Metaphor Definition

Metaphor is a figure of speech which makes an implicit, implied or hidden comparison between two things that are unrelated but share some common characteristics. In other words, a resemblance of two contradictory or different objects is made based on a single or some common characteristics.

Examples of metaphor include "life is a dream" (describing life in terms of a dream), "the foundation of knowledge" (knowledge in terms of house construction), and "he was scraping the bottom of the barrel" (a lack of talent described in terms of a barren fruit container). A metaphor that is extended throughout a poem or story, and may involve further related comparisons, is an extended metaphor. If we use a metaphor so often that we don't realize it, the phrase may become a "dead" metaphor (e.g. "foot of the hill," "leg of the chair").

Sometimes metaphor is defined in very broad terms, and is used as another term for "figurative language" or "figure of speech". In this sense, "metaphorical language" incorporates all comparative language, including similes and symbols. For your English exams, however, it is safer to use the more formal phrase "figurative language."

You may have often heard expressions such as:

    He drowned in a sea of grief.
    She is fishing in troubled waters.
    Success is a bastard as it has many fathers, and failure is an orphan, with no takers.

Purpose of Metaphors
Expressions are used to give effect to a statement. Imagine how bland a statement such as “he was sad” is, compared to a statement describing a “sea of grief.” The metaphor is sure to give the reader a better idea of the depths of grief in this situation.

Similarly, who would really spend time thinking of the vast differences between success and failure if the metaphor was missing, and the statement was just “Everyone wants to be successful, no one wants to be a failure?” That statement would be a failure itself, in inspiring interest in the conversation!

Metaphors are meant to create an impact in the minds of readers. The aim of this literary tool is to convey a thought more forcefully than a plain statement would.

They are exaggerated expressions no doubt, but they are exaggerated because they are supposed to paint a vivid picture, or become a profound statement or saying.

Metaphors vs. Similes

Then we have the simile. If your comparison uses the terms 'like' or 'as', your analogy is most likely a simile and not a metaphor, even though they function similarly. Some argue that a simile is a kind of metaphor, but I'll address that in a moment.

For instance, if I want to use an analogy to explain the process of writing a story, I might say that 'The outline is like a rough blueprint for the builders to follow, while the first, second and third drafts are a town built from that blueprint that keeps getting razed by Huns, with architects improving upon each version until they finally build houses strong enough to withstand fire; what you're left with is the final draft.'

Spot all the differences? While not every simile uses 'like' or 'as,' the important thing to remember is that the metaphor makes the subject equivalent to the thing it's being compared to, while the simile qualifies the comparison, letting you know that one thing is simply 'like' another thing - not equal to it.