Fire Up Your Memoir With the Power of Metaphor
Metaphors are memorable!
I recently saw this post from one of my professors on his new book. Check out what he writes about “Pig-pen,” below!
It’s quirky, right? I don’t remember ever reading anything like it. It’s not only unique and slightly strange (like the title of his book), it’s memorable. That’s the strange power of metaphor.
What are Metaphors?
A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes something by saying it's something else. It is not meant to be taken literally.
“My husband is a bear when he’s hungry.”
Is he an actual bear? No, he’s a human. Does he remind me of a bear? Yes!
I saw a Facebook post a few mornings ago:
“Take a deep breath in. Let the beauty of the morning wash over you.”
Is the beauty of the morning an actual liquid that washes over you? No, it’s a sensory experience, but experiencing beauty can feel like water washing over you—a common experience we all understand.
A few simple metaphor examples from my life:
My husband’s bouncy Muppet walk
We have a big golden doodle puppy who “kangaroo punches” everyone in the stomach when she is excited.
My fight with an editor over my description of a breeze I experienced when walking over beautiful emerald-green hills on a spring day, horses around me – feeling a “green grass breeze” – trying to evoke the smell of green grass and how that smell takes me back to that moment in the hills.
Metaphors: The Hidden Treasure of Language
Imagine language as a series of wide and deep oceans. While most words are like the surface waves, metaphors are the mysterious depths teeming with life and color. A metaphor is not just a simple comparisons; it’s a portal to deeper delight and understanding…. (continued below)
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What metaphors do:
1. Breathe Life into Words
Think of ordinary language as a well-worn path. Metaphors are the unexpected detours that lead to breathtaking vistas. They jolt our brains out of autopilot, making us see the familiar in extraordinary ways.
2. Build a Bridge to the Indescribable
Some experiences defy straightforward description. How do you capture the essence of a baby's laughter or the weight of a shared glance? Metaphors are your linguistic Swiss Army knife, helping you tackle these elusive concepts.
3. Invite the reader into your creative mind and heart
A well-crafted metaphor is like a treasure map for your readers. It challenges them to dig deeper, unearth hidden meanings, and truly engage with your words.
4. Create Emotional Resonance
When you craft a meaningful metaphor, you're not just informing readers – you're inviting them to feel. A powerful metaphor can evoke laughter, tears, reflection, or an a-ha moment.
Quick examples of metaphors from from Advertising
Budweiser is the “king” of beers
Chevrolet is the “heartbeat” of America
Exxon Oil used to tell drivers: “put a tiger in your tank!”
From Music
“Love is a battlefield.” – Pat Benatar
“Baby you’re a firework!”—Katy Perry, Ester Dean, Stargate, Sandy Vee
“You are the thunder and I am the lightning”—Selena Gomez, Antonina Armato, Tim James, Devrim Karaoglu
“Love is a temple, Love a higher law”—U2
“You are the sunshine of my life”—Stevie Wonder
From Literature
“The sun was a toddler insistently refusing to go to bed: It was past eight thirty and still light.”—Fault in Our Stars, John Green
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”—As You Like It, William Shakespeare
“Her mouth was a fountain of delight.”—The Storm, Kate Chopin
“Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.”—Mother to Son, Langston Hughes (the entire poem is an example of an extended metaphor)
“I’m a riddle in nine syllables”—Metaphors, Sylvia Plath (each line of the poem is a different metaphor, but the metaphors are all describing one thing.
“But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? / It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.”—Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
“The frosted wedding cake of the ceiling”—The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
“Behind him, sitting on piles of scrap and rubble, was the blue kite. My key to Baba’s heart.”—The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
“This blood is a map of the road between us.”—Tear, Linda Hogan
“In her hands, I always became the pawn. I could only run away. And she was the queen, able to move in all directions, relentless in her pursuit, always able to find my weakest spots.”—The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan
Here are some really well known metaphors in Literature:
“Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice.” – Robert Frost
“Hold fast to dreams, For when dreams go
Life is a barren field, Frozen with snow.” – Langston Hughes“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day.” William Shakespeare
“Hope is the thing with feathers.” – Emily Dickinson
“The sun was a toddler insistently refusing to go to bed: It was past eight-thirty and still light.” —Fault in Our Stars, John Green
“Wishes are thorns, he told himself sharply. They do us no good, just stick into our skin and hurt us.” ―A Face Like Glass, Frances Hardinge
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” – William Shakespeare
“Each friend represents a world in us.”– Anais Nin
“If wits were pins, the man would be a veritable hedgehog.” ―Fly by Night, Frances Harding
Some metaphors in Scripture
The Psalms are full of metaphors. Psalm 23:1 famously states, “The Lord is my shepherd.” Psalm 18:2 contains multiple metaphors: “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Each metaphor draws a fresh picture about an aspect of who God is.
John 6:35: "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry."
John 8:12: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
John 10:11: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
John 15:5 "I am the true vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit."
Metaphors as Alchemy
Just as ancient alchemists sought to transmute base metals into gold, writers use metaphors to transform raw experiences into literary gems. They allow you to distill complex truths into vivid, memorable images that linger in the reader's mind.
Remember, the best metaphors often arise from your unique perspective and experiences. Don't be afraid to experiment and refine your metaphorical voice. With practice, you'll get better at creating metaphors that captivates and enlightens your readers.
Metaphor Dos and Don’ts
First the don’ts…
Avoid dead metaphors; don’t go with your first (or the easiest) idea.
When writing metaphors, train yourself to reject the first idea that pops into your head. It’s probably the first thing you think of because it’s a familiar comparison. And if it’s familiar to you, it’s likely to be familiar to your readers. Dead metaphor: A commonly used metaphor that has become over time part of ordinary language. Remember: the brain delights in the unexpected.
Examples of cliché metaphors: armed to the teeth, bad to the bone, turn a blind eye, bite the bullet, the crack of dawn, burning passion, hammering heart, heart of gold, blood running cold
Don’t mix metaphors
A mixed metaphor is the use of more than one metaphor at a time in a paragraph or two. This can be hard to catch in the rough draft; watch out for mixed metaphors on your rewrite.
EXAMPLE: The Psalm about David’s repentance struck a spark that baptized Sarah’s guilty conscience.
And now the dos…
Keep a commonplace book* and collect metaphors you love, that are meaningful to you. Read through your collection when you need inspiration.
Find a metaphor you like and use it for inspiration, then rewrite it with your own thoughts, ideas and words.
Use AI – there are metaphor generators out there to help you brainstorm.
Look out for metaphors in whatever you read, and mark them up. Add these to your commonplace book!
Better still, read poetry. Poets work hard at their craft, and this condensed form of writing is rich in imagery and metaphorical language. Read poetry both ancient and contemporary. Here’s a promise: paying attention to metaphor in poetry will teach you how to recognize and write metaphor better.
* A commonplace book is a collection of quotes and passages that are meaningful to you. For centuries, authors and thinkers have kept commonplace books: focused journals that serve to collect thoughts, quotes, moments of introspection, transcribed passages from reading — anything of purpose worth reviewing later. You can use the Notes feature on your phone, a Word doc, or a physical notebook.
Here are two fantastic metaphor quotes for your commonplace book:
Metaphors have a way of holding the most truth in the least space.
ORSON SCOTT CARD
A metaphor is a kind o’ lie to help people understand what’s true.
TERRY PRATCHETT
Do you have a favorite metaphor? I’d love to hear it in the comments below!
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Great reminders. I am actively working to improve my use of fresh and unexpected metaphors. When I sat in a grove of aspens on the side of a mountain a couple of weeks ago, I struggled to find a way to describe them in a way that would do them justice. Finally, knowing my intended audience included many fans of musical theatre and dance, I came up with this:
"The leaves of the aspen trees, with a musicality beyond my comprehension, shimmer and wave like a million tiny jazz hands at the crescendo of creation."
This was wonderful and so helpful. Thank you so much Suzy!