Minds On

Create a metaphor

Examine the following image and use it to come up with a metaphor.

Press ‘Show Me’ to reveal the definition of metaphor.

Metaphor: A form of figurative language that helps to explain an idea or compares two different things without using the words, “like” or “as.” For example: The Teacher said that planning the graduation ceremony was a roller coaster ride.

In this sentence, the Teacher describes planning the graduation ceremony as a “roller coaster ride,” which is not literally true. It does, however, help explain that the planning process involved ups and downs or things were both full of excitement and perhaps a bit disorganized.

TIP: There is no right or wrong answer. Develop a metaphor that best matches your interpretation of the image.

Record your ideas using a method of your choice.

A bunch of books on a plate with a knife and fork

Action

What is a metaphor?

All manner of things, including people and animals spring out of an open book in outer space.

A metaphor is a form of figurative language, which takes words beyond their literal or usual meaning. Writers and poets use metaphors because they give words more power and allow them to create pictures in the reader’s mind. Metaphors compare different people, objects, or events which also help to make unfamiliar concepts easy to understand and relatable.

These are two types of metaphors:

  • Standard: compares two unlike things using the formula, “X is Y.”
    Example: They are a shining star!
  • Extended: a metaphor that extends over multiple lines or stanzas of a poem.

Tip: Metaphors tend to be confused with similes because they are both used to compare different things. There are, however, important differences between the two!

Metaphors compare things by saying something is something else.
Example: The sidewalk is a skating rink.

Similes use the words “like” or “as” to compare things.
Example: The sidewalk is as slippery as a skating rink.

Check your understanding in the next task!

Metaphor or simile?

Examine the following sentences. Some have metaphors, some have similes, and others do not have any figurative language.

Compare the sentences and identify the metaphors and similes. How does each sentence change the way you picture each character in your mind?

Two characters, a teacher running on a track and a musician dancing.
Sentence 1: The Teacher is as fast as a cheetah on the track. Sentence 1: The Musician is a graceful butterfly when they dance.
Sentence 2: The Teacher is a cheetah on the track. Sentence 2: The Musician dances gracefully.
Sentence 3: The Teacher is a fast runner. Sentence 3: The Musician dances like a graceful butterfly.

Press ‘Comparison’ to check your understanding.

The Teacher: The first sentence is a simile because it compares two things that are not alike and uses the word “as.” The second sentence is a metaphor because it compares two things that are not alike, and does not use the words, “as” or “like.” The third sentence does not use figurative language.

The Musician: The first sentence is a metaphor because it compares two things that are not alike, and does not use the words, “as” or “like.” The second sentence does not use figurative language. The third sentence is a simile because it compares two things that are not alike and uses the word “like.” Two characters, a teacher running on a track and a musician dancing on

Poem analysis, part 1

Let’s explore metaphors in poetry.

Examine the poem, “The First Book,” below.

Source: “How to Eat a Poem: A Smorgasbord of Tasty and Delicious Poems for Young Readers Paperback” by American Poetry & Literacy Project (2006)

A poem titled “The First Book,” by Rita Dove. Poem reads with multiple paragraphs: 1. Open it. 2. Go ahead, it won’t bite. (Line break.) Well… maybe a little. 3. More a nip, like. A tingle. (Line break.) It’s pleasurable, really. 4. You see, it keeps on opening. (Line break.) You may fall in. 5. Sure, it’s hard to get started; (Line break.) remembering learning to use (Line break.) knife and fork? Dig in: (Line break.) You’ll never reach bottom. 6. It’s not like it’s the end of the world– (Line break.) just the world as you think (Line break.) you know it.

Dove’s poem is filled with metaphors and is a great example of an extended metaphor.

Press the following links to reveal examples of the location of the extended metaphors in the poem.

Let’s start with the title of Dove’s poem, “The First Book,” which tells the reader what the author wants them to think about as they start to read. In this case, reading a first book.

The first few lines, “Open it. Go ahead, it won’t bite. Well… Maybe a little.” encourage someone to open a book and discover what it has to offer. The words, “it won’t bite,” are playful and used to reassure the reader so that they are more comfortable to explore.

Then, “You see, it keeps on opening. You may fall in, could describe the feeling of not being able to stop reading a book.

Next, “Sure, it’s hard to get started; remember learning to use knife and fork?” This metaphor compares learning to read to learning to use a knife and fork. Many people are familiar with using a knife and fork when they eat. Although two different skills, they also share an important characteristic, which is that learning any new skill is hard work!

Then, the lines “Dig in: You’ll never reach the bottom”, compare reading to eating. How is reading like eating? While reading is a great form of entertainment, it can also ‘feed’ and nourish the imagination. It can also provide endless opportunities to learn something new and build our knowledge.

“It’s not like it’s the end of the world—just the world as you think you know it”. Books have the power to change the way we understand the world. They can also take you to different places and time periods, all from the comfort of your reading spot.

Poem analysis, part 2

Explore Walter Dean Myers’s poem, “Trees.” What metaphors can you identify? Be sure to provide evidence from the text of the poem to support your thinking. What makes it a metaphor?

Use the Poem Analysis template to record your ideas or another method of your choice.

Source: “How to Eat a Poem: A Smorgasbord of Tasty and Delicious Poems for Young Readers Paperback” by American Poetry & Literacy Project (2006)

A poem titled “Trees,” by Walter Dean Myers. Poem reads with two paragraphs. First paragraph text: I am a tree (Line break.) Strong limbed and deeply rooted (Line break.) My fruit is bittersweet (Line break.) I am your mother. Last paragraph text: You are a tree (Line break.) A sapling by the river (Line break.) With buds straining for the winter sun (Line break.) You are my child (Line break.) Together we are a forest (Line break.) Against the wind

Complete Poem Analysis table in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document.

Press the ‘Activity’ button to access the Poem Analysis.

Activity (Open PDF in a new window)

Consolidation

Reading between the lines

Student sitting on a sofa using a laptop and writing notes.

Use the following questions to extend your exploration of Myers’s poem, “Trees.”

  1. Review the metaphors that you identified in the poem. How do they help to communicate meaning?
  2. What do you think Myers means by each metaphor? In your answer, make sure to explain what you think is being represented. Use details from the poem to support your thinking.
  3. What do you think the poem is about? What do you think is the poem’s message? What are the clues that helped you figure this out?

Record your ideas using a method of your choice.

Reflection

As you read the following descriptions, select the one that best describes your current understanding of the learning in this activity. Press the corresponding button once you have made your choice.

I feel...

Now, expand on your ideas by recording your thoughts using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.

When you review your notes on this learning activity later, reflect on whether you would select a different description based on your further review of the material in this learning activity.