Metaphors
Choose one of these words and use it metaphorically, not literally.
The Menai suspension bridge, designed by Thomas Telford and completed in 1826.
Introduction
A metaphor is a figure of speech in which something is said to be X when it is really only like X. For example, “He is my rock”; “I’m drowning in a sea of paperwork”; “Thy word is a lantern unto my feet”. See if you can make some interesting metaphors with the words suggested in this exercise.
Where appropriate, you can choose to use these words as nouns or verbs, and you can use related forms, e.g. birth/born, fire/burn.
ILight. IIAxe. IIIRiver. IVEye. VSeed. VIVoice. VIIFire (burn etc). VIIIPillar.
IFount. IIRoad. IIIStep. IVCloud. VCloak. VICradle. VIIShield. VIIIBridge.
IKick. IIBee. IIISlap. IVCrumb. VShadow. VIEar. VIIPath. VIIIProp.
IWheel. IIBlow. IIIBeacon. IVWind. VWing. VILamb. VIIGate. VIIIGun.
IBalm. IIFire. IIISnare. IVThorn. VLadder. VIRoot. VIICushion. VIIICrutch.
IRock. IIFace. IIIHeart. IVCrossroads. VBirth (born etc).
Metaphors are so common that we don’t notice all of them. Sometimes this is because we could hardly speak without them (e.g. I see what you mean), in which case we call them ‘dead’ metaphors. Sometimes they have become set phrases (a pillar of the church, a bridge too far), in which case they may be labelled ‘stale’. Mixed metaphors are regarded as bad style (e.g. the fire of his anger trickled away) but it can be fun thinking them up. An extended metaphor is a metaphor that is developed into several sentences or even paragraphs.
