Figure of Speech Metaphor Quiz : Definition of Metaphor (Figure of Speech):
A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action that it does not literally denote, in order to imply a resemblance and suggest symbolic meaning. It asserts that one thing is another, not just like it, thereby offering a more direct and often more powerful comparison than a simile.
Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms: “A metaphor is an implicit comparison in which a word or phrase ordinarily used for one thing is applied to another.”
M.H. Abrams’ A Glossary of Literary Terms: “A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison.”
Cambridge Dictionary: “An expression, often found in literature, that describes a person or object by referring to something that is considered to have similar characteristics to that person or object.”
5 Classic Examples of Metaphor in English Literature:
- William Shakespeare – As You Like It
“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players.”
(Life is metaphorically presented as a stage, and people as actors playing roles.)
- John Donne – The Sun Rising
“She is all states, and all princes…”
( The beloved is compared to entire states and empires, expressing her value and centrality.)
- Emily Dickinson – Hope is the Thing with Feathers
“‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –”
(Hope is metaphorically described as a bird living in the soul.)
- Sylvia Plath – The Bell Jar
“I couldn’t see the point of getting up. I had nothing to look forward to.”
“It was like being shut in a bell jar, suffocating on my own sour air.”
(The bell jar represents psychological entrapment and depression.)
- George Orwell – Animal Farm
The entire novella is an extended metaphor:
( The farm stands in for a totalitarian regime, and animals represent political figures and ideologies.)
Figure of Speech Metaphor Quiz
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