50 examples of metaphors
50 examples of metaphors
The metaphor is a literary or rhetorical figure with which the meaning of one concept is attributed to another, establishing an analogy between the two. In other words, the metaphor interchanges the concepts, evidencing the similarity between them.
Its use allows to print greater beauty, grace or transcendence to what you want to express. This figure has application both in literature and in everyday language.
Metaphors in everyday language (and their meaning)
- The pearls of your mouth. (The teeth of your mouth)
- Celestial fireflies decorated the night. (The stars were shining in the night)
- The sky was covered with white cottons. (The sky was covered in clouds)
- You could hear the murmur of the river. (The sound of the river was heard)
- A mother lays down her life for her offspring. (A mother gives her life for her children)
- The girl became a butterfly. (The girl developed)
- The gold of her hair. (The golden color of her hair)
- I admired the ebony of her skin. (I admired the dark color of her skin)
- The green mantle of the prairie. (The grass of the meadow)
- The eternal dream. (Death)
- The flower of Life. (Youth)
- Beyond the earth there is only blue. (Beyond the land there is only sea)
- Let me taste the honey on your lips. (Let me taste the taste of your lips)
- Rivers of bitterness flowed from his eyes. (Tears of bitterness flowed from her eyes)
- The snow in her hair spoke of her history. (The gray in her hair spoke of her history)
- The ivory of her body seduced him. (The white of her body seduced him)
- He felt the drum on his chest. (He felt the beat of his chest)
- Two emeralds sparkled in her eyes. (Her green eyes were shining)
- The wail of the guitars could be heard. (You could hear the sound of guitars)
- His eyes were two blue wells. (To refer to the color and beauty of someone's eyes)
- His mouth was a fresh fruit. (His mouth was red and provocative)
- Love is a tyrant. (Love has no choice)
- Your voice is music to my ears. (Your voice is nice to me)
- His heart was an infinite well. (His ability to love is endless)
- His eyes are sapphires. (His eyes are blue and bright)
- His skin is velvet. (His skin is smooth)
- Lucrecia is a beast. (Lucrecia has a bad temper)
- Your arms are a safe harbor. (Your arms make me feel protected and rested)
- Imagination is the madwoman of the house. (Attributed to Santa Teresa de Ávila). (Restless imagination but it is part of us)
- His disciples, olive shoots, grew everywhere.
- Your skin, scented silk.
- The moon, lamp of the night.
- Hear your voice, a balm for my soul.
- He had nerves of steel.
- Nothing touched his heart of stone.
- The silver moon shone in the sky.
- He intoned with his canary voice.
- It wasn't a flood, it was her crying.
- The city, whirlwind of chaos, tireless roar.
- His eyes were stars; the stars were hopes; the hopes, horses that carried the chariot of this love.
Metaphors in literature (explained)
41. "His parchment moon / precious touching comes" (Federico García Lorca).
Explanation : it is a pure metaphor, in which a real term has been replaced by an unreal one. The parchment moon refers to a tambourine.
42. "When I think how my light is exhausted ..." (John Milton).
Explanation : pure metaphor. The light that is depleted refers to his blindness.
43. "To the mill of love / happy the girl goes" (Tirso de Molina).
Explanation : it is a prepositional complement metaphor in which two terms are associated through the preposition of : "al molino del amor ".
44. "If the magnet of your attractive graces / my chest of obedient steel serves, / why do you flatter me, / if you have to mock me then fugitive? (Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz).
Explanation : metaphor of prepositional complement in the first ("of") and second ("of") verse: "to the magnet of your attractive graces ", " my chest of obedient steel "
45. "Body of a woman, white hills, white thighs, / you look like the world in your attitude of surrender. / My body of a wild peasant undermines you / and makes the son jump from the bottom of the earth" (Pablo Neruda).
Explanation : the first verse contains an appositional metaphor in which the terms of comparison are separated by commas: "Woman's body , white hills , white thighs." The third verse is a metaphor for a prepositional complement: " My body of a wild peasant undermines you."
46. "While to compete with your hair, / Burnished gold, the sun shines in vain" (Luis de Góngora).
Explanation : This is an appositional metaphor where the comma establishes the apposition that looks like gold to the sun: " Burnished gold , the sun shines in vain."
47. "Your eyes are the homeland of lightning and tears" (Octavio Paz).
Explanation : the first part of the sentence is an impure metaphor, in which an identification is established between the real concept (your eyes) and the imaginary one (the homeland of lightning and tears) by means of the verb to be (they are). The second part of the phrase is a metaphor for prepositional complement "the homeland of the lightning and of the tear ".
48. "My heart is a detained geranium" (Sylvia Plath).
Explanation : This is an impure metaphor where it is associated by the ser (s) to the heart with arrested geranium .
49. "Those bloody blows are the crackles / of some bread that burns on the oven door." (Cesar Vallejo).
Explanation : it is an impure metaphor. In it, it resembles the bloody blows with the crackles of some bread that is burned in the door of an oven .
50. "Your hands are my caress, / my daily chords" (Mario Benedetti).
Explanation : these verses bring together an impure metaphor (your hands are my caress), with an appositional metaphor (your hands are my caress , my everyday chords).