Metaphor

The concept of understanding one thing in terms of another. In language, a metaphor (from the Greek: metapherein) is a rhetorical trope defined as a direct comparison between two or more seemingly unrelated subjects. In the simplest case, this takes the form: "The [first subject] is a [second subject]." More generally, a metaphor describes a first subject as being or equal to a second subject in some way. Thus, the first subject can be economically described because implicit and explicit attributes from the second subject are used to enhance the description of the first. This device is known for usage in literature, especially in poetry, where with few words, emotions and associations from one context are associated with objects and entities in a different context. Metaphor comprises a subset of analogy and closely relates to other rhetorical concepts such as comparison, simile, allegory and parable. A metaphor consists of two parts: the tenor and the vehicle. The tenor is the subject to which attributes are ascribed. The vehicle is the subject from which the attributes are borrowed. The metaphor is sometimes further analyzed in terms of the ground and the tension. The ground consists of the similarities between the tenor and the vehicle. The tension of the metaphor consists of the dissimilarities between the tenor and the vehicle. Types of metaphor. An extended metaphor, or conceit, sets up a principal subject with several subsidiary subjects or comparisons. A mixed metaphor is one that leaps, in the course of a figure, to a second identification inconsistent with the first one. A dead metaphor is one in which the sense of a transferred image is not present. Dead metaphors, by definition, normally go unnoticed. An active metaphor is one which, by contrast to a dead metaphor, is not part of daily language and is noticeable as a metaphor. An absolute or paralogical metaphor (sometimes called an antimetaphor) is one in which there is no discernible point of resemblance between the idea and the image. A complex metaphor is one which mounts one identification on another. A compound or loose metaphor is one that catches the mind with several points of similarity. An implicit metaphor is one in which the tenor is not specified but implied. A submerged metaphor is one in which the vehicle is implied, or indicated by one aspect. A simple or tight metaphor is one in which there is but one point of resemblance between the tenor and the vehicle. A root metaphor is the underlying association that shapes an individual's understanding of a situation. A dying metaphor is a derogatory term coined by George Orwell; he defines a dying metaphor as a metaphor that isn't dead (dead metaphors are different, as they are treated like ordinary words), but has been worn out and is used because it saves people the trouble of inventing an original phrase for themselves.