Metaphor, simile, and symbolism

Metaphor

Metaphor Definition

Metaphor is a figure of speech which makes an implicit, implied or hidden comparison between two things that are unrelated but share some common characteristics. In other words, a resemblance of two contradictory or different objects is made based on a single or some common characteristics.

In simple English, when you portray a person, place, thing, or an action as being something else, even though it is not actually that “something else,” you are speaking metaphorically. “He is the black sheep of the family” is a metaphor because he is not a sheep and is not even black. However, we can use this comparison to describe an association of a black sheep with that person. A black sheep is an unusual animal and typically stays away from the herd, and the person you are describing shares similar characteristics.

Furthermore, a metaphor develops a comparison which is different from a simile i.e. we do not use “like” or “as” to develop a comparison in a metaphor. It actually makes an implicit or hidden comparison and not an explicit one.

Common Speech Examples of Metaphors

Most of us think of a metaphor as a device used in songs or poems only, and that it has nothing to do with our everyday life. In fact, all of us in our routine life speak, write and think in metaphors. We cannot avoid them. Metaphors are sometimes constructed through our common language. They are called conventional metaphors. Calling a person a “night owl” or an “early bird” or saying “life is a journey” are common conventional metaphor examples commonly heard and understood by most of us. Below are some more conventional metaphors we often hear in our daily life:

• My brother was boiling mad. (This implies he was too angry.)
• The assignment was a breeze. (This implies that the assignment was not difficult.)
• It is going to be clear skies from now on. (This implies that clear skies are not a threat and life is going to be without hardships)
• The skies of his future began to darken. (Darkness is a threat; therefore, this implies that the coming times are going to be hard for him.)
• Her voice is music to his ears. (This implies that her voice makes him feel happy)

Literary Metaphor Examples

Metaphors are used in all type of literature but not often to the degree they are used in poetry because poems are meant to communicate complex images and feelings to the readers and metaphors often state the comparisons most emotively. Here are some examples of metaphor from famous poems.

Example #1

“She is all states, and all princes, I.”

John Donne, a metaphysical poet, was well-known for his abundant use of metaphors throughout his poetical works. In his well-known work “The Sun Rising,” the speaker scolds the sun for waking him and his beloved. Among the most evocative metaphors in literature, he explains “she is all states, and all princes, I.” This line demonstrates the speaker’s belief that he and his beloved are richer than all states, kingdoms, and rulers in the entire world because of the love that they share.

Example #2

“Shall I Compare Thee to a summer’s Day”,

William Shakespeare was the best exponent of the use of metaphors. His poetical works and dramas all make wide-ranging use of metaphors.

“Sonnet 18,”also known as “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day,” is an extended metaphorbetween the love of the speaker and the fairness of the summer season. He writes that “thy eternal summer,” here taken to mean the love of the subject, “shall not fade.”

Example #3

“Before high-pil’d books, in charact’ry / Hold like rich garners the full-ripened grain,”

The great Romantic poet John Keats suffered great losses in his life – the death of his father in an accident, and of his mother and brother through tuberculosis.

When he began displaying signs of tuberculosis himself at the age of 22, he wrote “When I Have Fears,” a poem rich with metaphors concerning life and death. In the line “before high-pil’d books, in charact’ry / Hold like rich garners the full-ripened grain”, he employs a double-metaphor. Writing poetry is implicitly compared with reaping and sowing, and both these acts represent the emptiness of a life unfulfilled creatively.

Functions

From the above arguments, explanations and examples, we can easily infer the function of metaphors; both in our daily lives and in a piece of literature. Using appropriate metaphors appeals directly to the senses of listeners or readers, sharpening their imaginations to comprehend what is being communicated to them. Moreover, it gives a life-like quality to our conversations and to the characters of the fiction or poetry. Metaphors are also ways of thinking, offering the listeners and the readers fresh ways of examining ideas and viewing the world.

Simile Definition

A simile is a figure of speech that makes a comparison, showing similarities between two different things. Unlike a metaphor, a simile draws resemblance with the help of the words “like” or “as”. Therefore, it is a direct comparison.

We can find simile examples in our daily speech. We often hear comments like “John is as slow as a snail.” Snails are notorious for their slow pace and here the slowness of John is compared to that of a snail. The use of “as” in the example helps to draw the resemblance. Some more examples of common similes are given below.

Common Examples of Simile

• Our soldiers are as brave as lions.
• Her cheeks are red like a rose.
• He is as funny as a monkey.
• The water well was as dry as a bone.
• He is as cunning as a fox.

Simile inputs vividness into what we say. Authors and poets utilize comparisons to convey their sentiments and thoughts through vivid word pictures like a simile.

Function of Simile

From the above discussion, we can infer the function of similes both in our everyday life as well as in literature. Using similes attracts the attention and appeals directly to the senses of listeners or readers encouraging their imagination to comprehend what is being communicated. In addition, it inspires life-like quality in our daily talks and in the characters of fiction or poetry. Simile allows readers to relate the feelings of a writer or a poet to their personal experiences. Therefore, the use of similes makes it easier for the readers to understand the subject matter of a literary text, which may have been otherwise too demanding to be comprehended. Like metaphors, similes also offer variety in our ways of thinking and offers new perspectives of viewing the world.

Symbolism Definition

Symbolism is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense.

Symbolism can take different forms. Generally, it is an object representing another to give it an entirely different meaning that is much deeper and more significant. Sometimes, however, an action, an event or a word spoken by someone may have a symbolic value. For instance, “smile” is a symbol of friendship. Similarly, the action of someone smiling at you may stand as a symbol of the feeling of affection which that person has for you.

Symbols do shift their meanings depending on the context they are used in. “A chain”, for example, may stand for “union” as well as “imprisonment”. Thus, symbolic meaning of an object or an action is understood by when, where and how it is used. It also depends on who reads them.

Common Examples of Symbolism in Everyday Life

In our daily life, we can easily identify objects, which can be taken as examples of symbol such as the following:

• The dove is a symbol of peace.
• A red rose or red color stands for love or romance.
• Black is a symbol that represents evil or death.
• A ladder may stand as a symbol for a connection between the heaven and the earth.
• A broken mirror may symbolize separation

Symbolism Examples in Literature

To develop symbolism in his work, a writer utilizes other figures of speech, like metaphors, similes,allegory, as tools. Some symbolism examples in literature are listed below with brief analysis:

Example #1

We find symbolic value in Shakespeare’s famous monologue in his play As you Like It:

“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
they have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,”

The above lines are symbolic of the fact that men and women, in course of their life perform different roles. “A stage” here symbolizes the world and “players” is a symbol for human beings.

Example #4

Sara Teasdale in her poem Wild Asters develops a number of striking symbols:

“In the spring, I asked the daisies
If his words were true,
And the clever, clear-eyed daisies
Always knew.

Now the fields are brown and barren,
Bitter autumn blows,
And of all the stupid asters
Not one knows.”

In the above lines, “spring” and “daisies” are symbols of youth. “Brown and barren” are symbols oftransition from youth to old age. Moreover, “Bitter autumn” symbolizes death.

Function of Symbolism

Symbolism gives a writer freedom to add double levels of meanings to his work: a literal one that is self-evident and the symbolic one whose meaning is far more profound than the literal one. The symbolism, therefore, gives universality to the characters and the themes of a piece of literature. Symbolism in literature evokes interest in readers as they find an opportunity to get an insight of the writer’s mind on how he views the world and how he thinks of common objects and actions, having broader implications.

CONCLUSION

Metaphor
is described as "a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two things that are basically dissimilar."1 in other words, it describes one thing in terms of another. It is comparative, and thus goes beyond a mere descriptive adjective (e.g. the "bright moon" is not a metaphor). A metaphor describes one object as being or having the characteristics of a second object.


Examples:

1.her home was a prison
2. Life is a journey, purposes are destinations, means are routes, difficulties are obstacles, counselors are guides, achievements are landmarks and choices are crossroads.

Simile
a simile is a figure of speech consisting of a comparison using likeor as. Well-chosen similes can be used to enliven writing or as an alternative to description using adjectives.


Examples:

He was as brave as a lion in a fight.
He swam like a fish through rough waters.
Symbol
something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention, especially a material object used to represent something invisible.
Examples:

la balanza es el simbolo de la justicia

THE BALANCE IS THE SYMBOL OF JUSTICE

http://literarydevices.net/simile/

http://literarydevices.net/symbolism/

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ambiguity

The picture above is the representation of ambiguity. Ambiguity is the presence of two or more possible meaning in a passage. A word, phrase, or sentence is ambiguous if it has more than one possible meaning. In other word, a word, phrase, or sentence that has only one meaning is not ambiguous. For example, the word “Duck” it can be “a horse” or “a snap”; the word “leaves” can mean “the present form of left” or “the plural form of leaf”.

Ambiguitas (kata benda) berasal dari bahasa Inggris yaitu ambiguity yang berarti suatu konstruksi yang dapat ditafsirkan lebih dari satu arti. Ambiguitas sering juga disebut ketaksaan  yang dapat diartikan atau ditafsirkan memiliki lebih dari satu makna. Hal ini mengakibatkan terjadinya lebih dari satu makna ini dapat terjadi saat pembicaraan lisan ataupun dalam keadaan tertulis.

Menurut Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, ambiguitas (nomina) dari ambigu (adjektiva) ; 1 sifat atau hal yang berarti dua: kemungkinan yang mempunyai dua pengertian; taksa; 2 ketidaktentuan; ketidakjelasan; 3 kemungkinan adanya makna yang lebih dari satu atas suatu karya sastra; 4 kemungkinan adanya makna lebih dari satu di sebuah kata, gabungan kata, atau kalimat.

Ambiguitas ini terdiri dari tiga bentuk yakni:

1.      Ambiguitas fonetik

2.      Ambiguitas gramatikal

3.      Ambiguitas Leksikal

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Denotation and Connotation

Denotation and Connotation

Denotation is a word's literal meaning. For example, were Juliet to look up the word 'rose' in the dictionary, she would find something like, 'a bush or shrub that produces flowers, usually red, pink, white or yellow in color.' Similarly, street names, like Sistrunk Boulevard or Northeast Sixth Street, tell people where they are and help them get to where they want to go.

On the other hand, connotation is a word's underlying meanings; it is all the stuff we associate with a word. So, while a rose is indeed a type of flower, we also associate roses with romantic love, beauty and even special days, like Valentine's Day or anniversaries. Connotations go beyond the literal to what we think and feel when we hear or see a word.

So, while Sistrunk Boulevard tells people in Fort Lauderdale where they are (denotation), the name also makes some people feel pride because it honors a well-regarded local figure in the black community (connotation). Others see the name Sistrunk as having negative connotations because of its history of blight and crime. For some in the community, that which we call a rose, by any other name does not smell as sweet.

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Euphemism

Definition

Euphemism is the substitution of an inoffensive expression (such as "passed away") for one considered offensively explicit ("died"). Contrast with dysphemism. Adjective: euphemistic.

In his Oxford Dictionary of Euphemisms (2007), R.W. Holder notes that in speech or writing "we use euphemism for dealing with taboo or sensitive subjects. It is therefore the language of evasion, hypocrisy, prudery, and deceit."

Maksud perkataan euphemism adalah / The meaning of euphemism is :

bahasa kiasan, bahasa halus, eufemisme, perkataan yang lebih manis untuk menggantikan beberapa perkataan tertentu seperti ‘meninggal dunia’ untuk perkataan ‘mati’

Purpose

Euphemism use ranges from a polite concern for propriety, to attempting to escape responsibility for war crimes. For instance one reason for the comparative scarcity of written evidence documenting the exterminations at Auschwitz (at least given the scale) is "directives for the extermination process obscured in bureaucratic euphemisms." ColumnistDavid Brooks called the euphemisms for torture at Abu Ghraib, Guantánamo and elsewhere an effort to "dull the moral sensibility."

Common examples

Euphemism	Basic word(s) for which substituted
adult entertainment, adult material	pornography
affirmative action	preference for women and/or minorities, usually in employment or academic admissions, also called reverse discrimination, or in the U.K. positive discrimination.
custodian, caretaker	janitor (also originally a euphemism: in Latin, janitor means doorman.)
challenged, differently abled	disabled
enhanced interrogation	torture
expecting	pregnant
family planning	contraceptives
making love, sleeping with, getting it on, having it off (U.K.), hooking up, doing it	having sexual intercourse;
sanitation worker, refuse worker (UK)	bin man, garbage man, dustman (UK)
underprivileged, economically disadvantaged	Poor
passed away	died
put to sleep	euthanized
visit from the stork	give birth

reference

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphemism

http://grammar.about.com/od/e/g/euphemismterm.html

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clouds (separation)

clouds (separation)

there is a temple of a song, or a poem which arguably would not I forget forever, very imprint of his verse, each verse heave seemed permanently etched. This song is a farewell song, a proof, an expression of separation from a friend who will never come together, together forever, because life is made so.

This poem is so honest, very natural and what is not there ass.

I heard this song already 7 years later, when the event Osis camp PII (Indonesian Islamic Student). These songs are heard and sung at the end of the event, when the emotion between us has been formed, the 4 days we have shared stories of the event, very exciting, very exciting.

osis hundreds of administrators gathered at the event, and the result of the show my friends became very much scattered.

indeed to this day I still reminisce every part in the event, still remember the portraits of their laughter, smile thin them, and laments them as so many problems and challenges of the game we face, how cool atmosphere that night because the show until midnight , how cold sleeping in tents, and how sweet fruit hamlet that mothers give for lunch snacks.

Sungguh, moment-moment saat itu merupakan momen-momen yang menarik. sayang waktu memang tidak bisa kita putar ulang dan sampai kapan pun tidak akan pernah terulang, yang bisa kita lakukan adalah mencoba mengabadikan momen-moment itu di hati, perasaan, pikiran dan alam bawah sadar kita. agar tiap potret wajah akan terus abadi tak termakan oleh waktu yang senyumnya sendiri menyembunyikan topeng keangkuhan dan kewibawaan.

Kalian pasti penasaran dengan lirik lagu itu bukan ? ini dia : lagu Perpisahan dari PII

Hayati baik-baik tiap liriknya

Bagaikan awan tanpa berarah

Suatu saat kita pasti berkumpul

Dan pada saat yang lain

Kita pasti berpisah

Begitu pula dengan diriku

Ku kan pergi meninggalkan dirimu

Walaupun berat hatimu

Namun relakan aku

Kenanglah-kenang, wahai temanku

Kau kan dapat penggantiku

Yang akan menyayangimu

Jangan lupakan aku

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