Can metaphors be used for other purposes than for stylistic effect and to form an allegory?How can I learn to...

3.5% Interest Student Loan or use all of my savings on Tuition?

Reason why dimensional travelling would be restricted

How to fix my table, centering of columns

Quitting employee has privileged access to critical information

Why are special aircraft used for the carriers in the United States Navy?

Are small insurances worth it

Why doesn't "adolescent" take any articles in "listen to adolescent agonising"?

School performs periodic password audits. Is my password compromised?

How to kill a localhost:8080

Was it really inappropriate to write a pull request for the company I interviewed with?

Can a space-faring robot still function over a billion years?

Why do phishing e-mails use faked e-mail addresses instead of the real one?

Is there a full canon version of Tyrion's jackass/honeycomb joke?

How do I deal with being envious of my own players?

Can an earth elemental drown/bury its opponent underground using earth glide?

Why would the IRS ask for birth certificates or even audit a small tax return?

Split a number into equal parts given the number of parts

Every subset equal to original set?

Make me a metasequence

1970s scifi/horror novel where protagonist is used by a crablike creature to feed its larvae, goes mad, and is defeated by retraumatising him

It doesn't matter the side you see it

How can neutral atoms have exactly zero electric field when there is a difference in the positions of the charges?

How to roleplay my character's ethics according to the DM when I don't understand those ethics?

Why did the Cray-1 have 8 parity bits per word?



Can metaphors be used for other purposes than for stylistic effect and to form an allegory?


How can I learn to think and interpret things more critically?Is alliteration distracting and not very valuable/interesting for the reader?













1















I was wondering if there were other uses for metaphors other than forming an allegory and for stylistic effect, that is, adding more flair to a description that would be otherwise dull. I've done some research and honestly I wasn't able to find anything that would suggest me otherwise.










share|improve this question







New contributor




yocu is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
















  • 2





    If "allegory" covers everything with a meaning, and "style" covers everything without meaning, what else is there? This may not be a limit of metaphors, but that you have created only 2 possible categories.

    – wetcircuit
    8 hours ago








  • 2





    @wetcircuit - Right, "style" + "substance" seem to pretty much cover the waterfront together, don't they :)

    – Chris Sunami
    8 hours ago
















1















I was wondering if there were other uses for metaphors other than forming an allegory and for stylistic effect, that is, adding more flair to a description that would be otherwise dull. I've done some research and honestly I wasn't able to find anything that would suggest me otherwise.










share|improve this question







New contributor




yocu is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
















  • 2





    If "allegory" covers everything with a meaning, and "style" covers everything without meaning, what else is there? This may not be a limit of metaphors, but that you have created only 2 possible categories.

    – wetcircuit
    8 hours ago








  • 2





    @wetcircuit - Right, "style" + "substance" seem to pretty much cover the waterfront together, don't they :)

    – Chris Sunami
    8 hours ago














1












1








1








I was wondering if there were other uses for metaphors other than forming an allegory and for stylistic effect, that is, adding more flair to a description that would be otherwise dull. I've done some research and honestly I wasn't able to find anything that would suggest me otherwise.










share|improve this question







New contributor




yocu is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.












I was wondering if there were other uses for metaphors other than forming an allegory and for stylistic effect, that is, adding more flair to a description that would be otherwise dull. I've done some research and honestly I wasn't able to find anything that would suggest me otherwise.







metaphor figures-of-speech






share|improve this question







New contributor




yocu is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question







New contributor




yocu is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









share|improve this question




share|improve this question






New contributor




yocu is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









asked 9 hours ago









yocuyocu

11217




11217




New contributor




yocu is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.





New contributor





yocu is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






yocu is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.








  • 2





    If "allegory" covers everything with a meaning, and "style" covers everything without meaning, what else is there? This may not be a limit of metaphors, but that you have created only 2 possible categories.

    – wetcircuit
    8 hours ago








  • 2





    @wetcircuit - Right, "style" + "substance" seem to pretty much cover the waterfront together, don't they :)

    – Chris Sunami
    8 hours ago














  • 2





    If "allegory" covers everything with a meaning, and "style" covers everything without meaning, what else is there? This may not be a limit of metaphors, but that you have created only 2 possible categories.

    – wetcircuit
    8 hours ago








  • 2





    @wetcircuit - Right, "style" + "substance" seem to pretty much cover the waterfront together, don't they :)

    – Chris Sunami
    8 hours ago








2




2





If "allegory" covers everything with a meaning, and "style" covers everything without meaning, what else is there? This may not be a limit of metaphors, but that you have created only 2 possible categories.

– wetcircuit
8 hours ago







If "allegory" covers everything with a meaning, and "style" covers everything without meaning, what else is there? This may not be a limit of metaphors, but that you have created only 2 possible categories.

– wetcircuit
8 hours ago






2




2





@wetcircuit - Right, "style" + "substance" seem to pretty much cover the waterfront together, don't they :)

– Chris Sunami
8 hours ago





@wetcircuit - Right, "style" + "substance" seem to pretty much cover the waterfront together, don't they :)

– Chris Sunami
8 hours ago










4 Answers
4






active

oldest

votes


















6














Your two categories cover a whole lot of ground between the two of them. But there's at least one other usage that comes readily to mind that isn't really encompassed by either of those.



You can use metaphors to suggest the frame of mind or unique perspective of your POV character. Consider these two different descriptions of the same strand of trees in a swamp.




The trees stood, like so many pale, bare and slender legs, wading in a pool.



The trees stood, mired in the mud; silent, white-robed pallbearers at a funeral.




It's not exactly allegory, but you get a entirely different sense of mood and outlook with the two different metaphors. (The first is intended to suggest a horny teenager, the second one is someone depressed and grief-ridden.)






share|improve this answer


























  • Can you say how these examples are not "stylistic effect"…? (I'm not sure)

    – wetcircuit
    8 hours ago








  • 1





    @wetcircuit They are playing a functional role in building a concrete sense of character and mood. Each one is intended to tell you something very specific. Style is typically non-functional (although I suppose you could describe this as the exploitation of style for substantive aims).

    – Chris Sunami
    8 hours ago











  • It's both… maybe that makes a 3rd possibility? (I'm upvoting for the attempt to fix a zen koan)

    – wetcircuit
    8 hours ago





















2














A metaphor allows you to explain something complex, abstract or unfamliar to the reader in a way that they have a good chance of understanding or relating to. You can also use them to evoke sensory memories to better convey a more realised experience, humans rely extensively on episodic memory and metaphors play into this:




Sam followed the sound of coughing and broke down the door with his axe, the bedroom beyond was a furnace, he couldn't believe anyone could be alive in there.




vs:




Sam followed the sound of coughing and broke down the door with his axe, the bedroom beyond was extremely hot, he couldn't believe anyone could be alive in there.




technically both are accurate and saying the same thing - but the metaphor version gives the reader something sensory to relate to, we know it's not a literal furnace but we're conveying how the room feels to them. Readers are more likely to have experienced the heat coming from a furnace then they are to have experienced walking into a bedroom in a burning house. And they will remember what that felt like, and at the very least they will likely know that furnaces are really, really hot things. Just saying it's "extremely hot" means you're pushing the mental load on to the reader to work out what something was like when it was what they would describe as "extremely hot" and try and fit in those sensations into the reading process which unconsciously will detract from the flow for them.



They also allow you to convey multiple aspects of something using very few words - in the above example the word "furnace" encapsulates that the heat was dry, there were flames everywhere and that it was life-threatening all in one go and allows for snappier pacing as required. Compare with:




Sam followed the sound of coughing and broke down the door with his axe, the bedroom beyond was full of an extreme, dry heat, far hotter than was safe, flames were everywhere and he couldn't believe anyone could be alive in there.




It's conveying all those attributes but takes 10 more words to do it, and in situation where you're wanting to convey a lot of simultaneous sensations taking lots of words to do it creates an artificial sense of delay. Not to mention if you're trying to portray a very short interval of time or a fast-moving situation you're dispelling the sense of urgency.






share|improve this answer































    1














    A metaphor can also be used to explain something in familiar terms. For example, when a popular science book describes Eisenstein gravity due to bent space by using the metaphor of a rubber sheet indented by various objects, with the dent representing the "gravity well" around a body. This particular metaphor has become so common it is a cliche, partly because it seems to work very well. Similarly, it used to be common to describe the structure of an atom as a miniature solar system, with the nuclear as the star, and the electrons as planets. Changes in our understanding of atoms has made that metaphor obsolete, but it is still used in describing the now outdated Bohr theory of atomic structure.



    Also, a metaphor can be used to convey symbolism, but not all symbolism is allegory.






    share|improve this answer








    New contributor




    David Siegel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.




























      0














      I say it in partial jest, but if the question is to be taken literally, then I see an answer outside of style and allegory.



      A metaphor can be used to extend the word count of a piece of writing. Consider that each grain of sand is minuscule on its own, yet a beach full of sand is a massive stretch of time, of habitat, of vacation and relaxation. Similarly, each snowflake may be a harmless kiss from the icy heavens above, but a sky full of angry snowflakes can kill.



      Metaphors are grains of sand and snowflakes. And, they can turn your term paragraph into a term paper. (I've certainly seen students try.)






      share|improve this answer























        Your Answer








        StackExchange.ready(function() {
        var channelOptions = {
        tags: "".split(" "),
        id: "166"
        };
        initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

        StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
        // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
        if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
        StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
        createEditor();
        });
        }
        else {
        createEditor();
        }
        });

        function createEditor() {
        StackExchange.prepareEditor({
        heartbeatType: 'answer',
        autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
        convertImagesToLinks: false,
        noModals: true,
        showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
        reputationToPostImages: null,
        bindNavPrevention: true,
        postfix: "",
        imageUploader: {
        brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
        contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
        allowUrls: true
        },
        noCode: true, onDemand: true,
        discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
        ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
        });


        }
        });






        yocu is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.










        draft saved

        draft discarded


















        StackExchange.ready(
        function () {
        StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fwriting.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f43085%2fcan-metaphors-be-used-for-other-purposes-than-for-stylistic-effect-and-to-form-a%23new-answer', 'question_page');
        }
        );

        Post as a guest















        Required, but never shown

























        4 Answers
        4






        active

        oldest

        votes








        4 Answers
        4






        active

        oldest

        votes









        active

        oldest

        votes






        active

        oldest

        votes









        6














        Your two categories cover a whole lot of ground between the two of them. But there's at least one other usage that comes readily to mind that isn't really encompassed by either of those.



        You can use metaphors to suggest the frame of mind or unique perspective of your POV character. Consider these two different descriptions of the same strand of trees in a swamp.




        The trees stood, like so many pale, bare and slender legs, wading in a pool.



        The trees stood, mired in the mud; silent, white-robed pallbearers at a funeral.




        It's not exactly allegory, but you get a entirely different sense of mood and outlook with the two different metaphors. (The first is intended to suggest a horny teenager, the second one is someone depressed and grief-ridden.)






        share|improve this answer


























        • Can you say how these examples are not "stylistic effect"…? (I'm not sure)

          – wetcircuit
          8 hours ago








        • 1





          @wetcircuit They are playing a functional role in building a concrete sense of character and mood. Each one is intended to tell you something very specific. Style is typically non-functional (although I suppose you could describe this as the exploitation of style for substantive aims).

          – Chris Sunami
          8 hours ago











        • It's both… maybe that makes a 3rd possibility? (I'm upvoting for the attempt to fix a zen koan)

          – wetcircuit
          8 hours ago


















        6














        Your two categories cover a whole lot of ground between the two of them. But there's at least one other usage that comes readily to mind that isn't really encompassed by either of those.



        You can use metaphors to suggest the frame of mind or unique perspective of your POV character. Consider these two different descriptions of the same strand of trees in a swamp.




        The trees stood, like so many pale, bare and slender legs, wading in a pool.



        The trees stood, mired in the mud; silent, white-robed pallbearers at a funeral.




        It's not exactly allegory, but you get a entirely different sense of mood and outlook with the two different metaphors. (The first is intended to suggest a horny teenager, the second one is someone depressed and grief-ridden.)






        share|improve this answer


























        • Can you say how these examples are not "stylistic effect"…? (I'm not sure)

          – wetcircuit
          8 hours ago








        • 1





          @wetcircuit They are playing a functional role in building a concrete sense of character and mood. Each one is intended to tell you something very specific. Style is typically non-functional (although I suppose you could describe this as the exploitation of style for substantive aims).

          – Chris Sunami
          8 hours ago











        • It's both… maybe that makes a 3rd possibility? (I'm upvoting for the attempt to fix a zen koan)

          – wetcircuit
          8 hours ago
















        6












        6








        6







        Your two categories cover a whole lot of ground between the two of them. But there's at least one other usage that comes readily to mind that isn't really encompassed by either of those.



        You can use metaphors to suggest the frame of mind or unique perspective of your POV character. Consider these two different descriptions of the same strand of trees in a swamp.




        The trees stood, like so many pale, bare and slender legs, wading in a pool.



        The trees stood, mired in the mud; silent, white-robed pallbearers at a funeral.




        It's not exactly allegory, but you get a entirely different sense of mood and outlook with the two different metaphors. (The first is intended to suggest a horny teenager, the second one is someone depressed and grief-ridden.)






        share|improve this answer















        Your two categories cover a whole lot of ground between the two of them. But there's at least one other usage that comes readily to mind that isn't really encompassed by either of those.



        You can use metaphors to suggest the frame of mind or unique perspective of your POV character. Consider these two different descriptions of the same strand of trees in a swamp.




        The trees stood, like so many pale, bare and slender legs, wading in a pool.



        The trees stood, mired in the mud; silent, white-robed pallbearers at a funeral.




        It's not exactly allegory, but you get a entirely different sense of mood and outlook with the two different metaphors. (The first is intended to suggest a horny teenager, the second one is someone depressed and grief-ridden.)







        share|improve this answer














        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer








        edited 8 hours ago

























        answered 8 hours ago









        Chris SunamiChris Sunami

        31.7k340115




        31.7k340115













        • Can you say how these examples are not "stylistic effect"…? (I'm not sure)

          – wetcircuit
          8 hours ago








        • 1





          @wetcircuit They are playing a functional role in building a concrete sense of character and mood. Each one is intended to tell you something very specific. Style is typically non-functional (although I suppose you could describe this as the exploitation of style for substantive aims).

          – Chris Sunami
          8 hours ago











        • It's both… maybe that makes a 3rd possibility? (I'm upvoting for the attempt to fix a zen koan)

          – wetcircuit
          8 hours ago





















        • Can you say how these examples are not "stylistic effect"…? (I'm not sure)

          – wetcircuit
          8 hours ago








        • 1





          @wetcircuit They are playing a functional role in building a concrete sense of character and mood. Each one is intended to tell you something very specific. Style is typically non-functional (although I suppose you could describe this as the exploitation of style for substantive aims).

          – Chris Sunami
          8 hours ago











        • It's both… maybe that makes a 3rd possibility? (I'm upvoting for the attempt to fix a zen koan)

          – wetcircuit
          8 hours ago



















        Can you say how these examples are not "stylistic effect"…? (I'm not sure)

        – wetcircuit
        8 hours ago







        Can you say how these examples are not "stylistic effect"…? (I'm not sure)

        – wetcircuit
        8 hours ago






        1




        1





        @wetcircuit They are playing a functional role in building a concrete sense of character and mood. Each one is intended to tell you something very specific. Style is typically non-functional (although I suppose you could describe this as the exploitation of style for substantive aims).

        – Chris Sunami
        8 hours ago





        @wetcircuit They are playing a functional role in building a concrete sense of character and mood. Each one is intended to tell you something very specific. Style is typically non-functional (although I suppose you could describe this as the exploitation of style for substantive aims).

        – Chris Sunami
        8 hours ago













        It's both… maybe that makes a 3rd possibility? (I'm upvoting for the attempt to fix a zen koan)

        – wetcircuit
        8 hours ago







        It's both… maybe that makes a 3rd possibility? (I'm upvoting for the attempt to fix a zen koan)

        – wetcircuit
        8 hours ago













        2














        A metaphor allows you to explain something complex, abstract or unfamliar to the reader in a way that they have a good chance of understanding or relating to. You can also use them to evoke sensory memories to better convey a more realised experience, humans rely extensively on episodic memory and metaphors play into this:




        Sam followed the sound of coughing and broke down the door with his axe, the bedroom beyond was a furnace, he couldn't believe anyone could be alive in there.




        vs:




        Sam followed the sound of coughing and broke down the door with his axe, the bedroom beyond was extremely hot, he couldn't believe anyone could be alive in there.




        technically both are accurate and saying the same thing - but the metaphor version gives the reader something sensory to relate to, we know it's not a literal furnace but we're conveying how the room feels to them. Readers are more likely to have experienced the heat coming from a furnace then they are to have experienced walking into a bedroom in a burning house. And they will remember what that felt like, and at the very least they will likely know that furnaces are really, really hot things. Just saying it's "extremely hot" means you're pushing the mental load on to the reader to work out what something was like when it was what they would describe as "extremely hot" and try and fit in those sensations into the reading process which unconsciously will detract from the flow for them.



        They also allow you to convey multiple aspects of something using very few words - in the above example the word "furnace" encapsulates that the heat was dry, there were flames everywhere and that it was life-threatening all in one go and allows for snappier pacing as required. Compare with:




        Sam followed the sound of coughing and broke down the door with his axe, the bedroom beyond was full of an extreme, dry heat, far hotter than was safe, flames were everywhere and he couldn't believe anyone could be alive in there.




        It's conveying all those attributes but takes 10 more words to do it, and in situation where you're wanting to convey a lot of simultaneous sensations taking lots of words to do it creates an artificial sense of delay. Not to mention if you're trying to portray a very short interval of time or a fast-moving situation you're dispelling the sense of urgency.






        share|improve this answer




























          2














          A metaphor allows you to explain something complex, abstract or unfamliar to the reader in a way that they have a good chance of understanding or relating to. You can also use them to evoke sensory memories to better convey a more realised experience, humans rely extensively on episodic memory and metaphors play into this:




          Sam followed the sound of coughing and broke down the door with his axe, the bedroom beyond was a furnace, he couldn't believe anyone could be alive in there.




          vs:




          Sam followed the sound of coughing and broke down the door with his axe, the bedroom beyond was extremely hot, he couldn't believe anyone could be alive in there.




          technically both are accurate and saying the same thing - but the metaphor version gives the reader something sensory to relate to, we know it's not a literal furnace but we're conveying how the room feels to them. Readers are more likely to have experienced the heat coming from a furnace then they are to have experienced walking into a bedroom in a burning house. And they will remember what that felt like, and at the very least they will likely know that furnaces are really, really hot things. Just saying it's "extremely hot" means you're pushing the mental load on to the reader to work out what something was like when it was what they would describe as "extremely hot" and try and fit in those sensations into the reading process which unconsciously will detract from the flow for them.



          They also allow you to convey multiple aspects of something using very few words - in the above example the word "furnace" encapsulates that the heat was dry, there were flames everywhere and that it was life-threatening all in one go and allows for snappier pacing as required. Compare with:




          Sam followed the sound of coughing and broke down the door with his axe, the bedroom beyond was full of an extreme, dry heat, far hotter than was safe, flames were everywhere and he couldn't believe anyone could be alive in there.




          It's conveying all those attributes but takes 10 more words to do it, and in situation where you're wanting to convey a lot of simultaneous sensations taking lots of words to do it creates an artificial sense of delay. Not to mention if you're trying to portray a very short interval of time or a fast-moving situation you're dispelling the sense of urgency.






          share|improve this answer


























            2












            2








            2







            A metaphor allows you to explain something complex, abstract or unfamliar to the reader in a way that they have a good chance of understanding or relating to. You can also use them to evoke sensory memories to better convey a more realised experience, humans rely extensively on episodic memory and metaphors play into this:




            Sam followed the sound of coughing and broke down the door with his axe, the bedroom beyond was a furnace, he couldn't believe anyone could be alive in there.




            vs:




            Sam followed the sound of coughing and broke down the door with his axe, the bedroom beyond was extremely hot, he couldn't believe anyone could be alive in there.




            technically both are accurate and saying the same thing - but the metaphor version gives the reader something sensory to relate to, we know it's not a literal furnace but we're conveying how the room feels to them. Readers are more likely to have experienced the heat coming from a furnace then they are to have experienced walking into a bedroom in a burning house. And they will remember what that felt like, and at the very least they will likely know that furnaces are really, really hot things. Just saying it's "extremely hot" means you're pushing the mental load on to the reader to work out what something was like when it was what they would describe as "extremely hot" and try and fit in those sensations into the reading process which unconsciously will detract from the flow for them.



            They also allow you to convey multiple aspects of something using very few words - in the above example the word "furnace" encapsulates that the heat was dry, there were flames everywhere and that it was life-threatening all in one go and allows for snappier pacing as required. Compare with:




            Sam followed the sound of coughing and broke down the door with his axe, the bedroom beyond was full of an extreme, dry heat, far hotter than was safe, flames were everywhere and he couldn't believe anyone could be alive in there.




            It's conveying all those attributes but takes 10 more words to do it, and in situation where you're wanting to convey a lot of simultaneous sensations taking lots of words to do it creates an artificial sense of delay. Not to mention if you're trying to portray a very short interval of time or a fast-moving situation you're dispelling the sense of urgency.






            share|improve this answer













            A metaphor allows you to explain something complex, abstract or unfamliar to the reader in a way that they have a good chance of understanding or relating to. You can also use them to evoke sensory memories to better convey a more realised experience, humans rely extensively on episodic memory and metaphors play into this:




            Sam followed the sound of coughing and broke down the door with his axe, the bedroom beyond was a furnace, he couldn't believe anyone could be alive in there.




            vs:




            Sam followed the sound of coughing and broke down the door with his axe, the bedroom beyond was extremely hot, he couldn't believe anyone could be alive in there.




            technically both are accurate and saying the same thing - but the metaphor version gives the reader something sensory to relate to, we know it's not a literal furnace but we're conveying how the room feels to them. Readers are more likely to have experienced the heat coming from a furnace then they are to have experienced walking into a bedroom in a burning house. And they will remember what that felt like, and at the very least they will likely know that furnaces are really, really hot things. Just saying it's "extremely hot" means you're pushing the mental load on to the reader to work out what something was like when it was what they would describe as "extremely hot" and try and fit in those sensations into the reading process which unconsciously will detract from the flow for them.



            They also allow you to convey multiple aspects of something using very few words - in the above example the word "furnace" encapsulates that the heat was dry, there were flames everywhere and that it was life-threatening all in one go and allows for snappier pacing as required. Compare with:




            Sam followed the sound of coughing and broke down the door with his axe, the bedroom beyond was full of an extreme, dry heat, far hotter than was safe, flames were everywhere and he couldn't believe anyone could be alive in there.




            It's conveying all those attributes but takes 10 more words to do it, and in situation where you're wanting to convey a lot of simultaneous sensations taking lots of words to do it creates an artificial sense of delay. Not to mention if you're trying to portray a very short interval of time or a fast-moving situation you're dispelling the sense of urgency.







            share|improve this answer












            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer










            answered 8 hours ago









            motosubatsumotosubatsu

            811110




            811110























                1














                A metaphor can also be used to explain something in familiar terms. For example, when a popular science book describes Eisenstein gravity due to bent space by using the metaphor of a rubber sheet indented by various objects, with the dent representing the "gravity well" around a body. This particular metaphor has become so common it is a cliche, partly because it seems to work very well. Similarly, it used to be common to describe the structure of an atom as a miniature solar system, with the nuclear as the star, and the electrons as planets. Changes in our understanding of atoms has made that metaphor obsolete, but it is still used in describing the now outdated Bohr theory of atomic structure.



                Also, a metaphor can be used to convey symbolism, but not all symbolism is allegory.






                share|improve this answer








                New contributor




                David Siegel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                Check out our Code of Conduct.

























                  1














                  A metaphor can also be used to explain something in familiar terms. For example, when a popular science book describes Eisenstein gravity due to bent space by using the metaphor of a rubber sheet indented by various objects, with the dent representing the "gravity well" around a body. This particular metaphor has become so common it is a cliche, partly because it seems to work very well. Similarly, it used to be common to describe the structure of an atom as a miniature solar system, with the nuclear as the star, and the electrons as planets. Changes in our understanding of atoms has made that metaphor obsolete, but it is still used in describing the now outdated Bohr theory of atomic structure.



                  Also, a metaphor can be used to convey symbolism, but not all symbolism is allegory.






                  share|improve this answer








                  New contributor




                  David Siegel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                  Check out our Code of Conduct.























                    1












                    1








                    1







                    A metaphor can also be used to explain something in familiar terms. For example, when a popular science book describes Eisenstein gravity due to bent space by using the metaphor of a rubber sheet indented by various objects, with the dent representing the "gravity well" around a body. This particular metaphor has become so common it is a cliche, partly because it seems to work very well. Similarly, it used to be common to describe the structure of an atom as a miniature solar system, with the nuclear as the star, and the electrons as planets. Changes in our understanding of atoms has made that metaphor obsolete, but it is still used in describing the now outdated Bohr theory of atomic structure.



                    Also, a metaphor can be used to convey symbolism, but not all symbolism is allegory.






                    share|improve this answer








                    New contributor




                    David Siegel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                    Check out our Code of Conduct.










                    A metaphor can also be used to explain something in familiar terms. For example, when a popular science book describes Eisenstein gravity due to bent space by using the metaphor of a rubber sheet indented by various objects, with the dent representing the "gravity well" around a body. This particular metaphor has become so common it is a cliche, partly because it seems to work very well. Similarly, it used to be common to describe the structure of an atom as a miniature solar system, with the nuclear as the star, and the electrons as planets. Changes in our understanding of atoms has made that metaphor obsolete, but it is still used in describing the now outdated Bohr theory of atomic structure.



                    Also, a metaphor can be used to convey symbolism, but not all symbolism is allegory.







                    share|improve this answer








                    New contributor




                    David Siegel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                    Check out our Code of Conduct.









                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer






                    New contributor




                    David Siegel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                    Check out our Code of Conduct.









                    answered 5 hours ago









                    David SiegelDavid Siegel

                    4188




                    4188




                    New contributor




                    David Siegel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                    Check out our Code of Conduct.





                    New contributor





                    David Siegel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                    Check out our Code of Conduct.






                    David Siegel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                    Check out our Code of Conduct.























                        0














                        I say it in partial jest, but if the question is to be taken literally, then I see an answer outside of style and allegory.



                        A metaphor can be used to extend the word count of a piece of writing. Consider that each grain of sand is minuscule on its own, yet a beach full of sand is a massive stretch of time, of habitat, of vacation and relaxation. Similarly, each snowflake may be a harmless kiss from the icy heavens above, but a sky full of angry snowflakes can kill.



                        Metaphors are grains of sand and snowflakes. And, they can turn your term paragraph into a term paper. (I've certainly seen students try.)






                        share|improve this answer




























                          0














                          I say it in partial jest, but if the question is to be taken literally, then I see an answer outside of style and allegory.



                          A metaphor can be used to extend the word count of a piece of writing. Consider that each grain of sand is minuscule on its own, yet a beach full of sand is a massive stretch of time, of habitat, of vacation and relaxation. Similarly, each snowflake may be a harmless kiss from the icy heavens above, but a sky full of angry snowflakes can kill.



                          Metaphors are grains of sand and snowflakes. And, they can turn your term paragraph into a term paper. (I've certainly seen students try.)






                          share|improve this answer


























                            0












                            0








                            0







                            I say it in partial jest, but if the question is to be taken literally, then I see an answer outside of style and allegory.



                            A metaphor can be used to extend the word count of a piece of writing. Consider that each grain of sand is minuscule on its own, yet a beach full of sand is a massive stretch of time, of habitat, of vacation and relaxation. Similarly, each snowflake may be a harmless kiss from the icy heavens above, but a sky full of angry snowflakes can kill.



                            Metaphors are grains of sand and snowflakes. And, they can turn your term paragraph into a term paper. (I've certainly seen students try.)






                            share|improve this answer













                            I say it in partial jest, but if the question is to be taken literally, then I see an answer outside of style and allegory.



                            A metaphor can be used to extend the word count of a piece of writing. Consider that each grain of sand is minuscule on its own, yet a beach full of sand is a massive stretch of time, of habitat, of vacation and relaxation. Similarly, each snowflake may be a harmless kiss from the icy heavens above, but a sky full of angry snowflakes can kill.



                            Metaphors are grains of sand and snowflakes. And, they can turn your term paragraph into a term paper. (I've certainly seen students try.)







                            share|improve this answer












                            share|improve this answer



                            share|improve this answer










                            answered 3 hours ago









                            DPTDPT

                            14.6k22885




                            14.6k22885






















                                yocu is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.










                                draft saved

                                draft discarded


















                                yocu is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.













                                yocu is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.












                                yocu is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
















                                Thanks for contributing an answer to Writing Stack Exchange!


                                • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

                                But avoid



                                • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

                                • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


                                To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




                                draft saved


                                draft discarded














                                StackExchange.ready(
                                function () {
                                StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fwriting.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f43085%2fcan-metaphors-be-used-for-other-purposes-than-for-stylistic-effect-and-to-form-a%23new-answer', 'question_page');
                                }
                                );

                                Post as a guest















                                Required, but never shown





















































                                Required, but never shown














                                Required, but never shown












                                Required, but never shown







                                Required, but never shown

































                                Required, but never shown














                                Required, but never shown












                                Required, but never shown







                                Required, but never shown







                                Popular posts from this blog

                                As a Security Precaution, the user account has been locked The Next CEO of Stack OverflowMS...

                                Українські прізвища Зміст Історичні відомості |...

                                Список ссавців Італії Природоохоронні статуси | Список |...