“The Broken Coin: The Use of Symbol”

                This is a seeker post that attempts to clarify the differences between metonymy and synecdoche. In chapter three of our text entitled “The Broken Coin: The Use of Symbol”, symbolism is introduced and these two subjects are discussed. I found these two concepts to be slightly confusing and similar in some ways. The link provided below has helped me to further understand this information by providing real life scenarios along with definitions. Our book does not clearly define metonymy, it states that it’s “so close it overlaps” and provides examples. Synecdoche is defined by our text as “a part for the whole”. The link provided will take you to a web page entitled Connections which is a hypertext resource for literature. This page provides a clear definition of metonymy and gives a brief explanation of how it differs from a metaphor. The real life scenarios provided by this link focuses on how the media attempts to use metonymy to influence and persuade their viewers. One example given pertained to how companies use sex and beautiful people to sell their products. I could relate to this example easily and one company that came to mind was the makers of Axe and their commercials. Almost every commercial involves a man using the spray and girls flocking to him immediately because of the scent……….REALLY! I can’t believe that guys would actually buy this product due to the belief that girls will want them, but their use of metonymy is successful and makes their product memorable. The webpage continues on to discuss synecdoche and uses politics to further enlighten the reader. I found the page to be helpful to me, has it been useful to you? Has it made these topics comprehensible and easier to spot in poetry and everyday life?

http://www.math.grin.edu/~simpsone/Connections/Poetry/Terms/tropes3.html