A metaphor describes one thing by referring to another, inviting readers to recognize a meaningful likeness between them. This lesson introduces how metaphors work and how to interpret them without confusing figurative language with a mistaken literal reading.
A metaphor is a figure of speech that refers to one thing by mentioning another. The two things are usually from different areas of experience, but the comparison suggests that they share an important quality or relationship. Metaphors can clarify an idea, reveal a hidden similarity, or create a vivid impression.
All flashcards
Tenor and vehicle
In I. A. Richards’s terminology, the tenor is the subject being described; the vehicle is the image supplying attributes.
Metonymy
A figure of speech that refers to something through an element closely associated with it.
Dead metaphor
A transferred image whose figurative force has faded through familiar use.
Catachresis
A mixed metaphor, which may be deliberate or an accidental rhetorical fault.
Paraphier
In Julian Jaynes’s terminology, an associated quality of a metaphor’s image.
Quiz questions
How does metonymy typically refer to something?Answer: It uses a closely associated element to refer to something within the same domain.
In I. A. Richards’s terminology, which pair identifies the subject and the image supplying its attributes?Answer: Tenor for the subject; vehicle for the image supplying attributes.
What is a conceptual metaphor?Answer: A systematic association through which one conceptual domain is understood in terms of another.
What distinguishes a parable from a general metaphor?Answer: It is an extended metaphor told as an anecdote to teach a moral or spiritual lesson.
What is a useful critical question when evaluating a metaphorical frame?Answer: Which features does the image emphasize, and which aspects might it leave out?
Based on the Wikipedia article Metaphor, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.