METAPHOR
A metaphor makes a comparison. A metaphor states that one thing is something else. It is a comparison, but it does NOT use like or as to make the comparison.
For example: Her hair is silk. The sentence is comparing (or stating) that hair is silk. Here are some poems that use metaphors.
Walt Whitman does in "A Noiseless, Patient Spider."
William Carlos Williams uses snake, flower, and stone metaphors in "A Sort of a Song."
Mary Fumento does in "Elegance."
A ballet dancer is a swan
Without the beak or feathersA ballet dancer is the seasons
Without a change in weatherA ballet dancer is a portrait
With a difference to this artThe picture captures feeling
The dancer embraces heartLangston Hughes does in "Mother to Son"
Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor -
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's
And turnin' cornere,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't yhou fall now =
For I'se still goin', honey,
I's still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
Let's decide whether each sentence contains a simile or a metaphor. Write the word SIMILE if the sentence contains a simile. Write the word METAPHOR if the sentence contains a metaphor.
1. The baby was like an octopus, grabbing at all the cans on the grocery store shelves.2. As the teacher entered the room she muttered under her breath, "This class is like a three-ring circus!"
3. The giant's steps were thunder as he ran toward Jack.
4. The pillow was a cloud when I put my head upon it after a long day.
5. I feel like a limp dishrag.
6. Those girls are like two peas in a pod.
7. The fluorescent light was the sun during our test.
8. No one invites Harold to parties because he's a wet blanket.
9. The bar of soap was a slippery eel during the dog's bath.
10. Ted was as nervous as a cat with a long tail in a room full of rocking chairs.
Complete these comparisons. Tell whether you have created a metaphor or simile.
1. The baby was like an octopus, grabbing ________________.2. As the teacher entered the room she muttered under her breath, "This class is like a ________________________!"
3. The giant's steps were thunder as he ran ______________________.
4. The pillow was a ______________________ when I put my head upon it after a long day.
5. I feel like a limp _____________________
6. ______________________ are like two peas in a pod.
7. The fluorescent light was ________________________.
8. No one invites Harold to parties because he's ______________________.
9. The bar of soap was a slippery eel during the dog's bath. Metaphor
10. Ted was as nervous as a cat with a long tail in a room full of rocking chairs. Simile
Hope you're inspired because now it's time for you to write an original poem using a metaphor.
- Think of images, descriptive words, and figurative language that best describe your theme.
- Jot them down in web form or in a list as you think of them.
- Turn your ideas into a poem.
- Revise the lines until they look, feel, and sound right to you. Draft, revise, and edit.
- Now, for the real test, read it ALOUD. Does it really paint a clear picture of your idea?
- Share your poem with someone else. Listen to his or her critique of your poem. A critique is when someone tells you the strengths and weaknesses of your work. DON'T GET MAD, LISTEN to the suggestions. Revise your work. Remember, the BEST writers are REWRITERS!
- Give your poem a title.
- Type and choose a font that adds to the look of your rap lyrics
- Illustrate your rap lyrics.
