Extended metaphor
An extended metaphor is a literary device that draws a detailed comparison between two unlike entities over a significant portion of a text, such as a paragraph, chapter, or entire work. Unlike a standard metaphor, which typically consists of a brief comparison, an extended metaphor allows for deeper exploration of the relationship between the two concepts. This technique is especially prevalent in poetry and fiction, where it can enhance the reader's understanding and retention of complex ideas. Writers often reinforce these metaphors throughout their works, occasionally evolving or adapting the metaphor as the narrative progresses.
The term "metaphor" originates from Ancient Greek and emphasizes the transfer of meaning. Extended metaphors can also take the form of allegories, where a narrative conveys hidden meanings through symbolic representation. However, the key distinction is that extended metaphors explicitly state the two contrasting aspects being compared, while allegories may do so more subtly. These devices not only enrich literary texts but are also frequently employed in everyday language, advertising, and song lyrics, illustrating their broad relevance in modern communication.
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Extended metaphor
An extended metaphor is a literary technique that compares two unlike things across a paragraph, chapter, or entire story. It is a longer version of a metaphor, which compares two unlike things in a shorter written form that does not exceed a sentence. Sometimes, an extended metaphor is reinforced by reusing and expanding on it as a written work continues; it may even be changed slightly or added to as the work progresses. It is used in all forms of written work but is especially common in poetry and fiction. The extended metaphor is a tool that allows a writer to explore a complex concept in a way that makes it more understandable and memorable. Some extended metaphors become allegories, or stories that have hidden meanings where one thing stands in for something else.
Overview
The word “metaphor” means to transfer or carry meaning from one thing to another. It is derived from the Ancient Greek words meta, meaning “beyond,” and phero, meaning “to carry.” The device is often associated with the fourth-century BCE Greek philosopher Aristotle, who wrote about its philosophical applications in poetry and prose. The more modern concept of using one visual concept to stand in for another began in the fifteenth century. From there, the concept continued to be used in both literature and in everyday speech. In contemporary times, metaphors remain popular not only in these uses but also in advertising and song lyrics. Extended metaphors are also used in all of these instances.
A metaphor is a combination of two unrelated concepts that results in a creative way of looking at some aspect of the world. An extended metaphor allows a writer to create one of these contrasting combinations and explore it in greater detail. “Extended” can mean carrying the idea through just a few sentences or a stanza of a poem, or all the way through a written work. For example, a writer might take the metaphor “Laughter is the best medicine” and use a paragraph or stanza of a poem to explain and explore how this concept applies to a character in their work. They might also take this same metaphor and use it as the basis of an entire novel or even a nonfiction work on how humor is used to help people dealing with a serious illness.
Sometimes, extended metaphors are used to convey concepts that might be confusing or offensive if they were written about directly. For example, the original Frankenstein’s monster in the 1818 Mary Shelley novel was an extended metaphor for a creation that ends up destroying its creator. The entire Frankenstein story becomes an allegory, which is a form of extended metaphor where the writer uses one thing to stand in for another. The main difference between extended metaphors and allegories is that in extended metaphors, the author clearly states the two things that they are contrasting. In an allegory, the writer writes about one thing, for example, animals, without directly making the comparison to what they represent, for instance, a certain group of people.
Bibliography
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