric of expression and creating a vivid tapestry of my journey.”

• Colleague Collaboration: “Let’s approach the conclusion like skilled weavers, weaving metaphors into the fabric of expression for a memorable ending.”
• Friend’s Response: “Your metaphors are like threads, weaving through the fabric of your storytelling, creating a colorful and captivating narrative.”
• Pros: Enhances the richness of language; creates a visually appealing and immersive experience for the reader.
• Cons: Requires careful consideration to maintain coherence and prevent metaphorical overload.

Grammar/Usage Rule: Ensure that metaphors are seamlessly integrated into the overall narrative, contributing to the fabric of expression without overshadowing the main message.

Definition: The metaphor “weaving metaphors in the fabric of expression” portrays essay writing as a deliberate and artistic process where metaphors are integral to the overall composition.

• Use metaphors strategically to emphasize key points and evoke emotions.
• Ensure the metaphorical threads align with the thematic focus of the essay.

The Alchemy of Creativity in Writing

In the enchanting world of essay writing, metaphors act as alchemists’ potions, possessing the transformative power to turn ordinary words into literary gold. This metaphor emphasizes the magical and elevating quality that metaphors bring to the craft of writing.

• Formal Context: Encouraging creative thinking and expression in academic or professional essays, especially in disciplines that value originality.
• Informal Context: Elevating personal narratives or creative non-fiction with a touch of literary alchemy.

Example: Formal Context: “In philosophical discourse, metaphors act as alchemists, transmuting abstract concepts into literary gold, making complex ideas accessible and engaging.”

Informal Context: “As I explored my emotions in the essay, metaphors worked like alchemy, turning ordinary feelings into a golden tapestry of introspection.”

• Mentor-Mentee Discussion: “Think of metaphors as your writing alchemy, transforming ordinary ideas into literary treasures in your dissertation.”
• Friend’s Feedback: “Your metaphors are like alchemy, turning everyday stories into captivating narratives with a touch of magic.”
• Pros: Elevates writing to a higher level; adds a touch of magic and allure to the narrative.
• Cons: Requires careful selection to avoid overuse and maintain authenticity.

Grammar/Usage Rule: Ensure that metaphors align with the overall tone and purpose of the essay, contributing to the alchemy of creativity without becoming distracting.

Definition: The metaphor “the alchemy of creativity in writing” illustrates the transformative power of metaphors, turning ordinary words into literary gold in the process of essay crafting.

• Experiment with unconventional metaphors to infuse a sense of magic and wonder into the writing.
• Use metaphors sparingly to maintain their enchanting impact.

Essays as Gardens of Ideas

Embark with me on the metaphorical journey where essays are likened to gardens, and ideas flourish like vibrant flowers, adding color, depth, and fragrance to the narrative. This metaphor emphasizes the nurturing aspect of essay writing, where writers carefully cultivate and present a diverse array of ideas.

• Formal Context: Encouraging a comprehensive exploration of ideas in academic writing, especially in subjects that require depth and diversity of thought.
• Informal Context: Crafting personal essays that showcase a rich tapestry of thoughts and reflections.

Example: Formal Context: “In sociological essays, think of ideas as blossoming flowers, each representing a unique perspective contributing to the overall garden of knowledge.”

Informal Context: “My reflective essay on personal growth became a garden of ideas, where each paragraph bloomed like a distinct flower, revealing a different facet of my journey.”

• Colleague Collaboration: “Let’s approach this research paper like gardeners, nurturing diverse ideas that collectively enrich the overall narrative.”
• Friend’s Response: “Your essay is like a garden of ideas, with each thought blooming into a beautiful flower, creating a captivating bouquet of storytelling.”
• Pros: Encourages a holistic exploration of ideas; adds depth and diversity to the essay.
• Cons: Requires careful organization to ensure each idea contributes cohesively to the overall narrative.

Grammar/Usage Rule: Ensure that each idea is carefully cultivated and presented, contributing meaningfully to the overarching theme of the essay.

Definition: The metaphor “essays as gardens of ideas” conveys the nurturing and diverse nature of ideas in the essay-writing process, akin to tending to a garden.

• Cultivate a variety of ideas to create a rich and engaging narrative.
• Ensure a balance between depth and breadth in exploring different perspectives.

The Essayist as an Architect

Picture the essayist as an architect, meticulously planning the structure of an essay, with metaphors acting as architectural embellishments that enhance the overall design. This metaphor underscores the importance of thoughtful composition and strategic use of metaphors in crafting compelling essays.

• Formal Context: Emphasizing the strategic organization of ideas in academic or professional essays, especially in disciplines where structure is crucial.
• Informal Context: Applying a deliberate and structured approach to storytelling in personal essays.

Example: Formal Context: “In business essays, consider each section as a blueprint, and metaphors as architectural embellishments that reinforce the solidity of your argument.”

Informal Context: “As I constructed my narrative essay, I approached it like an architect, planning the structure with metaphors as decorative elements, enhancing the overall design.”

• Mentor-Mentee Discussion: “Approach your dissertation like an architect, with each chapter as a carefully planned structure, and metaphors as essential design elements.”
• Friend’s Feedback: “Your essay is like a well-designed building, with metaphors serving as architectural details that make the storytelling more compelling.”
• Pros: Enhances the organization and coherence of the essay; adds a visual and structural dimension to the writing.
• Cons: Requires careful planning to ensure metaphors align with the overall structure and theme.

Grammar/Usage Rule: Ensure that metaphors contribute to the architectural integrity of the essay, reinforcing the structure without overshadowing the core message.

Definition: The metaphor “the essayist as an architect” paints a vivid picture of the deliberate planning and structured approach to essay writing, with metaphors as integral architectural elements.

• Plan the essay structure carefully, assigning specific roles to different sections.
• Use metaphors strategically to reinforce key points and contribute to the overall coherence.

Metaphors as Bridges

Imagine the vast landscape of ideas in an essay as a series of islands, and metaphors as bridges that seamlessly connect these intellectual realms. This metaphor highlights the role of metaphors in creating smooth transitions between different concepts, ensuring a cohesive and engaging journey for the reader.

• Formal Context: Facilitating the logical progression of ideas in academic writing, especially in essays that explore diverse topics.
• Informal Context: Connecting personal anecdotes or reflections in a way that feels natural and effortless.

Example: Formal Context: “In political science essays, think of metaphors as bridges, linking theories and real-world applications to create a cohesive and insightful narrative.”

Informal Context: “As I shared my travel experiences, metaphors acted as bridges, seamlessly connecting one destination to another, creating a fluid and captivating storytelling experience.”

• Colleague Collaboration: “Let’s treat each section of our report as an island, and use metaphors as bridges to connect the ideas, ensuring a smooth transition between concepts.”
• Friend’s Response: “Your essay feels like a journey with metaphors serving as bridges, linking different aspects of your story in a way that flows naturally.”
• Pros: Enhances the flow of ideas; ensures a seamless transition between different sections.
• Cons: Requires thoughtful selection to maintain coherence and avoid abrupt shifts.

Grammar/Usage Rule: Ensure that metaphors serve as effective bridges, guiding the reader from one idea to the next without causing confusion or disconnection.

Definition: The metaphor “metaphors as bridges” emphasizes the role of metaphors in creating connections and maintaining a smooth flow of ideas in an essay.

• Use metaphors strategically at key transition points to guide the reader through the essay.
• Ensure that each metaphorical bridge enhances the overall coherence and narrative progression.

The Essayist as a Sculptor

Envision the essayist as a sculptor, shaping words and ideas with precision, and metaphors as intricate details that add depth and nuance to the crafted piece. This metaphor emphasizes the deliberate and artistic nature of essay writing, where every word contributes to the overall composition.

• Formal Context: Emphasizing the meticulous crafting of arguments and analysis in academic essays, particularly in disciplines that value precision.
• Informal Context: Adding an artistic flair to personal essays, where the narrative is shaped with care and intention.

Example: Formal Context: “In literary analysis, view metaphors as the sculptor’s chisel, carving out layers of meaning and interpretation with precision.”

Informal Context: “As I penned my reflective essay, I approached it like a sculptor, molding my experiences with metaphors as intricate details, shaping the narrative with care.”

• Mentor-Mentee Discussion: “Consider each paragraph as a piece of marble, and metaphors as the sculptor’s tools that refine and enhance the overall structure of your thesis.”
• Friend’s Feedback: “Your essay is like a sculpture, with metaphors as the detailed carvings that make the storytelling more vivid and impactful.”
• Pros: Elevates the writing to an artistic level; adds precision and depth to the overall composition.
• Cons: Requires careful consideration to avoid excessive ornamentation.

Grammar/Usage Rule: Ensure that metaphors act as sculptor’s tools, enhancing the clarity and impact of the essay without overshadowing the main message.

Definition: The metaphor “the essayist as a sculptor” conveys the intentional and artistic approach to essay writing, where metaphors serve as tools for refinement and precision.

• Approach each paragraph with the intention of sculpting a clear and impactful narrative.
• Use metaphors sparingly to maintain the overall focus and coherence of the essay.

The Essay as a Symphony

Envision the essay as a symphony, where each paragraph contributes a unique note, and metaphors act as harmonious chords that resonate throughout the composition. This metaphor underscores the rhythmic and coordinated nature of a well-structured essay, where metaphors play a vital role in creating a harmonious narrative.

• Formal Context: Emphasizing the orchestration of ideas in academic essays, particularly in subjects that require a cohesive and interconnected argument.
• Informal Context: Crafting personal essays with a rhythmic flow, where each metaphor contributes to the overall harmony of the narrative.

Example: Formal Context: “In historical essays, metaphors function as chords, weaving through each paragraph and creating a symphony of interconnected ideas that resonate with the reader.”

Informal Context: “As I shared my life story in the essay, I aimed for a symphony of emotions, where metaphors acted as chords, adding depth and resonance to my narrative.”

• Colleague Collaboration: “Let’s approach the conclusion as the grand finale of our symphony, using metaphors as chords to create a lasting impression on our readers.”
• Friend’s Response: “Your essay reads like a symphony, with metaphors serving as harmonious chords that make the storytelling captivating and memorable.”
• Pros: Enhances the overall rhythm and coherence of the essay; creates a memorable and engaging reading experience.
• Cons: Requires careful selection to maintain thematic unity and prevent discordant notes.

Grammar/Usage Rule: Ensure that metaphors contribute to the symphonic nature of the essay, creating a cohesive and well-orchestrated composition.

Definition: The metaphor “the essay as a symphony” conveys the coordinated and rhythmic nature of a well-structured essay, where metaphors function as harmonious chords.

• Use metaphors strategically to emphasize key themes and create a sense of unity.
• Consider the pacing and placement of metaphors to enhance the overall symphonic experience.

The Essayist as a Navigator

Picture the essayist as a navigator, steering through the vast sea of ideas with precision, and metaphors as navigational tools that guide readers through the intellectual journey. This metaphor emphasizes the strategic use of metaphors to ensure clarity and coherence in the exploration of complex topics.

• Formal Context: Emphasizing the logical progression and navigation of ideas in academic essays, especially in disciplines that require a clear and structured argument.
• Informal Context: Creating personal essays where metaphors act as guiding lights, making the narrative accessible and engaging.

Example: Formal Context: “In scientific essays, metaphors function as navigational tools, guiding readers through the intricate concepts and ensuring a clear understanding of the research.”

Informal Context: “As I delved into philosophical reflections, I saw myself as a navigator, using metaphors as guiding stars to lead readers through the complexities of my thoughts.”

• Mentor-Mentee Discussion: “Treat your literature review as a navigational map, and use metaphors as tools to guide your readers through the diverse scholarly perspectives.”
• Friend’s Feedback: “Your essay is like a journey with you as the navigator, and metaphors as compass points that make the exploration both insightful and enjoyable.”
• Pros: Enhances the clarity and accessibility of complex ideas; guides readers through a well-structured intellectual journey.
• Cons: Requires thoughtful selection to avoid confusion and maintain the logical flow.

Grammar/Usage Rule: Ensure that metaphors function as effective navigational tools, aiding readers in understanding the progression of ideas in the essay.

Definition: The metaphor “the essayist as a navigator” portrays the intentional and strategic role of metaphors in guiding readers through the intellectual landscape of an essay.

• Use metaphors to introduce and connect key concepts in a way that aids understanding.
• Ensure that each metaphor aligns with the overall theme and purpose of the essay.

The Essay as a Kaleidoscope

Imagine the essay as a kaleidoscope, where ideas and perspectives shift and blend, creating a vibrant and ever-changing pattern. Metaphors, in this context, serve as the colorful elements that contribute to the kaleidoscopic richness of the narrative.

• Formal Context: Emphasizing the diversity of perspectives and ideas in academic writing, particularly in subjects that encourage varied viewpoints.
• Informal Context: Crafting personal essays with a dynamic and ever-evolving exploration of experiences and reflections.

Example: Formal Context: “In cultural studies essays, metaphors function as elements in a kaleidoscope, allowing readers to see the same topic from different angles, creating a nuanced and comprehensive understanding.”

Informal Context: “As I shared my personal journey, I envisioned my essay as a kaleidoscope, with each metaphor adding a burst of color, shaping the ever-shifting pattern of my experiences.”

• Colleague Collaboration: “Let’s approach this interdisciplinary essay as a kaleidoscope, where each section contributes a unique perspective, and metaphors act as the vibrant elements that tie everything together.”
• Friend’s Response: “Your storytelling is like a kaleidoscope, with metaphors adding diverse hues to the narrative, creating a rich and captivating tapestry.”
• Pros: Adds richness and diversity to the narrative; encourages readers to appreciate multiple facets of a topic.
• Cons: Requires careful organization to prevent the essay from becoming disjointed.

Grammar/Usage Rule: Ensure that metaphors contribute to the kaleidoscopic nature of the essay, enhancing the overall vibrancy and diversity of perspectives.

Definition: The metaphor “the essay as a kaleidoscope” portrays the dynamic and ever-changing nature of ideas and perspectives, with metaphors as key elements that contribute to the kaleidoscopic richness.

• Use metaphors strategically to explore different aspects of a topic.
• Ensure a cohesive and well-structured essay, even as perspectives shift and evolve.

The Essayist as a Gardener of Thought

Visualize the essayist as a gardener, tending to the seeds of thoughts and ideas with care, and metaphors as the nutrients that enrich the intellectual soil. This metaphor emphasizes the nurturing aspect of essay writing, where metaphors play a vital role in cultivating a fertile ground for insightful discussions.

• Formal Context: Encouraging the development and growth of ideas in academic writing, particularly in essays that require in-depth exploration.
• Informal Context: Crafting personal essays with a focus on the careful cultivation of thoughts and reflections.

Example: Formal Context: “In psychological essays, metaphors serve as nutrients for the intellectual garden, fostering the growth of theories and facilitating a deeper understanding of complex concepts.”

Informal Context: “As I explored my personal beliefs, I saw myself as a gardener of thoughts, using metaphors as nutrients to cultivate a rich and flourishing landscape of ideas.”

• Mentor-Mentee Discussion: “Approach your thesis as a garden of thoughts, and let metaphors act as the nutrients that enhance the intellectual richness of your research.”
• Friend’s Feedback: “Your essay feels like a carefully tended garden, with metaphors serving as nutrients that make the ideas flourish and bloom.”
• Pros: Fosters the growth and development of ideas; contributes to a nuanced and well-explored narrative.
• Cons: Requires thoughtful selection to ensure metaphors align with the overall theme and purpose.

Grammar/Usage Rule: Ensure that metaphors act as effective nutrients, enhancing the intellectual soil and contributing to the overall richness of the essay.

Definition: The metaphor “the essayist as a gardener of thought” conveys the intentional and nurturing approach to essay writing, where metaphors play a vital role in fostering the growth of insightful ideas.

• Use metaphors strategically to enrich the intellectual landscape of the essay.
• Ensure a balanced and well-nurtured exploration of ideas, even as metaphors contribute to their growth.

How do metaphors enhance essays?

Metaphors elevate essays by adding depth and vividness, making abstract concepts relatable and engaging.

• Use metaphors when you want to evoke emotions and create a lasting impression.
• Employ metaphors in descriptive and narrative writing to paint vivid pictures for your readers.

Example: “Incorporating metaphors in your essay enhances the overall reading experience, transforming abstract concepts into tangible images that resonate with your audience.”

Tip: “Experiment with various metaphors to find the ones that best convey your intended message. Consider the emotions and images each metaphor evokes.”

Can I use metaphors in academic essays?

Absolutely! Thoughtful use of metaphors can enhance the clarity and impact of academic writing.

• Introduce metaphors sparingly in academic essays to emphasize key points.
• Ensure that the metaphor aligns with the formal tone of academic writing and enhances understanding.

Example: “While maintaining academic rigor, strategic use of metaphors can elucidate complex theories and captivate the reader’s attention in your research paper.”

Tip: “Avoid clichéd metaphors in academic writing. Instead, opt for metaphors that bring fresh perspectives to your subject matter.”

Are clichéd metaphors a red flag?

While clichés should be used sparingly, a well-placed familiar metaphor can effectively convey ideas.

How to choose the right metaphor?

Consider your message and audience; choose metaphors that resonate and enhance your intended meaning.

Can metaphors be humorous in essays?

Certainly! Humorous metaphors inject personality into your writing, making it more enjoyable for readers.

Do metaphors work in technical writing?

Yes, when used judiciously. Metaphors can simplify complex ideas, aiding understanding in technical writing.

In conclusion, the arsenal of metaphors is a potent tool for crafting essays that linger in the minds of readers. This guide has unveiled the artistry of metaphorical expression, encouraging writers to embrace creativity and wield metaphors with finesse. As you embark on your essay-writing journey, remember the transformative power of metaphors in shaping literary masterpieces.

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• Knowledge Base
• What Is a Metaphor? | Definition & Examples

What Is a Metaphor? | Definition & Examples

Published on August 11, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan . Revised on November 6, 2023.

A metaphor is a figure of speech that implicitly compares two unrelated things, typically by stating that one thing is another (e.g., “that chef is a magician”).

Metaphors can be used to create vivid imagery, exaggerate a characteristic or action, or express a complex idea.

Metaphors are commonly used in literature, advertising, and everyday speech.

The exam was a piece of cake.

This town is a desert .

Table of contents

What is a metaphor, types of metaphor, metaphor vs. simile, metaphor vs. analogy, allegory vs. metaphor, worksheet: metaphor vs. simile, frequently asked questions.

A metaphor is a rhetorical device that makes a non-literal comparison between two unlike things. Metaphors are used to describe an object or action by stating (or implying) that it is something else (e.g., “knowledge is a butterfly”).

Metaphors typically have two parts:

• A tenor is the thing or idea that the metaphor describes (e.g., “knowledge”).
• A vehicle is the thing or idea used to describe the tenor (e.g., “a butterfly”).

Sophia was a loose cannon .

There are several different types of metaphor.

Direct metaphor

A direct metaphor compares two unrelated things by explicitly stating that one thing is another. Direct metaphors typically use a form of the verb “be” to connect two things.

Ami and Vera are two peas in a pod.

Implied metaphor

An implied metaphor compares two unlike things without explicitly naming one of them. Instead, a comparison is typically made using a non-literal verb. For example, the statement “the man erupted in anger” uses the verb “erupted” to compare a man to a volcano.

The captain barked orders at the soldiers. [i.e., the captain was like an angry dog]

Extended metaphor

An extended metaphor (also called a sustained metaphor) occurs when an initial comparison is developed or sustained over several lines or paragraphs (or stanzas, in the case of a poem).

Extended metaphors are commonly used in literature and advertising, but they’re rarely used in everyday speech.

And all the men and women merely players.

They have their exits and their entrances,

And one man in his time plays many parts,

Mixed metaphor

A mixed metaphor is a figure of speech that combines two or more metaphors, resulting in a confusing or nonsensical statement.

Mixed metaphors are usually accidental and are often perceived as unintentionally humorous. Mixing metaphors can confuse your readers and make your writing seem to lack coherence.

She’s a rising star, and with the right guidance, she’ll spread her wings.

Dead metaphor

A dead metaphor is a figure of speech that has become so familiar due to repeated use that people no longer recognize it as a metaphor. Instead, it’s understood as having a straightforward meaning.

The guest of honor sat at the head of the table .

Metaphors and similes are both rhetorical devices used for comparison. However, they have different functions:

• A metaphor makes an implicit comparison between two unlike things, usually by saying that one thing is another thing (e.g., “my body is a temple”).
• A simile makes an explicit comparison between two unlike things, typically using the words “like,” “as,” or “than” (e.g., “you’re as stubborn as a mule”).

The old man’s beard was as white as snow .

There are two main types of analogy:

• Identical relationship analogies indicate the logical relationship between two things (e.g., “‘Up’ is to ‘down’ as ‘on’ is to ‘off’”).
• Shared abstraction analogies compare two unlike things to illustrate a point.

Metaphors are sometimes confused with shared abstraction analogies, but they serve different purposes. While metaphors are primarily used to make a comparison (e.g., “John is a caveman”), shared abstraction analogies are used to make an argument or explain something.

Metaphors are sometimes confused with allegories, but they have different functions:

• A metaphor makes an implied comparison between two unlike things, typically by stating that one thing is another (e.g., “time is money”).
• An allegory illustrates abstract concepts, moral principles, or complex ideas through symbolic representation.

Allegories are typically longer than metaphors and usually take the form of a story.

You can test your knowledge of the difference between metaphors and similes with the worksheet below. Choose whether each sentence contains a metaphor or a simile.

• Practice questions
• Answers and explanations
• You sing like an angel.
• The boxer is as strong as an ox.
• Hannah is a warrior.
• Your eyes are deeper than the ocean.
• Most of the time, you’re an angel. But you’re like a demon when you’re tired.
• This sentence contains a simile because it makes a direct comparison using the word “like.”
• This sentence contains a simile because it makes a direct comparison using the word “as.”
• This sentence contains a metaphor because it makes an implicit comparison by saying that something is something else.
• This sentence contains a simile because it makes a direct comparison using the word “than.”
• This sentence contains both a metaphor (“you are an angel”) and a simile (“like a demon”).

An extended metaphor (also called a sustained metaphor ) is a metaphor that is developed over several lines or paragraphs.

The following is an example of an extended metaphor in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet :

“But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?

It is the East, and Juliet is the sun.

Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,

Who is already sick and pale with grief

That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she.”

A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a non-literal comparison between two unlike things (typically by saying that something is something else).

For example, the metaphor “you are a clown” is not literal but rather used to emphasize a specific, implied quality (in this case, “foolishness”).

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A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes something (an object or an action) in a way that isn’t literally true, but uses comparison or symbolism to describe something. Metaphors are a great way to add more color to your writing!

Metaphors show up all over the place, especially in poetry and literature. They help writing come alive and can enhance your work by creating vivid imagery.

Here are three popular examples of metaphors :

• Love is a battlefield.

In this metaphor, love is compared to a battlefield. This simple phrase shows that love can be very challenging – even deadly!

• You light up my life!

This metaphor shows that the person being addressed is a positive influence in the speaker’s life.

• He broke my heart.

As much as it may feel like it, your heart isn’t ever actually broken – you’re just feeling a lot of pain.

Using metaphors.

Aristotle said a metaphor was “the act of giving a thing a name that belongs to something else.” It allows you to pack a powerful punch in a few words. Your reader can take their full understanding of one thing and apply it to another thing. By writing, “my cubicle is a prison,” your reader understands how you feel about your job. With just that one word they know you feel trapped, unhappy, desolate.

Think of some of the most famous metaphors and how full they are of meaning.

• "Conscience is a man’s compass." – Vincent Van Gogh
• "Books are the mirrors of the soul." – Virginia Woolf
• "You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog." – Elvis Presley

You probably already use metaphors in your everyday language without a second thought:

• The boys were glued to their seats!
• She was a bull in a china shop.
• The email was the smoking gun in the investigation.

Metaphors enliven ordinary communication. You’re so used to seeing the same words and phrases over and over again that when someone comes out with a brilliant metaphor, we all perk up and take notice. It is an art form and you should practice often to get good at it.

Here are several types of metaphors, some you should try and some you shouldn’t:

1) Extended metaphor .

This is a metaphor that’s sustained for more than just a word or phrase.

• The boss snatched at her report, devoured it as quickly as possible, and then, looking around for more prey, darted across the aisle to her co-worker’s desk.

2) Implied metaphor.

This is using a metaphor in a less direct manner.

• Harry swelled and, with his prickly spines, wasn’t nearly as approachable as he had been earlier.

Rather than say, “Harry was a pufferfish,” this implies he becomes a pufferfish when he gets riled up.

3) Mixed metaphor.

Be careful when using mixed metaphors. Used correctly, they can be quite humorous. Used unconsciously, they’ll detract from your writing enough that your reader will put the book down.

It’s raining turtles and hares.

Let’s tie up the red tape and get out of here.

4) Dead metaphors.

These are the clichés of metaphors, those that have been used too often and have lost their punch.

The paper was white as snow.

She had a heart of stone.

Don’t use dead metaphors. Find another, more clever way of saying something is as white as snow or has a heart made of stone. To root out dead metaphors in your work, make sure to use our Clichés and Redundancies Check .

Note: Metaphors aren’t similes. A simile is comparing something using the words like or as :

• Simile: Her teeth glittered like shards of glass when she smiled.
• Metaphor: Her teeth were shards of glass when she smiled.

A grammar guru, style editor, and writing mentor in one package.

How to create fantastic metaphors..

Metaphors let your creativity and imagination loose. Here are steps you can take to help you create a fantastic metaphor.

1. Choose a character, object, or setting.

Say, for example, you’re going to write a metaphor about a soccer goalie. What are a goalie’s defining characteristics? A goalie should be stalwart in the face of oncoming offense. Goalies should be a wall that stops someone from scoring. When you think about your character, object, or setting, think of it with all of your senses (e.g. sight, sound, smell, etc.).

2. Focus on a particular scene you’re describing.

Identify its characteristics. Let’s say our goalie is in the championship game facing his arch nemesis. And let’s say the nemesis is a large, physical specimen. What is the mood you’re trying to set here? Keep that in mind while describing your scene.

3. Now think of some other objects that share characteristics you identified in Step 1.

Keep in mind how the specific situation reveals your character. Is our goalie situation like David vs. Goliath? No, that’s been done too many times. Perhaps the goalie is like a baby seal with a deadly shark circling closer and closer. No, that’s not in character with who we want our goalie to be. We want him stalwart in the face of his opponent. How about comparing the goalie to unexplored ocean depths? That might give you plenty of character ideas about your goalie and his deeper thoughts and ideas.

4. Take your metaphor and expand on it.

It’s not enough just to compare the goalie to the ocean deep; emphasize it beyond a single word to create an image that rounds out the specific characteristics.

The goalie, pressured from all sides with unrelenting force, slipped deeper into his pocket, finding swells below the surface that buoyed him along and kept him focused on the predator that was descending.

Okay. That’s one option off the top of my head. You can probably do better!

Common Questions about Metaphors

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53 Metaphor Examples in Literature, Music, and Everyday Life

General Education

If you’re a writer or poet, you’ve likely heard of metaphors — and might even be a fan of using them in your own writing. Metaphors bring power, persuasiveness, and beauty to the written word.

Here, we explain what a metaphor is and list 50+ metaphor examples in literature, popular songs, famous quotations, and more. We also provide you with some tips on how to come up with unique metaphors of your own.

What Is a Metaphor?

A metaphor is a literary device and figure of speech that compares two unalike things in a non-literal manner . Usually, the two ideas being compared will have one trait in common but differ in all other respects.

Metaphors are used by writers for clarity, rhetorical effect, and emphasis; they're also used to add color to descriptions. You’ll see metaphors most often in poetry, fiction/prose, and song lyrics.

Now, how does a metaphor differ from a simile ? A simile is a type of metaphor that specifically uses the words "as" or "like" to make a comparison between two unalike things.

By contrast, metaphors do not use either of these words; rather, they will say that "A is B" to make the comparison (even though we know A is not literally the same as B).

Basically, all similes are metaphors — but not all metaphors are similes .

A Comprehensive List of 53 Metaphor Examples

For this list, we include a wide array of metaphor examples, which are divided into the following categories:

• Metaphor Examples in Literature (including an extended metaphor example )

Metaphor Examples in Famous Quotations

Metaphor examples in music, everyday metaphor examples for kids and adults, original metaphor examples.

Metaphor Examples in Literature

These metaphor examples come from famous works of fiction and poetry. We’ve also included an extended metaphor example , which is a long metaphor sustained for an entire paragraph, story, or poem (noted below).

"But thy eternal summer shall not fade" — William Shakespeare, Sonnet 18

But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

If you can look into the seeds of time, And say which grain will grow and which will not, Speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear Your favours nor your hate. — William Shakespeare, Macbeth

All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players. — William Shakespeare, As You Like It

"Her mouth was a fountain of delight." — Kate Chopin, "The Storm"

"The sun was a toddler insistently refusing to go to bed: It was past eight thirty and still light." — John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

"She’s all states, and all princes, I" — John Donne, "The Sun Rising"

"Hope" is the thing with feathers— That perches in the soul— And sings the tune without the words— And never stops—at all — Emily Dickinson, "'Hope' Is the Thing With Feathers"

"The sun in the west was a drop of burning gold that slid nearer and nearer the sill of the world." — William Golding, Lord of the Flies

I’m a riddle in nine syllables, An elephant, a ponderous house, A melon strolling on two tendrils. — Sylvia Plath, "Metaphors"

Marriage is not a house or even a tent — Margaret Atwood, "Habitation"

"She was a mind floating in an ocean of confusion." — Caroline B. Cooney, The Face on the Milk Carton

Extended Metaphor Example:

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.

— Maya Angelou, "Caged Bird"

These next metaphor examples all come from quotations said or written by well-known writers, politicians, scientists, artists, and so on.

"Dying is a wild Night and a new Road." — Emily Dickinson

"Time is the moving image of eternity." ― Plato

"Books are the mirrors of the soul." — Virginia Woolf

"All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree." — Albert Einstein

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." — Pablo Picasso

"Your very flesh shall be a great poem." — Walt Whitman

"Conscience is a man’s compass." — Vincent van Gogh

"Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swill bucket." — George Orwell

"But there are many mountains yet to climb. We will not rest until every American enjoys the fullness of freedom, dignity, and opportunity as our birthright." — Ronald Reagan, Second Inaugural Address

"Trees are poems the earth writes upon the sky." — Kahlil Gibran

These metaphor examples were taken from popular song lyrics.

'Cause, baby, you're a firework Come on, show 'em what you’re worth — Katy Perry, "Firework"

Fire away, fire away You shoot me down but I won't fall I am titanium — David Guetta ft. Sia, "Titanium"

You are my fire The one desire Believe when I say I want it that way — Backstreet Boys, "I Want It That Way"

I'm a genie in a bottle You gotta rub me the right way — Christina Aguilera, "Genie in a Bottle"

Life is a highway I want to ride it all night long — Tom Cochrane, "Life Is a Highway"

This section provides everyday metaphor examples for kids and adults. You’ll often hear them in day-to-day life. These metaphors are most often referred to as idioms , which are established sayings whose meanings are not deducible from the individual words within them.

While it’s fine (and perfectly normal!) to use idioms in everyday speech, they can sound clichéd in writing and should therefore be avoided.

All metaphors have been bolded (except when the entire sentence is the metaphor).

Eyes are the windows to the soul.

It’s raining cats and dogs out here!

The sound of the pouring rain was music to my ears .

Love is a battlefield.

Time is money.

He has a heart of stone .

She has the strength of an ox .

My best friend stabbed me in the back .

It’s time to face the music .

That name doesn’t ring a bell .

Our vacation plans are still up in the air .

I had to break the bank to be able to afford this car.

That exam was a piece of cake .

I like reading novels, but poetry isn’t really my cup of tea .

That toddler is one smart cookie .

Telling jokes is a good way to break the ice .

My cousin is kind of the black sheep of the family.

Finally, here’s a short list of original metaphor examples to give you an idea as to how you could come up with your own metaphors.

She was sobbing so hard that her tears soon evolved into a fountain.

The forest was a lush, emerald ocean waiting to be explored.

His eyes were bright diamonds, leading me out of the darkness.

The job interview was the final battle, and she was ready to win.

He couldn’t imagine a world without her: she was his passion, his hope.

I began to drown in a sea of memories.

Hope is the last lingering flicker of a candle.

Whenever she goes running, she becomes a cheetah chasing its prey.

How to Use Metaphors in Writing: 3 Essential Tips

Whether you’re writing a poem, a short story, or something else entirely, knowing how and when to use metaphors can help your writing stand out in a more impactful way. Here are three tips to help you use metaphors more effectively.

#1: Avoid C lichés and Common Idioms

Although we gave you tons of metaphorical idioms above, in writing you will actually want to avoid using these, as they can make your writing sound unoriginal and boring .

Using clichés in anything you write will generally signal to the reader that you’re a lazy, uninspired writer who doesn’t think that it’s worth taking the time to come up with your own unique, creative metaphors.

Your Dictionary has a long list of clichés you’ll want to avoid when you write.

The only time you might want to use a clichéd metaphor or idiom is when you’re writing dialogue for a character and want to make their speech sound more realistic . Other than this, though, definitely avoid them!

#2: Use Logical Comparisons

A metaphor compares two unalike things, and while these things should certainly be very different from each other, they still must share some clearly detectable commonality . What this means is that you can’t compare two things that are so different that the metaphor won't make any sense to the reader.

For example, if you wanted to use a metaphor to describe the rhythmic, pleasant, delicate melody of a flute, it wouldn't be logical to compare it to something harsh, uncomfortable, or irregular.

Ultimately, your metaphors should be easily understood by the reader. If you’re not sure whether the meaning of your metaphor is clear or relevant, ask a friend or family member to read it (in context) and tell you whether they were able to interpret it easily.

#3: Don’t Clutter Your Writing With Too Many Metaphors

Finally, be sure to avoid clogging up your writing with too many metaphors.

Although metaphors are great devices for emphasis and poetic effect, they can also clutter your writing with way too many comparisons and make what you’re trying to say unclear and vague.

You risk not only alienating the reader when you have so many metaphors, but also lessening the impact of each metaphor , since they’ll all start to blend together and become less memorable.

If you’re ever in doubt, consider whether it might be best to avoid placing a metaphor in a certain spot and instead see how the text reads without it. Remember as well that you only want to use your strongest metaphors !

What’s Next?

Exactly how do similes differ from metaphors ? Our in-depth guide provides a clear explanation and gives you some helpful examples of both figures of speech.

Working on a piece of fiction or trying to analyze a work for English class? Then you'll want to read up on what the most important literary devices and poetic devices are and how they work.

What is the purpose of an epilogue? Learn how epilogues work in novels and get some tips on how to write your own .

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Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Japan via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel.

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Metaphor: definition, types, and examples

Masooma Memon

If I were a bit dramatic, I’d start this piece with the following line: chaos is a friend of mine.

Except, chaos isn’t a friend of mine – there’s no chaos wherever I go (thankfully 😅). And, I’m also not as dramatic. What I want to do though, is to introduce you to a metaphor in the first line itself.  

It got your attention, didn’t it?

Because that’s how metaphors work. They stroke your imagination, drawing beautiful comparisons between two apparently unrelated things or ideas. Here are a few more simple metaphor examples :

• Her heart is gold

• The snow is a white blanket.

• The falling snowflakes are dancers

Like them? We’ve a lot more metaphor examples to share with you. So read on as we share examples, dive into the definition of metaphor, and show you how to use this literary device. We’ll also clear the air around metaphor vs simile vs analogy.

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What is a metaphor.

A metaphor is a figure of speech that pulls comparisons between two unrelated ideas.

If I were to say this piece was a big, hairy project I worked on, you’d instantly imagine the comparison. And, you’d also understand I had a hard time writing it (except I didn’t. I only want to explain things as clearly as possible).

Circling back to being formal, a metaphor never makes clear comparisons. The resemblance is rather hidden and you’ve to put your brain to use to figure out how something compares to another. This means, a writer uses the literary device to keep you hooked to their work while also putting your thinking gears into motion.

In fact, back when I read William Shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It , he wrote a popular metaphor that reads:

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players…”

I remember the entire class musing over the figure language. Everyone shared their suggestions on the resemblance between the world and a stage.

See what happened?

Shakespeare engaged us with his metaphor. Besides, the true nature of a metaphor also comes out with this example – metaphors are never clear. Instead, they imply similarities.

What is the root word of metaphor?

Before we move on any further, let’s look at the etymology of metaphor.

It’s origin traces back to the 15 th century. But there’s no single root. Metaphor in English language comes from the Old French métaphore that, in turn, comes from the Latin metaphora (meaning: carrying over).

And here’s more: the Latin word comes from metaphorá in Greek, which means to transfer.

If we were to look at the big picture, the meaning of metaphor in all three of these languages is almost the same. Carrying over and transferring suggest taking the characteristic of an idea or an object and imposing it on another by way of comparison.

Examples of metaphors

Metaphors are everywhere: in your daily life, the movies, and song. There’s also a boatload of metaphor examples in literature.

Let’s look at each category for metaphor examples :

Metaphors from songs

“ You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog  Cryin’ all the time”  – Hound Dog by Elvis Presley

“You shoot me down, but I won’t fall I am titanium”  – Titanium by David Guetta ft. Sia

Metaphors from literature

“Exhaustion is a thin blanket tattered with bullet holes.” ― If Then, Matthew De Abaitua

“But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!” — Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare

Metaphors from daily life

• Life is a rollercoaster

• The classroom was a zoo

• The calm lake was a mirror

Metaphor vs simile vs analogy

Metaphors are often confused with similes and analogies. Why? Because all these literary terms compare ideas and settings. But, in different ways. I’ve explained this difference below:

Metaphor vs Simile

A simile is a figure of speech that compares two objects or ideas using the words ‘like’ and ‘as,’ giving literal meaning of how they compare.

  So a telltale sign of a simile is the prepositions it uses. Notice these aren’t present in a metaphor so you can instantly tell the difference between the two.

Metaphor vs. Analogy

Again, both of these work in the business of comparison. But, where a metaphor is a figure of speech, an analogy is a logical argument that elaborates on the resemblance between two things.

So how can you tell them apart? A good way to do so is to see how much explanation surrounds the comparison.

An analogy is word-friendly – it explains exactly what it’s comparing. Metaphor, on the flip side, leans on brevity and leaves you to think about potential point(s) of comparison between two ideas or concepts.

Let’s look at the examples to get this straight:

How do you identify a metaphor in 4 steps

Some metaphors, like the ones used in daily life, can be fairly simple to identify. Others can be a bit tricky to pick – tricky, but not impossible though.

Use this simple, 4-step framework to tell metaphors from a mile away:

1. Smell a comparison

Whether it’s a simile, analogy, or metaphor – all three work in the comparison business. This means the first step in identifying a metaphor is sensing a comparison in the text. If there’s one, you can tell you are in the company of a comparison literary device.

2. See if the comparison is standing on crutches

Similes lean on support. They rely on the words ‘like’ and ‘as’ to draw similarities. If you see any such crutches, you can tell it’s not a metaphor, but a simile.

3. Run it through the explanation monitor

Now that you’ve narrowed down your options to two: metaphor vs analogy, separate one from the other. How? By looking at how deep the comparison is explained. If the author has taken the time to explain the similarity between two ideas, the literary device is an analogy.

4. Take the metaphor under the microscope

By now, you’d know that there’s a metaphor in front of you. So this last step in the framework is to break down the metaphor and analyze the content.

Some questions to ask yourself are: what’s being compared? What characteristics are similar? How are they different? 

Common types of metaphors

Now that you know what a metaphor is, how it compares to other agents of comparison and also understand the use of metaphor , let’s dig into its types.

Altogether we’ve four types of metaphors plus 2 more that you need to be familiar with:

1. Standard metaphor

A standard metaphor states one idea is another, making a direct comparison as if the two ideas were synonyms. 

The template looks like this: X is Y so that Y is almost a metonym (substitute name for the close association) for X. 

Example : Maria is my sunshine

Explanation : Maria is directly called sunshine. Of course, Maria can’t be sunshine, so the reader has to understand that Maria is as important to the writer’s life as sunshine is.

2. Implied metaphor

As its name suggests, an implied metaphor makes an implied comparison without ever making a direct comparison between two ideas.

Example : The commander barked an order to the troops to stand alert.

Explanation : With this implied metaphor, the commander’s order is compared to that of a bark, suggesting it as harsh.  

3. Visual metaphor

A visual image compares something to a visual image of another. This type of metaphor is common in advertising where a product is visualized with another object. For example, spicy Cheetos being compared to fire. 

There’s also another way to see visual metaphors as metaphors that compare something to another to give a visual identity. For instance, in her poem Hope is the thing with feathers, Emily Dickinson gives the visual image of a bird to hope. 

4. Extended metaphor

An extended metaphor uses descriptive language to elaborate a comparison. It’s the type of metaphor that you find referenced throughout a stanza, a full poem, a couple of paragraphs, or an entire blog post.

Example: This post that explains how to use the Swiss cheese productivity method to get things done references food items throughout the piece. 

Here’s a peek:

• You started by taking a snack-able piece from your cheese block (the overwhelming project) 

• You poked holes in the cheese chunk by continuously doing small tasks one at a time throughout your work day

• You created so many holes in the cheese block that you finished it

Two more types of metaphors that you need to know of:

Mixed metaphor

Again, the name explains what a mixed metaphor is – a combination of two commonly used metaphors.

This one’s a combination of two prominent metaphors ‘get on the same page’ and ‘get our ducks in a row.’

Dead metaphor

These are metaphors that have been overused to the point that they’ve become clichés. So you’re better off not using them as dead metaphors have lost much of their impact with their overuse.

How to create a metaphor

Now, to get you to speak some metaphorical language by writing metaphors:

• Nail down the character, setting, idea, or object that you want to describe with a metaphor.
• Identify exactly which characteristic of the character or object you want to compare with another character or object.
• Look for how your chosen characteristic compares to a characteristic of another character, setting, setting, idea, or object.
• Write the comparison. You may not get it right in the first go. So rewrite your metaphor a couple of times until you get it just right.

Let’s break down this metaphor example from Albert Einstein to understanding it’s making:

All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree

In this case, three ideas: religion, arts, and sciences are compared. They’re all compared to branches of a tree. And, the aim of this metaphor? To show that all three come from the same idea just as different branches of the same tree.

Best practices for using metaphors

Beware of mixed metaphors.

Mixed metaphors are slippery eels that can make their way into your writing without warning. The reason? They come from overused metaphors that are so common they go in mixtures you can’t identify at first look. Hence, it’s best you double check a metaphor before including it in your writing.

Choose a clear comparison

Sure, a good metaphor gets readers thinking, but that doesn’t mean the comparison has to be hidden in layers. Instead, the comparison has to be clear, if not literal.

--> “A wide screen just makes a bad film twice as bad.” -->

May Habib CEO, Writer.com

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