Howdometaphorswork?
Every metaphorical word or phrase contains a 'key idea'.This is the connection or similarity between the literal meaning and the metaphorical meaning.
Look at these three sentences:
v She flew past me on her bicycle.
v Turing was the father of the modern computer.
v He gave me a cold look.
In all these sentences, the word in bold type is not used in its basic or literal meaning – it is used in a metaphorical way.
Sometimes the same key idea is expressed in several different words and phrases.For example, when we talk about illness, we often use words and phrases whose literal meanings are to do with fighting or war:
A good diet will help your body fight disease.
The virus attacks the immune system.
Jean has finally recovered after a long battle with cancer.
The key idea in this case is that trying to recover from an illness is like fighting a war, and many of the words and phrases that we use for talking about illness express this idea.
Example 1
All religions, arts, and sciences are branches of the same tree. (Albert Einstein)
Clearly, Einstein wasn’t talking about a literal tree. But he’s showing a close relationship between different topics by suggesting that they’re all part of the same living thing. this is such a rather philosophical topic
Example 2
But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun! (William Shakespeare – Romeo & Juliet)
This is one of the most famous metaphors in all of English literature. Obviously, Juliet, is not literally the sun..we get the sense that he is really stunned by Juliet’s beauty. She is, for him, just as radiant as the sun.
Example 3
All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances. William Shakespeare
He compares the world to a play, or a stage, and all men and women are merely actors or players on this stage called the world. All people rise to the stage when they are born, perform different roles throughout their lives and leave the stage when they die.
Example 4
She was a rock star at our last business presentation.
This is not referring to a musician performing at a rock concert. it simply means the person delivered a great performance at the meeting and stood out like a rock star on the stage.
Example 5
As his unusual emotions subsided, these misgivings melted away. ‘Когда его необычные эмоции улеглись, эти опасения постепенно исчезли’.
The metaphor is expressed by a verb. The verb to melt realizes the relation of two meanings. One meaning is “melting”, the second is contextual meaning “disappearance” (one of the signs of melting).(Метафоравыраженаглаголом, которыйвыступаетвфункциисказуемоговпредложении. В глаголе tomelt (в форме melted) реализуется отношение двух значений. Одно значение предметно-логическое – «таяние», второе значение контекстуальное - «исчезновение» (один из признаков таяния).
Classification
there are many different classifications of metaphors, but I want to tell you about one of the most popular. It involves the division of metaphors into trite metaphors and genuine (unique) metaphors. trite metaphors are used very often, but unique metaphors, as a rule, are non-standard and are much less common.
На данный момент существует масса разнообразных вариантов классификации метафор, поэтому рассмотрим только одну из наиболее популярных, которая предполагает разделение метафор на избитые («trite metaphors ») и уникальные («genuine metaphor »). Избитые метафоры употребляются очень часто, а вот уникальные метафоры, как правило, нестандартные и встречаются намного реже, что оправдывает их название.
A trite metaphor (стершаясяметафора) is one that is overused in spеech, so that it has lost its freshness of expression. Such metaphors often turn into phraseological expressions that are fixed in dictionaries.
floods of tears, a ray of hope, a flight of imagination, “mouth of river”, “leg of table”, “bottle’s neck”
genuine metaphor They are original, full of imagery
the title of the novel by the British writer David Mitchell "Cloud atlas" (" Cloud Atlas "). the author compared a cloud that can take completely different forms - with an outer shell, a body that our soul takes after rebirth in a particular world after death, and the atlas - human nature, which will always remain unchanged.according to the author. Говоряобуникальныхметафорах, можноназватьтаковойзаглавиероманабританскогописателяДэвидаМитчелла «Cloud atlas» («Облачныйатлас»). По словам самого автора, он сравнил облако, способное принимать совершенно разные формы – с внешней оболочкой, телом, которую наша душа принимает после перерождения в том или ином мире после смерти, а сам атлас – с человеческой натурой, которая всегда будет оставаться неизменной.
“The silence continued to transmit messages between them. ” (Anais Nin “A Spy in the House of Love”) In the given case the whole sentence is genuine metaphor. Using the given stylistic device, the author quite effectively describes mute conversation and shows that sometimes silence tells more than words.(«Тишина продолжала передавать сообщения между ними».
(Анаис Нин «Шпион в доме любви»)
В данном случае все предложение является метафорой.Используя данный стилистический прием, автор достаточно эффективно описывает немое разговор и показывает, что иногда молчание говорит больше, чем слова.)
“How sweet life was. She was swimming in warmth and in light, floating on cotton.
(Anais Nin “The Fear of Nice”)
The metaphoric construction “She was swimming in warmth and in light” is the
genuine metaphor. Though, it should be mentioned that the phrase “she
was swimming” (S + V) is completely neutral and has nothing to do with metaphor; but the
words “warmth” and “light” turns the given phrase into metaphor. This is the case when by
adding complement to a subject and predicate, an expression becomes strong. It is obvious that a hero takes pleasure of life what is proved by the context “How sweet life was”.
Herearethebasics:
· Metaphor denotes transference of meaning based on resemblance, in other words, on a covert comparison.Метафора означает передачу смысла на основе сходства, другими словами, на скрытом сравнении.
· It equates those two things not because they actually are the same, but for the sake of comparison.Он уравнивает эти две вещи не потому, что они на самом деле одинаковы, а для сравнения.
· Not only objects can be compared in a metaphor, but also phenomena, actions and qualities.
· Metaphors are used in poetry, literature, and anytime someone wants to add some color to their language.
Simile is very similar to metaphor – so similar, in fact, that they’re often confused! Unlike similes, metaphors do not use words such as “like” or “as” to make comparisons. The writer or speaker relates the two unrelated things that are not actually the same, and the audience understands that it’s a comparison, not a literal equation.
Example 1
Metaphor: All the world’s a stage.
Simile: All the world is like a stage.
Example 2
Metaphor: that man is an animal.
Simile: he behaves like an animal.
TEST
1. Which is the best definition of a metaphor?
a) It`s a device used in poetry
b) It describes something in a way that isn`t literally true for symbolic effect
c) it's a simple adjective needed to describe phenomena, events and actions
2. What metaphor can be used to show how vast a person's knowledge is?
a) a sea of knowledge
b) to purr with knowledge
c) iron knowledge
3. Which phrases from the list below are metaphors?
a) she has golden hair
b) he has a sunny smile
c) she is thin as cypress
d) he has a cold look
e) she's very beautiful
f) he is helpless as a child
g) he is quite attractive
h) he behaves like an animal
i) love is a battlefield.
4. In which sentence is the key idea to fight the disease?
a) Jean was hospitalized after a long battle in the ring.
b) John attacked a criminal escaping from the police
c) both sentences
d) there is no right answer
5. The metaphor "he broke my heart" means…
yourheart is literally broken
feeling of hurt and sadness
your heart isn't literally broken
6. Are simile and metaphor the same thing?
a) No, metaphors do not use words such as “like” or “as”
b) Yes, they have no differences
c) No, they differ only in their names
d) Yes, metaphors use words such as “like” or “as”
Task 2
Match the sentences with the metaphors with key ideas on the right.
· John is a real pig when he eats. – Untidiness
· She is at the peak of her career. Their new album climbed to second position in the charts.Success
· He tried to camouflage his true feelings.Keepsecret
· I’ve got a window on Friday afternoon: I could see you then.Opportunity
· It was a real battle of wits. We did battle with the council about the plans.Dispute
· Let me know if you dig up anything about him.The facts only came to light after a long investigation.Фактысталиизвестнытолькопоследлительногорасследования.Discover
Task 3
Create a metaphor using images as a key idea.