A battle royale of writing: metaphors vs. similes vs. analogies vs. allegories
Who doesn't love running into a good "[blank] people be like" meme while traveling the "information superhighway"? (That's what we called the internet in the old days.) Those memes give us a chuckle and force us to look at things in a new way.
Ignoring the grammar issues with the meme's wording (believe me, that's hard for me), I can't believe the vapid internet created a crude yet viral form of a powerful writing tool: similes.
Similes and their literary siblings — metaphors, analogies, and allegories — liven up your writing, allowing you to compare similar or very different things to one another in a unique way. As literary devices, they provide a jolt of unexpected color and create mental images. You can use them to persuade readers by simplifying complex subjects or minimizing contentious topics.
If you're wondering how to use similes, metaphors, analogies, and allegories, you're in luck. Keep reading. If not, see ya. I just saved you five minutes.
Metaphors and how to use them
If you've always wanted to make up wild stories or "fake news," the metaphor is your friend. As writing tools, metaphors allow you to compare one thing to another rhetorically. You use a word or words typically used for one concept but apply it to another in a creative way.
"His mind is as empty as the vast void of deep space."
Obviously, a person's mind is not space; metaphors are not literal. Metaphors are effective because they paint a picture in your reader's mind that instantly explains something without further details. To use a cliche, metaphors allow you to show, not tell.
Here are a few famous metaphors that drive home a point clearly and with flair. (Look at that, "drive home" is a metaphor!)
?? “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” — William Shakespeare
?? Or, as the band Rush put it: “All the world's indeed a stage and we are merely players/Performers and portrayers/Each another's audience outside the gilded cage”
?? “Chaos is a friend of mine.” — Bob Dylan
?? “All religions, arts, and sciences are branches of the same tree.” — Albert Einstein
Metaphors aren't limited to one line or one thought. Entire works of art can be metaphors (called allegories; more on them below). One movie we've probably all seen, Pixar's "Inside Out," is a metaphor for the inner workings of the human mind. It's full of metaphors. The main characters are emotions. Colored balls represent memories. The headquarters is the brain. The entire film is a metaphor for how a young girl's life can be controlled by developing emotions. And believe me, as the father of twin girls who are 16, it's pretty damn accurate.
What are similes. What do they do?
Sorry, your brain might have seen "smiles," but we're talking about similes now.
Simply put, a simile is a form of metaphor that compares two different things to create a new and interesting meaning. They are easy to spot because they always include the words "like" or "as." Like this:
?? "The aroma of the microwaved fish was as strong as the stench of the infamous corpse flower."
Obvisouly, like metaphors, similes are not literal. But they elicit real reactions from readers. They should create images and promote understanding of a point you're trying to make. Some similes are so common, they've become cliche. Such as:
??? "She was as cool as a cucumber."
??? "He slept like a baby."
??? "The sisters fought like cats and dogs."
??? "The man's freshly shaven face was as smooth as a baby's bottom."
Although they are effective, similes are best used sparingly. Similes can dominate a reader's mind and divert their attention. They sometimes appear like those jarring celebrity cameos in movies that make you think WTF? Like when Donald Trump shows up in "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York."
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The power of a good analogy
Ever heard of a May-December romance? A trope (a.k.a. cliche) in TV and movies, the May-December romance is one involving two people of drastically different age. Usually an older man and younger woman because Hollywood is afraid of mature women.
Why is it called a May-December romance? Well, the months are analogies for the different stages of a person's life. In May, the year is younger, and thus so is the younger person in the relationship. In December, the year's almost over, so I guess that means the old man is about dead.
To bring in Merriam-Webster's definition: "Analogy has to do with comparison of things based on those things being alike in some way."
In your writing, analogies provide a more accessible way to digest a complex topic. The goal is to show that if two things are alike in one way, then they are probably alike in a different way too.
Meet the allegory
The allegory is like the black sheep of this family of literary devices. I say that because allegories are not just one sentence or even one paragraph. In an allegory, your entire work of art, whether it's a story, movie, poem, painting, etc., is a symbol that represents human life or experience. In that way, an allegory is an extended metaphor.
Aesop's fable, "The Tortoise And The Hare," is perhaps the most well-known allegory ever. It tells the story of a rabbit who accepts a tortoise's offer to race, thinking his natural speed advantage will earn him an easy win. During the race, however, the overconfident rabbit takes a nap. While the rabbit is sleeping, the tortoise slowly passes him and wins the race.
What does the allegory tell us? Slow and steady wins the race. Overconfident people make mistakes.
TL;DR
Get your messages working like a well-oiled machine
Like the writing tools above, words used strategically can move your audience to action. If you need a hand, reach out. I will write the words that sell your stuff and tell your story. [email protected]
senior copywriter ?? I write words that make you money ??
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senior copywriter ?? I write words that make you money ??
2 年These literary devices are an advanced form of persuasive writing that copywriters should know and use.