Examples of Metaphor from Everyday Speech
We don't have to look very far to find examples of metaphor. From expressions like "raining cats and dogs" to "table leg" and "old flame," everyday speech is full of them.See more examples of metaphors from everyday speech, and learn about the logic behind them.
But why go through the trouble of understanding metaphors anyway? When used correctly, metaphors are effective fiction writing tools. They are one way to vary language and liven up prose. Also, like shorthand, they can convey a picture or a meaning instantly, with few words. Of course, like most literary devices, metaphors bomb when used incorrectly, confusing the reader or drawing attention to the writer's lack of skill. For instance, in the statement, "Our keyboard will teach your mind's eye to play by ear," the speaker has mixed two metaphors, leading to nonsense. A "mind's eye" can't play anything, and certainly not "by ear." (For more on bad metaphors, read "Use Metaphors Correctly.")
But are there times when the bad metaphor can be a useful art form? Absolutely. See this example of an effective extended bad metaphor from George Saunders' "Pastoralia."
Examples of Metaphor from Literature
For examples of metaphor in contemporary literature, it's hard to do better than Raymond Chandler, the hard-boiled detective novelist. Taking a look at examples from The Long Goodbye, we see how he crafts his metaphors so that they not only create an image in our minds, but that they also work to develop the novel's themes.Then see how a very different writer, Eudora Welty, uses figurative language in handling what could be a sentimental story in her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Optimist's Daughter.
