A metaphor is: “a figure of speech that directly compares one thing to another.”
Poets and other creative writers use metaphors to add effect to their work, making it more vivid, powerful, humorous, or others, depending on the tone of the work they are creating. For a more comprehensive definition, you can look at:
- the section on metaphors in this article: “What’s the Difference Between Metaphor, Simile, and Analogy.”
- this video by poet Jane Hirshfield: The Art of Metaphor (and Similes).
- You can find both metaphors and similes in Natalie Diaz’s poem: Grief Work from her book Post-colonial Love Poems
