Metaphor
A figure of speech that describes one thing as if it were another.
A metaphor describes one thing as if it were another, without using 'like' or 'as'. 'All the world's a stage' is a metaphor; 'all the world is like a stage' would be a simile. The compression of metaphor is what gives it force: the equation is asserted, not explained.
Cognitive linguists argue that metaphor is not just a literary device but a basic mode of thought. We understand abstract concepts (time, argument, life) by mapping them onto concrete ones (space, war, journey). 'Time is money', 'attack his position', 'a turning point' — these are not flourishes but the architecture of everyday reasoning.
A live metaphor is fresh; a dead metaphor has been used so often we no longer see the picture. 'Leg of a chair' is dead. 'A skin of language wrapping a skeleton of thought' is alive — for now.
“All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”
Keep reading the glossary
A comparison that uses 'like' or 'as' — 'my love is like a red, red rose'.
An extended metaphor in which characters or events stand for abstract ideas.
An indirect reference to another text, person, event, or work — often quoted.
Deliberate exaggeration for effect — not meant to be taken literally.