by Mia Hill

Created on: May 11, 2007   Last Updated: October 25, 2011

A metaphor is a word (or group of words) that is used in a manner that departs from its literal meaning. It can be done either in speech or in writing, and is normally used when one wants to emphasize a point. However, people will sometimes use metaphors as cliches, in everyday speech.

According to the Oxford Dictionary a metaphor is:
"A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable e.g. food for thought. "

A simile makes a comparison between two words, whereas a metaphor is the use of a word to symbolize something that it is not. An example of a simile would be to say "My life reads like an open book." An example of a metaphor would be "My life is an open book."

There are no specified protocols for the use of metaphors; people are free to use them whenever and where ever they wish. However, metaphors are most frequently used in poetry and creative writing. If you are writing a factual article and do not want your audience to misinterpret your message, you should avoid using metaphors.

If I were to say this computer "Cost an arm and a leg," it would be understood that the computer was expensive, and that I still have all four of my limbs. Some people would not recognize this statement as a metaphor, because the phrase is used so frequently.

The fact that I said the money I spent for the computer is an arm and a leg, makes it indeed a metaphor. When a metaphor is use so commonly that people no longer recognize it as a metaphor it is referred to as a dead metaphor.

If a statement contains more than one metaphor, and is intended to cause ambiguity, it is called a mixed metaphor. An example of a mixed metaphor would be "In high school he was a bookworm, that is why today, writing is his bread and butter."

People use mixed metaphors to create hyperboles when writing fiction and when performing comedy. The more creative the metaphors are, the more memorable the writing will be. So if you want people to remember what you wrote, get creative with your metaphors.

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