Extended and Imaginative Metaphors

A metaphor takes the a quality of one object or event to help explain the qualities of another object or event.

An extended metaphor uses several qualities of the first object or event to do this.

Extended metaphors are also called ‘conceit’.

As with similes, skilled speakers and writers can produce long and interesting metaphors.

Truth is a hurricane, and no matter how strong we build our shelters it shall always break them down and leave us exposed.	‘All the world’s a stage And men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts His acts being seven ages’ – from As You Like It by William Shakespeare
I graduated from the University of Life, and have a degree from The School of Hard Knocks. My mentor was Professor Knuckle Sandwich, and my textbook ‘How to Take a Beating’ by I.L.Breakyourface.

2. Imaginative metaphors

America is an enormous frosted cupcake in the middle of millions of starving people – George Jean Nathan	Happiness is a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp; but if you sit down quietly, may alight upon you – Nathaniel Hawthorne
The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page – St. Augustine	Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor – Sholom Aleic Hem
Medicine is my lawful wife and literature my mistress; when I tire of one I spend the night with the other – Anton Chekhov	Life is a journey. But don’t worry, you’ll get a parking spot at the end – Isaac Asimov

Try to think of extended or imaginative metaphors for:
a) marriage
b) homework
c) being born
d) work