What is a metaphor and how does it function?

Answer 1

A metaphor is the name given to a way of using language in a way that relies more on imagination than literal reality.

It works by combining seemingly unrelated words to form a new concept.

Example: "My dog, he's such a pussycat!!"

This is a metaphor, because a dog obviously cannot literally be a cat, so the word 'pussycat' is used to convey the thought that the dog has 'pussycat-like' qualities, such as extreme timidity, a trait not usually associated with dogs.

FUNCTION. The function of a metaphor is to convey a 'new truth' to the reader/listener, helping the person receiving the information to be enlightened in a succinct manner.

Other examples: "All the world's a stage.", "My husband is a rock.", "Herod? That man is a fox."

THESE are just a few examples of metaphors. Metaphors appear in different forms and we may not realise it but we often use metaphors in everyday speech, e.g. "Thank you I've grasped the point." You cannot physically 'grasp' a concept, but a physical action is used as a metaphor for a mental process, that of understanding a matter.

FOR more examples and information, see Relateds links below this box.