Raymond Yu, Q3 Week 4 - Metaphorically
Q3 Week 4 - Metaphorically
By Raymond Yu
Metaphors are one of the most basic tools in a writer's toolkit, one that is taught to all children starting in elementary school. It is widely analyzed by people of all age groups and when used properly, creates fantastic results. The sheer amount of different ways to describe common subjects is astounding, each one reveals a different perspective to the audience.
One of the most beneficial ways of using a metaphor is to describe an intangible concept so that the audience can more readily understand it. For instance, as shown in the image above, love can be described in a variety of ways through comparisons with tangible objects that the audience can draw from their own experience. Other examples include the use of money to describe time, heat to describe anger, and bitter tastes to describe failure. Metaphors are used to make the intangible tangible, the invisible visible, and the indescribable described.
A reasonable question about metaphors is the difference between metaphors and similes. The common explanation that students receive is that similes utilize the words "like" or "as." This, however, does not answer why they are placed into two fundamentally different categories. Both rhetorical devices create comparisons between objects. The true distinction between the two lies in their respective strengths. Because similes use a word that clearly indicates a comparison, the impact it leaves on the audience is much smaller than the direct description of a metaphor. Which sounds stronger: "love is a journey" or "love is like a journey?"
Metaphors are useful because of their ability to invoke distinct feelings in the audience. Metaphors are the lever with which an author can lift a reader's world.
Image Source: https://www.thoughtco.com/love-is-a-metaphor-1691861
Hi Raymond,
ReplyDeleteBefore reading your blog, I had never really thought about why similes and metaphors are placed in different categories even though they seem like they do basically the same thing. You pointed out that there is a distinct line between them, that metaphors feel more powerful and less passive than similes. For me, to remember them both, I think of similes is comparing the similarities between two things, whereas a metaphor is using different things to define another. I believe metaphors do a good job in invoking those specific feelings in the audience and appreciate that you exemplified metaphors by mentioning how people define love.
Hi Raymond,
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I prefer metaphors because they are much more absolute. With similes, you are accepting that the connection between two things is merely a similarity; with metaphors, you envelop one with the other and change its identity completely. Your inclusion of the love-related metaphor is really thought-provoking, especially since we are going into the new novel "Beloved". Your thoughts mirrored a lot from the Toni Morrison interview I looked at, props to you!
Sincerely,
Sean Wang
Hi Raymond,
ReplyDeleteYour explanation of the difference of metaphors and similes really put the topic into perspective for me. As an English 11 AP Language and Composition student, I knew the technical difference between the two, but I liked your example sentences. As a child, I can't remember learning anything other than similes and metaphors. They may seem "overused" or overly easy to comprehend, but I think this depicts the power of these tools. Metaphors are by far my favorite.
Hi Raymond,
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that you chose to write about metaphors for this week's blog post; it is an interesting take on the topic "Language and Power" to discuss powerful tools in language. Metaphors are personally my favorite tool to explain complex topics to members in my team, and they are also especially useful when attempting to make complex arguments convincing. I often confuse metaphors and similes, as I feel both function similarly, but your definition helped clarify their differences. Thank you for such an insightful blog post!
Sincerely,
Krish
Hello Raymond,
ReplyDeleteThrough this blog post you have entirely exposed me. My entire writing style and perhaps my general speaking style relies solely on metaphors for any depth whatsoever. Whenever I am explaining anything to anyone, I find myself using analogies to get my point across and to paint my picture in a way that is favorable to me. Before I read your blog, I never understood why I tend to use only metaphors over similes. I agree with Sean's comment in the sense that similes acknowledge with the word "like" that the comparison is just exactly that, a comparison. On the other hand, metaphors create a more rigid connection between the two that sounds much stronger overall.
I completely agree—metaphors are the power of language to forcibly bend perception. If you master the power of the metaphor, you can literally turn nothing into something and vice versa. Metaphors make a world of uncertainty predictable through the limitless comparisons that can be drawn. Trace your hands against the tough grains of concrete chaffed from the footsteps passed over and tell me what you see. For me, I see frustration, I see anticipation, I see passion, and I see the gateway at the front of our school—I hear the bell ring, and the conversations quiet into the sound of the voice right beside me. I see myself, but also the hundreds of others who pass through that gateway every day. This is the five minute metaphor that I present to you.
ReplyDeleteHey Raymond, I love metaphors because they seem to add a sort of creative, poetic, and romantic quality to whatever you write (romantic as in romantic painting and literature, not the valentine's day stuff). In a super formal, monotone essay, a metaphor can reveal a lot about the writer and how they view a certain subject; some may see a concept one way, but someone else could use a totally different analogy to describe the same thing, like in your example with love. They're also incredibly powerful because it shows how with even the most complex subject, we'll still try to put it into words to make it understandable. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Raymond,
ReplyDeleteI like how you entire blog post does not reference power or language, but it implies that metaphors are powerful when used correctly. I used to think that metaphors and similes do pretty much the same thing, but using different sentence structures. Your blog post proved me wrong, and gave me insight about the main differences between the two. I never really understood that metaphors and similes are different in how powerful they are. But I think that which one is more powerful depends on what you are comparing or maybe the context.
Sincerely,
Vivan Waghela
Hey Ray!
ReplyDeleteI really like that you focused more on the language part of the topic rather than power aspect like most of us have. I feel like I never use metaphors in my writing as I have always seen them as a concept more than an actual technique. But your post gave me a really cool insight into the beauty of metaphors. It creates a depth to any writing with ease which I think is really interesting. I also really like that you pointed out the difference between metaphors and similes because I always used to mix up the two. I feel really motivated to implement it into my writing more after reading your post, thank you for sharing:)