Metaphor

Metaphor


Metaphors are used to help us understand the unknown, because we use what we know in comparison with something we don't know to get a better understanding of the unknown. Similes all use the words "as or "like". Examples of similes are "fresh as a daisy,""tough as leather," and "pretty as a picture."

In the classic poem of "April is the cruellest month " it talks about how April is the crullest month because the flowers begin to come and people have to be more alive. We were so used to the winter being covered under the covers and sleeping all day. Plants wanted to just stay in and be lazy. With spring coming life is waking up.

In the poem The Forces That Through the Green Fuse Drives the Flower there are many metaphors. For example, in one part of the poem it said

"The force that drives the water through the rocks"
"Drives my red blood."

He is comparing the force of nature to how his body actually works. He explains how the force drives the water through the rocks ,well that's what his body does too. This metaphor is simply showing how he feels and the way the human body works by using nature.

"You are the queen all flowers among"
"But die you must, fair maid, ere long"

This metaphor is from a poem by Robert Herrick . This poem is about a man expressing himself to a woman that he thinks is very beautiful. He compares her to all sorts of pretty flowers. Although he thinks she is very beautiful, beauty in the outside does not last forever. Eventually she will become old and weak. Her beauty will slowly fade away and he will no longer be interested.

"Success is counted sweetest"
"By those who ne'er succeed"

This metaphor is from a poem named "Success Is Counted Sweetest" by Emily Dickinson . This metaphor to me means that success can be the best feeling. It feels good to accomplish something, and if you've ever came close to succeeding at anything then you would understand and know the feeling of success.

I took my power in my hand
And went against the world

This poem is called "I Took My Power in My Hand" and it is also by Emily Dickinson. This metaphor to me means that in order to do what you feel and believe in then you must go by your own rules. Go for what you believe in. Take power in your own hands and go against what other people say and go by what you say.

l(a le af fa ll s) one l iness
This poem is not like the others. It's more confusing and deep, but yet so simple. The first thing I noticed was how it's written. It's written vertically, which makes it more difficult to read and understand. If I put the letters horizontally is makes it more easier. It spells out "loneliness" and in parentheses l(aleaffalls)oneliness "a leaf falls". When I've put it in a better way for me to understand. It's simply explaining how when a leaf falls , it falls alone which would equal to loneliness. I like this poem because it's sort of like a puzzle. I have to figure out what it actually says for me to understand it.

All these poems show some sort of metaphor. For an example, in the Robert Herrick poem , he explains how she is the queen of flowers. A queen is royal, worth so much , nobody is above a queen. So the woman is not literally a queen of flowers, it's a metaphor. He is expressing her beauty, saying she is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. Through comparison they use what we know to help us understand what we don't know.

kimberlee_martinez@hotmail.com
© Kimberlee Martinez 2011