examples of metaphors in creative writing

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Last updated on Feb 11, 2022

90+ Must-Know Metaphor Examples to Improve Your Prose

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.” — 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

Daily 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

Famous Quotations

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:

Did we miss any of your favorite metaphors? Have more metaphor examples for us? Leave them in the (non-metaphorical) box below and we'll add them right in.

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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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 .

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Using Metaphors in Creative Writing

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What is a metaphor?

The term metaphor meant in Greek "carry something across" or "transfer," which suggests many of the more elaborate definitions below:

Related terms

Why use metaphors.

People get so accustomed to using the same words and phrases over and over, and always in the same ways, that they no longer know what they mean. Creative writers have the power to make the ordinary strange and the strange ordinary, making life interesting again.

When readers or listeners encounter a phrase or word that cannot be interpreted literally, they have to think—or rather, they are given the pleasure of interpretation. If you write "I am frustrated" or "The air was cold" you give your readers nothing to do—they say "so what?" On the other hand, if you say, "My ambition was Hiroshima, after the bombing," your readers can think about and choose from many possible meanings.

By writing "my dorm is a prison," you suggest to your readers that you feel as though you were placed in solitary, you are fed lousy food, you are deprived of all of life's great pleasures, your room is poorly lit and cramped—and a hundred other things, that, if you tried to say them all, would probably take several pages.

There are many gaps in language. When a child looks at the sky and sees a star but does not know the word "star," she is forced to say, "Mommy, look at the lamp in the sky!" Similarly, when computer software developers created boxes on the screen as a user interface, they needed a new language; the result was windows. In your poems, you will often be trying to write about subjects, feelings, etc., so complex that you have no choice but to use metaphors.

Or so says Aristotle in Poetics: "[T]he greatest thing by far is to be a master of metaphor." It is "a sign of genius, since a good metaphor implies an intuitive perception of the similarity in dissimilars."

Creative ways to use metaphors

Most books give rather boring examples of metaphors such as my father is a bear or the librarian was a beast. However, in your poetry (and fiction for that matter) you can do much more than say X is Y, like an algebraic formula. Definitely play with extended metaphors (see above) and experiment with some of the following, using metaphors...

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Examples of Metaphors in Literature

Allison Bressmer

Though you may not have noticed, you have likely heard or used quite a few metaphors today. Perhaps you’ve said someone has a “heart of gold” or conversely, a “heart of stone” or called a lively child “a real firecracker!”

A metaphor makes a direct comparison between two things that are generally not related or similar, but share a specific quality or characteristic that is emphasized through the comparison.

While we may learn about metaphor most directly through poetry and literature, metaphors aren’t just for artists. They add color and carry meaning even in our everyday language.

What Is a Metaphor?

How is a metaphor different from a simile, why use metaphors, examples of types of metaphors, what is a mixed metaphor, how to use metaphors in your writing, examples of metaphors, why metaphors are powerful.

A metaphor is a type of figurative language . It is a figure of speech used to convey a message that goes beyond the literal meaning of their words.

Figures of speech are not intended to be taken literally.

A person can’t have a heart of gold or stone, and a child is a human, not an explosive!

So what’s the point of the comparison then? The point is to go beyond literal meanings.

Gold is precious; it’s pure and valuable. A person with a heart of gold is sincere and kind—a purely good person who adds value to others’ experiences.

Stone is cold and hard. A person with a heart of stone shows no emotional tenderness or empathy—no softness or warmth in their personalities.

A firecracker is full of energy and vibrancy. That firecracker child is probably running around the house and full of sass!

A metaphor makes a direct comparison between two unlike things in order to highlight the one (or so) shared quality between those two things. A metaphor outright “calls” or “labels” that one thing as another thing: the heart is gold or stone; the child is a firecracker.

While a metaphor makes a direct comparison—it states that one thing is another thing—a simile makes its comparisons a little less directly by including the words like or as .

• Simile: She’s as fast as a cheetah!
• Metaphor: She’s a cheetah!

• Simile: Their relationship was like a tornado.
• Metaphor: Their relationship was a tornado.

Sometimes you might prefer the directness of a metaphor; other times a simile will carry your meaning more effectively. Some comparisons just work better as similes than metaphors and vice versa. Whatever works for your specific situation, metaphors and similes can bring creativity and intensity to your words and writing style.

There are plenty of reasons to use metaphors in your work!

1. To Add Creativity

Writers want to express ideas creatively. They want to draw readers into experiences or emotions. They want to describe characters or scenes or events with originality to keep their readers engaged.

Sometimes, literal language just isn’t enough to get those jobs done. Or, maybe it can, but metaphor can do it better, with more intensity and vibrancy.

In Lucille Clifton’s poem “Miss Rosie,” the speaker, frustrated and angry by what Miss Rosie has become, calls her “you wet-brown bag of a woman.” I suppose the speaker could have said “Miss Rosie—you are useless” and still conveyed anger, but I doubt I would remember it. It’s kind of hard to forget that creative “wet-brown-bag” comparison.

2. To Bring Emotional Intensity

What statement conveys more feeling?

• I love you very much.
• My love for you is a raging fire.

Okay, perhaps my metaphor example is corny. But it is also more intense. Raging fire emphasizes the passion and heat and “out-of-controlness” that comes with being in love. It easily out-intensifies very much.

3. To Use the Power of Imagery

Each of the examples of metaphor used so far in this post have probably activated your senses. You can picture and perhaps even feel that cold heart of stone, or the pure, shining beauty of the heart of gold . You might have felt the heat of the fire and pictured its wild, red-hot flames.

4. To Provoke Thought

The meaning of a metaphor isn’t always glaringly obvious. You might have had to stop and think about the characteristics of a wet, brown bag before you could understand the speaker’s accusation in “Miss Rosie.” Once you stop and think, though, you can see the layers of meaning. A wet brown bag was once useful, but is now mushy, musty waste that’s good for nothing.

5. To Create Atmosphere

Sometimes, the sensory images or emotions evoked through metaphor can help set an atmosphere or mood for a scene or event, drawing audiences more deeply into the experience.

• The wedding was a fairytale.

The metaphor makes it easy to image a picture-perfect, enchanting celebration, full of happily-ever-after vibes.

• I finally found escape in the abandoned barn. The torrential rain was rapid machine-gun fire echoing threats of my destruction.

The metaphor adds to the danger of this moment. Not only has the person had to escape, but even the sound of the rain itself perpetuates the feeling that the character is under attack.

So far, the metaphors you’ve seen in this post have been standard metaphors . Standard metaphors simply make that direct comparison between two unlike things:

• Traffic was a beast today.
• That baby is a treasure!

However, standard is not the only type of metaphor. Here are some others:

Implied Metaphor

She hissed her warning— “Keep your mouth shut or I’ll shut it for you.”

In this case, no snake is mentioned, but the “hiss” implies the comparison of “she” to that dangerous, threatening creature.

Visual Metaphor

Visual metaphors show, rather than directly state, the comparison.

Does anyone remember the once-popular ad campaign that showed someone in a kitchen holding an egg and saying “this is your brain.” Then, the person cracked the egg into a hot pan, and as we watched that egg sizzle, said “This is your brain on drugs.”

Instead of directly saying, “drug use makes your brain a fried egg,” the campaign made a visual comparison.

Extended Metaphor

This term really defines itself! An extended metaphor is one that continues over multiple lines or stanzas of poetry, or sentences or paragraphs or segments of prose. Emily Dickinson’s poem “Hope is the Thing with Feathers'' is an example.

Dead Metaphor

A dead metaphor is one whose meaning, due to frequent use and/or the passage of time, has shifted or just lost its metaphorical power and become rather boring or cliche.

For example, some metaphors I’ve used in this post could be considered dead.

Heart of gold and heart of stone ; love is a raging fire— these are metaphors that have lost some of their luster, maybe even prompt an eye roll, though we still understand their meanings.

If we call someone a laughing-stock, we mean the person is a fool, a joke, an embarrassment. But many who use the metaphor probably don’t know its likely origin, going back to the 1500s, when people were publicly punished and ridiculed by having their ankles and wrists locked into holes between two sliding boards—a contraption called “stocks.”

Thankfully, we don’t use that form of punishment anymore, but we have kept the metaphor.

A mixed metaphor is a mistake. It occurs when a person combines elements of two unrelated metaphors to confusing, and often humorous, effect.

For example, we might call a person who is emotionally strong a tough cookie, which is itself an interesting (possibly dead) metaphor. What qualities does a cookie share with a strong person? I can’t find an origin story, but I’ll assume that it refers to a cookie that perhaps required a bit of effort to bite into.

If you say someone is not the sharpest knife in the drawer, you’re saying that they aren’t too smart. This metaphor’s meaning is easier to discern as “sharp” or “keen” are synonyms for “smart.”

But if you say a person is “not the toughest cookie in the drawer” you’ve just mixed your metaphors, and haven't really said much of anything—other than perhaps you need to “sharpen” yourself!

Don’t force metaphors or try too hard to sound “poetic.” Sometimes, the desire to be creative can lead you to produce overdone, overwrought, or overly complex metaphors. Remember, you want the metaphor to enhance the readers’ experience, not leave them frustrated and confused.

Think with your senses. Metaphors can create or deepen your work’s sensory effect. What metaphors can you use to intensify the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, or touch of your work?

Don’t overwhelm your work— especially prose—with metaphors. Metaphors are powerful figures of speech, but that doesn’t mean they should fill every line of your speech or text. Use metaphors thoughtfully and strategically in order to maintain their power and effect.

Be original. Avoid the cliches and stay away from often used images. For example, there are already plenty of love-compared-to-roses and snow-compared-to-blankets metaphors.

You might have to do some brainstorming. The first ideas that come to mind might be obvious because they’re common. Keep thinking. Check out ProWritingAid’s Clichés Report to look for these exhausted figures of speech. Then you can try to freshen them up with a new, creative metaphor!

Sign up for a free account and try it for yourself.

Now that we know what a metaphor is, let’s take a closer look at some examples of metaphors at work in the real world.

Metaphor Examples from Literature

“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

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

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

“Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.”— Mother to Son , Langston Hughes (the entire poem is an example of an extended metaphor)

“I’m a riddle in nine syllables”— Metaphors , Sylvia Plath (each line of the poem is a different metaphor, but the metaphors are all describing one thing.

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

“The frosted wedding cake of the ceiling”— The Great Gatsby , F. Scott Fitzgerald

“Behind him, sitting on piles of scrap and rubble, was the blue kite. My key to Baba’s heart.”— The Kite Runner , Khaled Hosseini

“This blood is a map of the road between us.”— Tear , Linda Hogan

“In her hands, I always became the pawn. I could only run away. And she was the queen, able to move in all directions, relentless in her pursuit, always able to find my weakest spots.”— The Joy Luck Club , Amy Tan

Metaphor Examples from Music

“Life is a highway / I wanna ride it all night long”—Tom Cochrane

“Baby you’re a firework!”—Katy Perry, Ester Dean, Stargate, Sandy Vee

“You are the thunder and I am the lightning”—Selena Gomez, Antonina Armato, Tim James, Devrim Karaoglu

“Love is a temple, Love a higher law”—U2

“You are the sunshine of my life”—Stevie Wonder

Metaphor Examples from Speeches or Famous Quotes

“I assume unhesitatingly the leadership of this great army of our people dedicated to a disciplined attack upon our common problems.”—Franklin D. Roosevelt, First Inaugural Address

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

“If this virus were a physical assailant, an unexpected and invisible mugger, which I can tell you from personal experience it is, then this is the moment we have begun together to wrestle it to the floor.”— Boris Johson qtd. in the Guardian

“But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.”— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. , “I Have A Dream”

“What’s that got to do with women’s rights or negroes’ rights? If my cup won’t hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn’t you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full?”— Sojourner Truth , “Ain’t I a Woman?”

Metaphor Examples from Advertising

• Budweiser is the “king” of beers
• Chevrolet is the “heartbeat” of America
• Exxon Oil used to tell drivers: “put a tiger in your tank!”

In her article “ The Words that Help Us Understand the World, ” Helene Schumacher says that metaphors “can explain complex concepts we may not be familiar with, help us to connect with each other, and can even shape our thought processes. They help us better understand our world.”

Author James Geary, quoted in the article, says “The only way we have of learning something new is by comparing it to something we already know.”

Metaphors bring to light something we had not perhaps considered or recognized. That something may be a depth of emotion, an insight. Whatever that “something” is, the metaphor delivers it in a unique, stirring way not matched by literal words alone.

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Allison Bressmer is a professor of freshman composition and critical reading at a community college and a freelance writer. If she isn’t writing or teaching, you’ll likely find her reading a book or listening to a podcast while happily sipping a semi-sweet iced tea or happy-houring with friends. She lives in New York with her family. Connect at linkedin.com/in/allisonbressmer.

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Using Metaphors in Creative Writing

What is a metaphor.

The term metaphor meant in Greek “carry something across” or “transfer,” which suggests many of the more elaborate definitions below:

Related terms

Why use metaphors.

• They enliven ordinary language. People get so accustomed to using the same words and phrases over and over, and always in the same ways, that they no longer know what they mean. Creative writers have the power to make the ordinary strange and the strange ordinary, making life interesting again.
• They are generous to readers and listeners; they encourage interpretation. When readers or listeners encounter a phrase or word that cannot be interpreted literally, they have to think—or rather, they are given the pleasure of interpretation. If you write “I am frustrated” or “The air was cold” you give your readers nothing to do—they say “so what?” On the other hand, if you say, “My ambition was Hiroshima, after the bombing,” your readers can think about and choose from many possible meanings.
• They are more efficient and economical than ordinary language; they give maximum meaning with a minimum of words. By writing “my dorm is a prison,” you suggest to your readers that you feel as though you were placed in solitary, you are fed lousy food, you are deprived of all of life’s great pleasures, your room is poorly lit and cramped—and a hundred other things, that, if you tried to say them all, would probably take several pages.
• They create new meanings; they allow you to write about feelings, thoughts, things, experiences, etc., for which there are no easy words; they are necessary. There are many gaps in language. When a child looks at the sky and sees a star but does not know the word “star,” she is forced to say, “Mommy, look at the lamp in the sky!” Similarly, when computer software developers created boxes on the screen as a user interface, they needed a new language; the result was windows. In your poems, you will often be trying to write about subjects, feelings, etc., so complex that you have no choice but to use metaphors.
• They are a sign of genius. Or so says Aristotle in Poetics: “[T]he greatest thing by far is to be a master of metaphor.” It is “a sign of genius, since a good metaphor implies an intuitive perception of the similarity in dissimilars.”

Creative ways to use metaphors

Most books give rather boring examples of metaphors such as my father is a bear or the librarian was a beast. However, in your poetry (and fiction for that matter) you can do much more than say X is Y, like an algebraic formula. Definitely play with extended metaphors (see above) and experiment with some of the following, using metaphors…

ThinkWritten

What Is A Metaphor? Examples Of Metaphors In Writing

Today we’ll look at what a metaphor is, share examples of metaphors in writing, and give some tips for how to use metaphors when writing.

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Metaphors are some of the most effective tools for adding color and emphasis to your writing. Although they serve many of the same functions as similes, they are generally much more subtle and poetic.

In fact, the Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle thought of metaphors so highly that he considered their mastery “a sign of genius.”

Metaphors defined 

Metaphors are figures of speech in which one thing is spoken of in terms of another.

Frequently, metaphors compare people or events to inanimate objects or natural occurrences. Even when the two things being compared are seemingly unrelated to each other, the use of a metaphor makes the reader understand that the comparison isn’t literal. 

The word “metaphor” comes from the 16 th -century French word métaphore , which in turn is derived from the Latin word metaphora , which means “carrying over” or “to carry across.” The word metaphor, therefore, suggests the carrying over of a shared characteristic or quality across two different things.

See Related Post: Allusion in Writing

The purpose of metaphors

The most basic function of a metaphor is to impart a bit of emphasis and color to what a writer is trying to express. For instance, describing someone as having a “sea of knowledge” means that the writer considers that person extremely wise or knowledgeable. 

In this particular example, the “sea” and “knowledge” obviously do not have a literal relationship with each other. Even so, they share the qualities of being large or immense, as well as being difficult to measure. By using them both in a comparative statement, most readers would understand that the writer is alluding to the person’s vast and immeasurable knowledge.

Why are metaphors so important?

Using metaphors are useful for adding detail to your writing and making it more powerful. They can impart essential sensory details and make your story or message more interesting to the reader. Used effectively, metaphors can make your words more real and give your readers a more meaningful connection to a character or scene.

Metaphors also spur on the imagination of your readers, enabling them to form a new and more in-depth understanding of familiar ideas. They can also help readers better understand a topic that would otherwise be vague or confusing to them. 

Things to keep in mind when using metaphors

One of the risks associated with using metaphors is the tendency for readers to be confused about what the writer is trying to express.

Often, there is a need to examine the context in which the metaphor is used. Depending on the particular usage, a metaphor could affect the meaning of the phrase in different ways. 

It is also worth noting that some writers may include a phrase that is commonly used as a metaphor without necessarily comparing two things with each other.

When describing someone as having a “broken heart”, for example, the writer may not necessarily be alluding to the subject’s heart. Instead, the phrase “broken heart” may simply be used because of its familiarity as a figurative expression.

Examples of metaphors

Metaphors are fairly common in everyday language, so much so that most of us don’t even give them a second thought. Many of the expressions that we commonly use in written and spoken language are, in fact, metaphors.

Among these are phrases such as “heart of gold”. Some metaphors may also refer to other people in unflattering terms such as a “snake”, a “pig”, or a “shark”. 

Here are some more common examples:

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

In this particular example, Einstein obviously wasn’t talking about horticulture. But his association of religion, art, and science with a tree suggests that he believed that they were all part of a bigger whole. 

“The running back carried the entire team on his back the whole game!”

This is commonly heard in sports where metaphors are frequently used. Instead of visualizing an entire team being carried on a single player’s back, it would be more accurate to get a picture of the player performing more than is typically expected. 

“You were a total rock star at the last sales meeting!”

This suggests that the object of the metaphor performed exceptionally well during the last meeting. Rock stars are often seen as larger-than-life characters capable of astounding feats. By being compared to a rock star, the object is considered as having performed outstandingly well. 

The use of metaphors is rife in literature throughout the ages. In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet , the following line is written: 

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

Considered one of the most famous metaphors in the English language, it compares Juliet to the sun, suggesting the radiance of her beauty. The absence of comparing words such as “like” or “as” further emphasize how Romeo was impressed with Juliet.

In Khalil Gibran’s Sand and Foam , we read the following example: 

“Our words are but crumbs that fall down from the feast of the mind.”

In many ways, this particular metaphor is quite similar to other commonly used–and abused–metaphors such as “the tip of the iceberg” or “a mere shadow.” These metaphors suggest that what we are seeing is only a fraction of what remains hidden or concealed. 

But unlike those other metaphors that border on the cliché, Gibran’s sentence adopts a more creative and original approach. It also utilizes two different comparisons in one metaphor, by comparing “words” to “crumbs” and “mind” to “feast”. This usage makes the metaphor much more powerful and evocative to the reader. 

The next example comes from Sylvia Plath’s Metaphors. Here, the sentence simply reads; 

“I’ve eaten a bag of green apples.”

The simplicity of this particular example arguably makes the message more powerful once you figure out what the author is trying to express. But it also makes the metaphor a bit more difficult to comprehend. In fact, many of Plath’s poems–this one included–are rife with figurative language, much of which can be challenging to understand. 

But the meaning of this particular metaphor can be deduced by knowing what the poem is about, which is Plath’s pregnancy. It is, therefore, safe to assume that the line alludes to morning sickness, the symptoms of which could be similar to consuming a bag of sour green apples. 

Metaphors are common in pop culture as well. In Disney’s Aladdin , the following phrase is used: 

“Seek thee out the diamond in the rough.”

This line is only one of many in the film that compares humans to jewels and gemstones. This particular example alludes to Aladdin as a “diamond in the rough”, suggesting that despite his rough and unpolished state, he could go on to achieve great things. 

Finally, from singer Pink comes this line from her song God Is a DJ : 

“God is a DJ, life is a dance floor, love is a rhythm.”

Again, this metaphor combines more than one comparison in a fairly lengthy phrase. As in Khalil Gibran’s Sand and Foam, this approach helps create a more powerful image.

In this case, it encapsulates the entirety of the world within the confines of a nightclub. And because the song is likely played in nightclubs, club-goers are presumably able to relate their more fleeting experience to loftier and more significant concepts. 

As you can see, metaphors can add richness and color to what would otherwise be drab and straightforward writing. Learn how to utilize metaphors effectively, and you could add more depth and expression to your written work. 

Do you have any questions about metaphors or examples of metaphors you are familiar with? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Eric Pangburn is a freelance writer who shares his best tips with other writers here at ThinkWritten. When not writing, he enjoys coaching basketball and spending time with his family.

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Definition of Metaphor

A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two non-similar things. As a literary device, metaphor creates implicit comparisons without the express use of “like” or “as.” Metaphor is a means of asserting that two things are identical in comparison rather than just similar. This is useful in literature for using specific images or concepts to state abstract truths.

For example, one of the most famous metaphors in literature is featured in this line from William Shakespeare ’s  Romeo and Juliet : What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet, the sun! In this metaphor, Juliet is compared to the sun. In fact, this figure of speech claims that Juliet is the sun. Of course, the reader understands that Romeo does not believe that Juliet is literally the sun. Instead, the comparison demonstrates the idea that Romeo equates Juliet with the beauty , awe, and life-giving force of the sun. To Romeo, symbolically, Juliet and the sun are the same.

Common Examples of Metaphor

There are many common examples of metaphors in everyday conversation and writing. Here are some well-known uses of this figure of speech:

• Laughter is the best medicine.
• She is just a late bloomer.
• Is there a black sheep in your family?
• His heart of stone surprised me.
• I smell success in this building.
• He’s buried in a sea of paperwork.
• There is a weight on my shoulder.
• Time is money.
• No man is an island.
• That actor is a tall drink of water.
• Age is a state of mind.
• Last night I slept the sleep of the dead .
• The new parents had stars in their eyes.
• The criminal has blood on his hands.
• There is a garden in her face.
• Our family is a patchwork quilt.
• She has been living in a bubble.
• Your argument is a slippery slope.
• We found it under a blanket of sand.
• I’m pleased to meet your better half.

Examples of Metaphor in Movie Lines

Some of the most well-known lines in movies feature metaphors. Here are some memorable movie lines that showcase metaphor as an effective device:

• A Dream is a wish your heart makes. (Walt Disney’s Cinderella )
• The rain on my car is a baptism. ( Say Anything )
• Life is pain, highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something. ( The Princess Bride )
• Fasten your seat-belts; it’s going to be a bumpy night. ( All About Eve )
• Life is a cabaret, old chum. ( Cabaret )
• Say ‘hello’ to my little friend. ( Scarface )
• It was beauty killed the beast. ( King Kong )
• Hell is a teenage girl. ( Jennifer’s Body )
• You sit on a throne of lies. ( Elf )
• I drink your milkshake. ( There Will Be Blood )

Famous Examples of Metaphor

Metaphor is also found in many famous examples of poetry, prose , drama , lyrics , and even clever quotations. Here are some famous examples of metaphor:

• Your heart is my piñata. (Chuck Palahniuk)
• Life is a highway. (Tom Cochrane)
• For woman is yin, the darkness within, where untempered passions lie. (Amy Tan)
• Love is a battlefield. (Pat Benatar)
• Each friend represents a world in us. (Anais Nin)
• You are sunlight and I moon. ( Miss Saigon )
• If music be the food of love, play on (William Shakespeare)
• Adults are just obsolete children and the hell with them. (Dr. Seuss)
• Time is a drug. Too much of it kills you. (Terry Pratchet)
• hope is the thing with feathers   ( Emily Dickinson )

Difference Between Metaphor and Simile

It can be difficult in some instances to distinguish between metaphor and simile as literary devices . Both are figures of speech designed to create comparisons. In fact, simile is a subset of metaphor. However, they are distinguished by the presence of one of two words: “like” and “as.” Metaphors create direct comparisons without using either of these words. Similes feature either like or as in making a comparison.

A good example to distinguish between these two literary devices comes from the movie adaptation of the novel Forrest Gump by Winston Groom. One of the movie’s themes is based on a comparison between life and a box of chocolates. The main character , Forrest Gump, quotes his mother: “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.” In this case, the comparison between life and a box of chocolates is a simile due to the presence of the word like.

In a different scene, the audience hears Forrest’s mother say: “Life is a box of chocolates, Forrest. You never know what you’re going to get.” This comparison is a metaphor due to the absence of the word like (or as). Both quotes feature comparative figures of speech. However, the uses of metaphor and simile create subtle differences in the meaning of comparing life to a box of chocolates.

Additional: Difference Between Metaphor, Allegory, and Simile

As far as the difference between an allegory and metaphor is concerned, both seem to belong to the same group of figures of speech. The reason is that both mean comparison. However, an allegory presents a long or sustained comparison that may comprise a full story , having allegorical characters and situations. It could be a story within a story such as the Allegory of Cave . Conversely, a metaphor is just a word or a phrase showing an implied comparison, while a simile is almost near in meanings as it shows the same thing with the use of the word ‘like’ or ‘as.’

Writing Metaphor

Overall, as a literary device, metaphor functions as a means of creating a direct comparison between two seemingly different things. This is effective for readers in that metaphor can create an association between two dissimilar entities or ideas that, as a result of the metaphor, illuminate each other and deepen the meaning of both. Metaphor is an essential figure of speech for writers of both poetry and prose.

It’s important that writers construct proper metaphors so that the comparative meaning is not lost for the reader. In fact, metaphors are dependent on the understandable combination of a principal term and a secondary term. The principal term conveys the concrete or literal entity, and the secondary term is used figuratively to add meaning. For example, in the metaphor “the car was a lemon,” the principal term is “car” and the secondary term is “lemon.” The use of lemon adds figurative meaning for the car.

Here are some ways that writers benefit from incorporating metaphor into their work:

Create Imagery

Metaphors allow writers to create imagery for readers that is limited by description alone . In other words, an effective metaphor eliminates the need for excessive explanation or description on the part of the writer. Instead, by implicitly comparing two different things, an image is created for the reader to allow for greater meaning and understanding. This imagery is a powerful result of using metaphor as a literary device.

Evoke Thought and Emotion

When writers utilize metaphor as a literary device, it often causes the reader to think about the “logic” or truth in such a comparison. These thoughts, in turn, may evoke emotion in the reader with a successful metaphor through the realization that the comparison is valid. This is especially effective in poetry as a means of portraying truths in a lyrical yet concise manner.

Using Metaphor in a Sentence

• The wolf’s eyes were onyx in the dark.
• Is it your room? Serious it’s a hot furnace!
• Zain is a chicken, scared all the time.
• I hate it here. This place is a zoo.
• Sofi’s bed was a marshmallow. So soft!

Examples of Metaphor in Literature

Metaphor is a very effective literary device. Here are some examples of metaphor and how it adds to the significance of well-known literary works:

Example 1: Fire and Ice by Robert Frost

Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice.

In this poem , Frost compares end-of-world destructive forces to both fire and ice . These are metaphors that serve as figures of speech in the sense that the poet does not literally mean that the world will end because of fire and ice. Instead, fire represents destructive forces associated with desire, such as power , jealousy, and anger. Similarly, ice represents destructive forces associated with hate, such as prejudice, hostility, and isolation. These metaphors are an effective literary device in that it causes the reader to consider that desire and hatred are as destructive as fire and ice.

Example 2: Dreams by Langston Hughes

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 .

In this poem, Hughes utilizes metaphor to compare life to a broken-winged bird and a barren field as consequences to the loss of dreams. In the first stanza , Hughes claims that if dreams die then life is a “broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” This is significant use of metaphor in that it characterizes life without dreams as something fragile that has been irreparably harmed. The metaphor creates an image for the reader of a bird that is wounded, grounded, and unable to reach its purpose or potential. If life is this bird, then, without dreams, it is also wounded, grounded, and thwarted in purpose.

Hughes utilizes the second metaphor in the second stanza for life without dreams. In this case, when dreams go, life is a “barren field frozen with snow.” This metaphor creates a comparison between life and an empty, frozen wasteland. Therefore, due to Hughes’s use of metaphor as a literary device in this poem, life becomes death and a burial ground without dreams.

Example 3: since feeling is first by E.E. Cummings

we are for eachother: then laugh, leaning back in my arms for life’s not a paragraph And death i think is no parenthesis

In this poem, Cummings uses metaphor in a clever way to compare life and death to the constraints of a writing formality and punctuation . In fact, it is a negative comparison in the sense that the poet states life is “not” a paragraph and death is “no” parenthesis. The use of metaphor as a literary device in this work is both poetic and self-reflexive with significance. The metaphors for life and death are poetic because the poet is showcasing that life and death are concepts too monumental to be “contained” in writing or “enclosed” by punctuation (paragraph and parenthesis). Yet, the metaphors are also self-reflexive in that the comparisons of life and death are simultaneously “contained” in and “enclosed” by the poem itself.

Synonyms of Metaphor

Although no words could be used interchangeably for a metaphor, some could be near in meanings such as trope , image, allegory, parable , symbol , simile, and emblem. There are various other tropes, too, but almost every other trope has its own definition, meaning, and examples. Therefore, they could not be used interchangeably when there is a question of distinct clarification of meanings.

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Powerful Examples of Similes and Metaphors to Improve Your Writing

Understanding similes, simile definition, examples of similes, tips for using similes, understanding metaphors, metaphor definition, examples of metaphors, tips for using metaphors, applying similes and metaphors in your writing, enhancing description, creating imagery, adding emotion and depth, similes and metaphors in literature, classic literature, modern literature, similes and metaphors in pop culture, movies and tv, advertising.

Similes and metaphors are powerful tools that can help you take your writing to the next level. They allow you to create vivid imagery and evoke emotions in your readers, making your work more engaging and memorable. In this blog, we'll explore simile and metaphor examples, along with tips on how to use them effectively in your writing. Let's dive in!

Similes are a type of figurative language that compare two different things using the words "like" or "as." They help your readers better visualize and understand the ideas you want to convey. Let's start with the basics:

A simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using the words "like" or "as." This comparison highlights a specific quality or characteristic shared by the two things, making the description more vivid and relatable. For example:

• Her smile was as warm as the sun on a summer day.
• He ran like the wind, leaving everyone else behind.

Similes can add depth and color to your writing, making it more engaging. Here are some more simile examples to inspire you:

• Her eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky.
• He was as stubborn as a mule, refusing to change his mind.
• Their love was as deep as the ocean.
• The baby's laughter was as sweet as the sound of a music box.
• The room was as silent as a graveyard at midnight.

To make the most of similes in your writing, keep these tips in mind:

• Be specific: Choose comparisons that paint a clear and vivid picture for your readers.
• Be relevant: Make sure the simile adds value to your writing and supports the point you're trying to make.
• Avoid clichés: Steer clear of overused similes, like "as busy as a bee" or "as cool as a cucumber." Instead, get creative and come up with your own unique simile and metaphor examples.

Metaphors, like similes, are a form of figurative language that can enrich your writing by creating strong imagery and conveying emotions. However, they differ from similes in one key aspect—metaphors don't use "like" or "as" for comparison. Instead, they directly state that one thing is another. Let's take a closer look:

A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes an object or action by equating it with something else, without using "like" or "as." This comparison helps to emphasize a particular quality or characteristic of the object or action. For example:

• Her voice was music to his ears.
• Time is a thief that steals our moments away.

Using metaphors in your writing can create powerful imagery and make your words more memorable. Here are some metaphor examples to spark your creativity:

• All the world's a stage , and we are merely players.
• My thoughts are swirling leaves in the wind of my mind.
• Her heart is a garden blooming with kindness.
• The sun is a golden coin tossed into the sky.
• His words were daggers that pierced her heart.

When incorporating metaphors into your writing, consider these guidelines:

• Be original: Avoid clichéd metaphors that your readers have likely encountered before. Create your own fresh and unique metaphor examples.
• Stay focused: Ensure that your metaphor is relevant to the point you're trying to make and enhances the overall message.
• Keep it simple: While it's tempting to craft complex metaphors, remember that clarity is key. Keep your metaphors straightforward and easy to understand.

Similes and metaphors can add depth, emotion, and vivid imagery to your writing. When used effectively, they can elevate your work and create a lasting impression on your readers. Let's explore some ways to incorporate similes and metaphor examples into your writing:

Both similes and metaphors can help you describe characters, settings, and emotions more vividly. By comparing an object or action to something else, you can create a more striking image in your reader's mind:

• His eyes were as cold as ice when he looked at her. (simile)
• The city was a sleeping giant waiting to be awakened by the first rays of sunlight. (metaphor)

By comparing objects, actions, or emotions to something unexpected, similes and metaphors can paint vivid pictures in your reader's mind. This can enhance the overall reading experience and make your words more memorable:

• The clouds were like cotton candy floating in the sky. (simile)
• Her laughter was a symphony of joy that filled the room. (metaphor)

Similes and metaphors can be powerful tools for expressing emotions and adding depth to your writing. By choosing the right comparisons, you can evoke specific feelings or create a particular mood:

• She felt as if a thousand butterflies were fluttering in her stomach. (simile)
• Grief was a heavy stone that weighed her down. (metaphor)

Remember, the key to successful use of similes and metaphor examples is to be creative, clear, and relevant to the message you want to convey. By incorporating these techniques in your writing, you can create a stronger connection with your readers and leave a lasting impression.

Similes and metaphors have been used by writers throughout history to create memorable, evocative works. Let's look at some examples of similes and metaphors in both classic and modern literature, as well as poetry.

In classic literature, similes and metaphors have been used to create rich descriptions and convey emotions. Here are a few powerful examples:

• In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: "People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for, and they have the right to subject their children to it all."
• In Great Expectations by Charles Dickens: "Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be."
• In Moby Dick by Herman Melville: "The sun hides not the ocean, which is the dark side of this earth, and which is two thirds of this earth."

Modern literature also employs similes and metaphors to create vivid imagery and evoke emotions. Here are some examples:

• In The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: "My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations."
• In The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: "Hope is the only thing stronger than fear."
• In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling: "The castle was a vast maze of ramparts, turrets, and halls."

Poetry often relies heavily on similes and metaphors to create powerful imagery and convey emotions. Here are some examples from famous poets:

• In "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— / I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference."
• In "A Red, Red Rose" by Robert Burns: "O my Luve is like a red, red rose / That's newly sprung in June; / O my Luve is like the melody / That's sweetly played in tune."
• In "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth: "For oft, when on my couch I lie / In vacant or in pensive mood, / They flash upon that inward eye / Which is the bliss of solitude."

By examining simile and metaphor examples in literature, you can gain inspiration and insight into how these powerful devices can enhance your own writing and create a lasting impact on your readers.

Similes and metaphors aren't just limited to literature—they also play a significant role in popular culture. Let's explore some examples of similes and metaphors in music, movies, TV shows, and advertising to see how these devices add depth and meaning to our everyday entertainment.

Music often uses similes and metaphors to create vivid imagery and convey emotions. Here are a few examples from popular songs:

• In "Firework" by Katy Perry: "Do you ever feel like a plastic bag / Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?"
• In "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston: "If I should stay / I would only be in your way / So I'll go but I know / I'll think of you every step of the way."
• In "Let It Be" by The Beatles: "When the brokenhearted people living in the world agree / There will be an answer, let it be."

Movies and television shows often use similes and metaphors to create memorable scenes and lines. Here are some examples:

• In Forrest Gump : "Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get."
• In The Dark Knight : "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."
• In Game of Thrones : "When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."

Advertisers often use similes and metaphors to create catchy slogans and memorable ads. Here are some examples:

• In Nike's slogan: "Just do it."
• In McDonald's slogan: "I'm lovin' it."
• In Apple's "Think Different" campaign: "Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers."

By examining simile and metaphor examples in pop culture, you can see how these powerful devices add depth and meaning to our everyday entertainment, making them more memorable and engaging for audiences.

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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.

Related Posts

25 metaphors for poetry, 25 metaphors for kids.

Metaphor Examples for Writers

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A metaphor is a literary device writers use to make their writing more evocative. Without going into wordy explanations, a writer can use the  figurative language  of a metaphor for illustrative purposes or to highlight the similarities between two different ideas, activities, or objects. 

A metaphor is made up of two parts, a tenor, which is the subject of the metaphor, and the vehicle, which is the thing that illustrates the metaphor. There are more than a dozen different kinds of metaphors, including absolute, complex, conceptual, conventional, creative, dead, extended, mixed, primary, root, simile, submerged, therapeutic, and visual, that are used in writing to illustrate or symbolize something else.

An example of one of the more expressive metaphors in literature comes from American fiction writer F. Scott Fitzgerald, who once wrote, "All good writing is swimming underwater and holding your breath." A complex metaphor like this works because it is sensory. Most people know what it feels like to swim underwater while they hold their breath. Even if they are not writers, the metaphor he uses gives a sense of what the process feels like.

Metaphors often get confused with similes. Whereas a metaphor makes a declarative statement that one thing is another thing, a simile uses words “like” or “as” to compare two similar things. The difference is subtle but distinct. For example, if Fitzgerald had written that "good writing is like swimming underwater," it would be a simile. The other part that can get confusing is that a simile is a type of metaphor, but a metaphor is not always a simile.

Metaphors in Literature and Popular Culture

Perhaps one of the most commonly cited examples of a metaphor in English literature is Shakespeare's "All the world's a stage" monologue from "As You Like It":

"All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances..."

One reason this metaphor is effective is that each line contains a separate metaphor, but all come together as part of a single, broader idea—that life itself is like a stage play. Some other examples of metaphors in literature and popular culture include:

• "You are the sunshine of my life...And if I thought our love was ending, I'd find myself drowning in my own tears." ​-Stevie Wonder
• "I finally asked you to dance on the last slow song, beneath the moon that was really a disco ball." ​-Lady Antebellum
• "The sky was a purple bruise, the ground was iron, and you fell all around the town until you looked the same." ​-Elvis Costello
• "You ain't nothing but a hound dog." -Made famous by Elvis Presley, but written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
• “A hospital bed is a parked taxi with the meter running." ​-Groucho Marx
• “Dying is a wild night and a new road.” -Emily Dickinson
• “Time rises and rises, and when it reaches the level of your eyes you drown.” -Margaret Atwood
• “I’m a little pencil in the hand of a writing God.” -Mother Teresa
• “Books are the mirrors of the soul.” -Virginia Woolf

Each of these metaphors works in different ways, but they all force the reader to think about what they mean. Once the reader is able to make a connection to the metaphor, the meaning becomes very clear. Take that last line, for instance. Imagining a mirror that can look into your soul evokes a powerful image of the impact books can have.

Mixed and Extended Metaphors

Like most literary devices, metaphors can be ineffective when misused. They end up either confusing the reader or drawing attention to the author's lack of skill. A mixed metaphor moves from one reference to a second, unrelated, or inconsistent thing.

For example, in the statement "Our keyboard will teach your mind's eye to play by ear," the speaker has mixed two metaphors, leading to nonsense.

However, there are some instances when mixed metaphors work despite themselves somehow. In his song "Little Red Corvette," Prince, a songwriter known for his sexually-charged lyrics, compares the proclivities of a paramour to a fast car and mixes in a metaphor about the use of contraceptives.

"I guess I should've known by the way you parked your car sideways, that it wouldn't last," he sings, before mixing in another metaphor with the line, "See, you're the kinda person that believes in makin' out once—love 'em and leave 'em fast. I guess I must be dumb 'cuz you had a pocket full of horses, Trojan and some of them used."

The latter part of that verse is a mixed metaphor that then becomes an extended metaphor later in the song when Prince references his paramour's past lovers. "I guess I should've closed my eyes when you drove me to the place where your horses run free. 'Cause I felt a little ill when I saw all the pictures of the jockeys that were there before me."

Cliched Metaphors to Avoid

As you can see, you don't have to look very far to find examples of metaphors. We hear and use various common expressions and cliches every day that are metaphors:

• It's raining cats and dogs.
• I'm visiting an old flame.
• He's a loose cannon.
• She found herself behind the eight ball. 
• He drives me up a wall.
• She saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

Although these are all are good examples of what metaphors are and how they can effectively express thoughts or ideas, they represent the sort of cliches—or dead metaphors—that should be avoided in writing. Metaphors are most effective when they are original and help readers envision complex feelings or actions in ways they never have.

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Providing Support for Writers and Teachers of Writing

Teaching Metaphors: Crafting Powerful Literary Devices

Welcome to our guide on teaching metaphor to student writers! Writers often seek to enhance their language and create a powerful impact on their readers. One way to achieve this is through the use of literary devices such as metaphors. In this article, we will delve into the definition of a metaphor, examples of how they can be used in writing, techniques for crafting powerful metaphors, as well as easy activities to add to your teacher toolbox.

What is a Metaphor?

A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two things that are not alike in order to suggest a similarity or analogy between them. Unlike similes, which use “like” or “as” to make a comparison, metaphors make a direct comparison between the two objects. For example, “Life is a journey” is a metaphor that compares the experience of living to the act of traveling on a path or road.

The Impact of Metaphors in Writing

Metaphors can have a significant impact on the reader. They can help to create vivid and memorable images in the reader’s mind, making the writing more engaging and interesting. Additionally, metaphors can add depth and complexity to the text, as they allow the writer to explore complex ideas and emotions in a more accessible way.

Examples of Metaphors in Literature

Metaphors are commonly used in literature to create vivid and memorable images. Here are some examples:

• “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” – William Shakespeare, As You Like It
• “Her voice was music to his ears.” – unknown
• “The sun is a golden coin in the sky.” – unknown

Techniques for Crafting Powerful Metaphors

Crafting powerful metaphors can be a challenging task, but there are some techniques that writers can use to make their metaphors more effective:

• Use Concrete Language: The more concrete and specific the language you use, the more powerful your metaphor will be. For example, instead of saying “He was angry,” you could say “His face turned red like a boiling kettle.”
• Choose the Right Comparison: To make a metaphor work, you need to choose the right comparison. Think carefully about the two objects you are comparing and try to find a connection that will resonate with your reader.
• Avoid Clichés: While it can be tempting to use a familiar metaphor, such as “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” these types of clichés can make your writing feel tired and unoriginal. Instead, try to come up with a fresh and unique comparison.

Quick and Easy Teaching Metaphor Activities

• Metaphor Scavenger Hunt: Provide students with a list of metaphors and have them find examples of each in books, movies, or TV shows. This will help students practice identifying metaphors in context.
• Metaphor Mad Libs: Create a story template with blanks for metaphors. Students can then fill in the blanks with their own metaphors, creating a silly and fun story.
• Metaphor Match-Up: Provide students with a list of nouns and a list of adjectives. Have them match the two lists to create a metaphor. For example, “The sun is a blazing fire.”
• Metaphor Drawing: Give students a simple prompt, such as “Life is a rollercoaster,” and have them draw a picture that represents the metaphor. This will help students visualize the comparison and develop a deeper understanding of metaphors.
• Metaphor Swap: Have students work in pairs to create a metaphor. Then, have them switch metaphors with another pair and try to come up with a new comparison based on the other pair’s metaphor. This will help students practice thinking creatively and outside of the box.

By incorporating these activities into your lesson plans, you can help students develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for the power of metaphors in writing.

Final Thoughts on Teaching Metaphors

Metaphors are a powerful tool in the writer’s toolbox, and can help to create memorable and engaging writing. By using concrete language, choosing the right comparison, and avoiding clichés, writers can craft metaphors that have a lasting impact on their readers. Teaching metaphors to your students helps them to become compelling writers.

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Metaphors — Definition, Types, and Examples

What is a metaphor?

A metaphor is a common figure of speech that refers an object, idea, or action to another thing to help make a comparison or suggest that they are similar. For example, “drowning in money.”

Metaphors are a literary device that add imagery, color, symbolism, or humor to language to make comparisons, objects, and ideas more memorable. They are commonly used in poetry, literature, songs, and movies to represent abstract concepts,

Readers can identify a metaphor when a writer applies a word or phrase to something figuratively instead of using the literal meaning.

Metaphor structure

A metaphor’s form has two parts – the  tenor  and the  vehicle . In the metaphor "life is a rollercoaster":

Tenor = "life"

Vehicle = "rollercoaster"

Metaphor examples

Common metaphor examples and samples include the following:

heart of gold

apple of my eye

melting pot

walking encyclopedia

time is money

laughter is the best medicine

happy camper

fit as a fiddle

light of my life

Examples of metaphors in literature

Authors use metaphors to develop characters and themes in creative writing. For example:

Examples of metaphors in poems

Poets use metaphors to increase the depth and meaning of their poems.

For example, the poem "Dreams" by Langston Hughes:

Hold fast to dreams / For if dreams die / Life is a broken-winged bird / That cannot fly.

Langston Hughes compares dreams to birds for this metaphor.

Another example of a poem that uses metaphors is "since feeling is first" by E.E. Cummings:

we are for each other: then / laugh, leaning back in my arms / for life’s not a paragraph / And death i think is no parenthesis

E.E. Cummings is using a metaphor to compare Life to a paragraph; death to parenthesis.

Examples of metaphors in songs

Songwriters and lyricists also make use of metaphors to add depth without increasing length. One example is "Life is a highway" by Rascal Flatts, where life is compared to a highway.

Another example of metaphor is in the song "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen where life is compared to being stuck in a landslide.

One more famous song that uses a metaphor is "Titanium" by David Guetta ft. Sia. Sia sings "I am titanium" obviously comparing herself to titanium.

Examples of metaphors in movies

Metaphors in movies allow audiences to relate to characters and follow thematic ideas. For example:

Types of metaphors

In literature, the different types of metaphors to show symbolism are standard, implied, visual, extended, mixed, and dead.

Standard metaphors

Standard, direct, and explicit are all names for a simple metaphor where the comparison is obvious and direct. All other types are defined based upon the understanding of a standard metaphor.

For example:

Laughter is the medicine of the soul.

The snow was a white blanket warming the forest ground.

Love is a fragile flower waiting for the first day of spring.

Implied metaphors

An  implied metaphor , also known as implicit or indirect, compares two dissimilar things without identifying one of them. These metaphors do not identify the tenor. For example:

The children  squealed  in excitement when school was canceled for a snow day.

Tenor: none

Vehicle: squealed

Writers provide vivid imagery and develop ambiguous through this type of comparison.

Visual metaphors

A  visual metaphor  uses graphic elements to suggest a specific connection between objects. Advertisers and artists commonly use these metaphors in art, advertising, and film.

For example, Salvador Dali's "The Persistence of Memory" ("Persistencia de la Memoria") is a visual metaphor. The painting includes a desolate background with multiple melting clocks in the foreground.

Through a visual metaphor, Dali provides the viewer with commentary on the notion of time.

Extended metaphors

An extended metaphor is a comparison that occurs over multiple lines, pages, chapters, or an entire work. Its use allows writers to develop complex comparisons and foster insightful connections.

In "Hope is the Thing with Feathers," Emily Dickinson uses an extended metaphor to compare hope with a perched bird that never stops singing:

Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune - without words, And never stops at all, And the sweetest in the gale is heard; And sore must be the storm That could abash the little bird That kept so many warm. I’ve heard it in the chilliest land, And on the strangest sea; Yet, never, in extremity, It asked a crumb of me.

Mixed metaphors

A  mixed metaphor  combines two unrelated metaphors, creating an illogical comparison. Ultimately, there is no connection between the compared items. For example:

He has been burning the midnight oil at both ends.

Metaphor 1: Burning the midnight oil

Metaphor 2: Burning the candle at both ends

Writers typically use mixed metaphors to produce a comedic effect or highlight the naivety or ignorance of a character.

Dead metaphors

A  dead metaphor  occurs when the original meaning of the comparison is lost either due to excessive repetition or a semantic shift (words losing or changing their initial meaning over time). Readers understand these metaphors without knowing their original connotations; therefore, they are viewed more literally in a reader’s mind.

An example of a dead metaphor is the phrase "falling in love," which was once a metaphor equating love with the process of falling – risky and sometimes resulting in injury.

Metaphors vs. similes

A simile is a metaphor that uses the words "like" or "as." These identifying words allow writers to make their comparisons much more obvious; however, a metaphor’s direct comparison is often considered more powerful.

Consider the following difference between metaphors and similes:

Metaphor: After scoring the game-winning goal, the players were fireworks, exploding with excitement.

Simile: After scoring the game-winning goal, the players shot up  like fireworks, exploding with excitement.

The simile suggests that the players have the qualities of fireworks, while the metaphor emphasizes that the players  are  fireworks, creating a much stronger connection. 

How to write a metaphor

When writing a metaphor, follow the following steps and metaphor rules:

Establish the main idea of your metaphor (tenor).

Decide on the purpose of the metaphor.

Based on the purpose, identify ideas that share an underlying connection with the main idea; there should be no superficial similarity between the two (vehicle).

Select the type of metaphor that will best emphasize the comparison.

Use the tenor and vehicle and place them within the structure of the type of chosen metaphor.

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Metaphors and Similes in Writing

How to teach metaphors and similes in writing.

To enhance students' understanding and use of metaphors and similes in writing, enabling them to create vivid imagery and convey complex ideas more effectively, thereby enriching their expressive and creative writing skills.

Introduction to Metaphors and Similes in Writing

• Define metaphors as figures of speech that describe an object or action in a way that isn’t literally true but helps explain an idea or make a comparison by stating one thing is another (e.g., “Time is a thief”), and similes as comparisons using ‘like' or ‘as' (e.g., “as brave as a lion”).
• Discuss the significance of metaphors and similes in enriching language, enhancing imagery, and conveying emotions more powerfully in writing.

Real Life Examples

• Analyze examples from literature, poetry, and everyday language where metaphors and similes are effectively used to add depth and meaning.
• Show how these literary devices can transform simple descriptions into vivid, imaginative scenarios, thereby engaging readers more deeply.

Interactive Activities

• Conduct a ‘Metaphor and Simile Creation' workshop, where students practice crafting their own metaphors and similes based on various subjects or themes.
• Organize a ‘Comparative Analysis' activity, where students compare the use of metaphors and similes in different texts, understanding their impact and effectiveness in each context.

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12 Sun, Sunrise & Sunset Metaphors for Writers

The sun is one of the most common contextual features of a setting that we write about. But it’s hard to come up with creative new ways to talk about something that has been discussed in countless books over Millenia. Below, I’ve compiled some creative sun metaphors that can help you break through that writer’s block and find the perfect setting description in your story.

After exploring metaphors for the sun, I’ll also provide some further adjectives and color descriptions that can help add flair to your writing, and create the perfect image in your reader’s mind.

Sun Metaphors and Similes

1. it slipped through my fingers.

You can picture in your mind sunrays on your hand and, with your fingers outstretched, some of them passing through the gaps in your fingers to lay on the ground below. To say it slipped through your fingers is metaphorical because it didn’t literally slip through anything. It didn’t slide or bounce or refract off your fingers at all. In fact, the it is a long, long way away. Rather, it’s the sunrays that pass between the fingers. But we can be much more creative and visual in our description than to say “the sun rays passed between my fingers” – so we say “it slipped through”.

2. The Blazing Sun Mocked Me

This is an example of personification of the sun. In this metaphor, the sun isn’t a friend but a tormentor. An example of a time when it might mock a protagonist is when they’re out on a hike through the desert. The protagonist is exhausted and dehydrated, with a long way to walk in the heat of the day. Here, we might imagine the protagonist being along and feeling as if the sun is their only company. But the heat means it isn’t a friend but an enemy, mocking you as you try to escape its heat.

Related: A List of Summer Metaphors, Similes and Idioms

3. It Peeked Through the Clouds

We use this metaphor for the moon as well. Imagine the clouds obscuring the sun’s view, but as the clouds part, it seems like it “peeks out” at you to take a look. This is another example of personification. Of course, an object without personality or a brain can’t take a peek at anything. But this personification helps us to create an image in our minds.

This metaphor can be used at the end of a storm to show the end of the storm and the return to better weather.

4. It is a Golden Coin

When I took college classes in creative writing, my professor shared a book he wrote, and it opened with the line: “the sun flipped a golden coin”. I’ve always remembered it and banked this in my mind as a great way to start a story. Others have had their own adaptations of this, such as calling the sun a golden orb or medallion in the sky ( See Also: Sky Metaphors ).

5. The Sun Chased away the Clouds

Here again we have personification. Of course an inanimate object can’t chase anything or anyone! But what is happening here is the description of the changes in the weather as a battle between different elements. The clouds are being chased like a sheepdog chases sheep, to return to its rightful position as the top dog in the skies.

6. It Stood Watch over its Realm / Looked over You

We can imagine the sun being the ruler over us. It sits so far overhead and is visible from just about anywhere you are (so long as you’re outside). It almost feels like it’s watching us constantly, standing guard. Again, this is of course personification – it doesn’t really do any watching at all! If we were to consider it to be like a god , we can imagine it’s watching us and passing judgement on us all day long.

7. It Smiled Upon Me

This one is another more positive, upbeat metaphor. The idea that you are being smiled at from above gives you a sense that you’re blessed and cared for throughout your day. This might be a metaphor you use if you feel as if you’ve had a lucky day or got some good news today. You can’t imagine using this metaphor when you’re going through hardship or feeling the punishing heat of rays on your skin.

8. The Sun’s Yolk

This metaphor calls the sun an egg! It may sound absurd, but if you look at it, it looks like a yolk from the inside of an egg. You might write “the yolk of the sun” as a metaphor to describe it, for example. This is your classic straight-up metaphor where you are directly calling one thing something else.

Sunrise Metaphors and Similes

9. god’s morning star.

This is a metaphor you might want to use if you’re writing a story from a religious perspective. To wake to “God’s morning star” is to see God in nature – be it a Christian, Muslim or Buddhist God, or even simply a pantheist . It might be seen as a moment to reflect on God, the beauty of the world, or even a moment for quiet prayer before eating.

The character might be waking feeling blessed, or even, feeling as if they’re downtrodden but continue to sustain their faith in their religion.

The sun is quite literally a star , so this is borderline figurative or literal (also depending on you believe in God!).

Related: A List of 19 Light Metaphors

10. The Sunrise Greeted me in the Morning

I love this metaphor. I can imagine someone pulling open the curtains and feeling joyful about their day ahead. When the curtains open, the sun is revealed – shining big and bright right back at the protagonist. The sun is a symbol of the person’s mood and greets or “welcomes” you to a day you’re looking forward. Here, it is being personified, which means you’re giving human features to non-human things.

   Related Sun, Moon, Sky and Stars Articles:

• Red Sky Symbolism
• Sunrise Symbolism
• Sunset Symbolism
• Morning Symbolism
• Harvest Moon Symbolism
• Orange Sky Symbolism
• Sun and Sunrise Sayings
• Morning Star Symbolism
• Symbolism of the Sun
• Night Symbolism
• Darkness Symbolism

Sunset Metaphors and Similes

11. the sun succumbed to the moon.

This is a description you might use at the end of the day as night falls. Here, we can imagine the sun and moon taking shifts (there’s another metaphor for you!). They swap each 12 hours, almost like they’re in an unending battle. Here, the sun is the loser, succumbing to the moon (or night), to “retreat” through night.

12. It went to Bed

This is a metaphor to explain the coming of the night. Just as we go to bed, we can also imagine that orb in the sky going to sleep for the night. We shape the patterns of our lives around the night and day, so it makes sense for us to project some of our behaviors back onto the sun itself. This, again, is a form of personification where it’s being given the trait of an animal or human – the idea of going to bed!

Read Also: A List of Nature Idioms and Nature Metaphors

Colors to Describe the Sun

• Yellow – This is probably the most common color that comes to mind. On a clear day in the middle of the day, we’d expect its color to be yellow.
• Amber – This is the color you might expect to see during dusk or early in the morning.
• Copper – We’ll often use “copper” as an adjective in creative descriptions, such as “the scorching copper sun”.
• Honeycomb – This is the color you might experience in a certain ambiance, such as in a forest where the rays slip through the leaves and spot the forest surface with honeycomb colors and patterns.
• Golden – Like Amber, we might use this descriptive color when the atmosphere is thick at dawn or dusk.

Adjectives to Describe the Sun

• Blazing – A term you might use on a particularly hot day.
• Flaming – Similar to blazing – for hot days.
• Glowing – A good term for sunrise or sunset when there is a golden color in the air.
• Shining – A good term for the middle of the day.
• Scorching – Another one for hot days.
• Scolding – Again, this adjective describes the heat of the day.
• Licking – When you can feel rays dancing on your skin.
• Tickling  – Similar to licking.

Sun metaphors can help enhance your writing and make it more descriptive. Aim to create an image in your reader’s mind by using adjectives and colors that match the mood you are trying to set. You can use different metaphors or idioms for different times of day or moods of your protagonists.

Other metaphors you can use in your writing to enrich it include happiness metaphors and fear metaphors.

I’m Chris and I run this website – a resource about symbolism, metaphors, idioms, and a whole lot more! Thanks for dropping by.

Author, teacher, coach, geek

February 8, 2012

51 Great Similes to Spark Imagination

I love similes. They say more in 5-10 words than a whole paragraph. They are like spice to a stew, or perfume to an evening out. They evoke images far beyond the range of words.

Simile–the comparison of two unlike things using the word ‘like’ or ‘as’. As bald as a newborn babe. As blind as a bat. As white as snow.

Wait–no self-respecting writer would use those. Similes are as much about displaying the writer’s facility with her/his craft as communicating. We are challenged to come up with new comparisons no one has heard before. I’ve seen contests on writer’s blogs for similes and most leave me bored, if not disgusted. It’s harder than it looks to create a simile that works. Look at these I found on G+:

• #1 – Being with him was like sitting through a Twilight Marathon, all sparkles and self-loathing.
• #2 – She was as nervous as my guinea pig, Mittens, when we turned him loose in the hog-stall last winter. Soon we found out that he wasn’t THAT sort of a pig .
• #3 – The snow fell like billions of breadcrumbs, promising a flurry of activity and a huge pile of shit in the aftermath .
• #4 – Her eyes were as blue as the ink in my pen, that trickled its life’s blood gently down the front of my pocket, as I tried in vain to get her attention..
• #5 – His hair soared in the wind like a captive egret, finally released into the wild. Not a minute had passed before a passerby made a joke about “if it was truly yours, it’ll come back to you…” He punched that person.

OK, there’s one more rule about similes: Make them concise. If you look at the tried-and-true ones above, you’ll notice they’re pithy and quick:

• dead as a doornail
• blind as a bat
• dry as dust
• good as gold

They also seem to benefit from alliteration, though that isn’t required.

I’ve started collecting the ones I read that I like, hoping they’ll spark my imagination when the need arises. Enjoy these (and the occasional metaphor thrown in):

• Stuck out like a leg in a cast, like a dick on a female statue (or, as I’ve read: like a blue dick on a pig)
• Tangled as Grandma’s yarn
• Like Vulcan Kal-tow
• Sense of menace, like the purr of a puma feasting on an elk
• As supportive as a good recliner
• Like having someone else’s shadow
• Hung around his neck like a dead skunk
• Memories jumped him like muggers in the darkness
• when the click of the front door lock behind her sounds like the trumpet of angels
• Like putting toothpaste back in the tube
• dug in like a tick
• set up like a bowling pin (ala Jerry Garcia)
• as flexible as a rubber band
• fell on me and like mold, grew over the top
• on it like a NASCAR pit crew & it disappeared in minutes
• change his views like leaves change colors
• they melted away like snow from a fire
• computers are like dogs; they smell fear
• like exchanging stares with a statue
• It’s good to get up each morning as though your hair were on fire
• Belly preceding him like a cowcatcher on a locomotive
• like the difference between being thrown from the 15th and 16th floor–they both kill you
• that’s a stretch like a fat lady in ski pants
• looked like a college football player ten years out of shape
• waste you like a popsicle on a warm day
• stupider than a ball-peen hammer
• limp like an uprooted weed
• looked like a sunrise, extravagant and full of promise
• like air, you never tire of breathing it
• more beautiful than a bird dog on point
• our troops are the steel in our ship of state
• Is your garage like your garden or like your television set?
• Like a violin in a marching band
• Like a fireman, summoned only when there was trouble
• As limp as a French handshake
• Wanted to hear bad news like he wanted to remove a bandage—quickly as possible
• Collapsed like the French in Algeria
• Not unlike a long walk in tight shoes
• It’s like tinkering with the Titanic
• Vanish like my pay check during tax season?
• I felt completed, like a plant that has been watered
• She was as stiff and unyielding as a lawn chair
• She was like a cable stretched too tight and beginning to fray
• As subtle as a gun
• As much curiosity as a parsnip
• Her voice implied sexual desire the way an alto sax implies jazz
• as easy to read as a large print Tom Clancy novel
• page looks like somebody put it into a blender and hit the Whip button.
• The potential for disaster was enormous, like a family picnicking on the train tracks
• Like a rabies shot
• Winter morning was as bright as a hookers promise and warmer than her heart
• Beaming like a full moon
• As welcome as a fart in an elevator

Do you have any to share?

Jacqui Murray is the editor of a technology curriculum for K-sixth grade and creator of two technology training books for middle school. She is the author of Building a Midshipman , the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy midshipman. She is webmaster for five blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com , Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers , IMS tech expert, and a weekly contributor to Write Anything . Currently, she’s editing a thriller for her agent that should be be out to publishers this summer. Contact Jacqui at her writing office or her tech lab, Ask a Tech Teacher.

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This entry was posted in Writing and tagged in metaphors , similes , writing .

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