20 Metaphor Examples in Literature and Everyday Speech

A metaphor (from the Greek word “metaphorá”) is a figure of speech that directly compares one thing to another for rhetorical effect. While the most common metaphors use the structure “X is Y,” the term “metaphor” is broad and can sometimes include other literary terms, like similes.
A good metaphor is a valuable tool for a writer and one of the many literary devices that can evoke powerful images and connections in a reader’s mind. The use of metaphors can creatively express literal meaning through figurative language.

Similes and metaphors are both types of figurative language writers use to compare. A simile is a type of metaphor, but there is a key difference between these literary terms. A simile compares two unrelated things using the words “like” or “as.” On the other hand, a metaphor makes a direct comparison for rhetorical effect.

There are a few different types of metaphors, each serving a different purpose. Consider the following common types:

1. 1. Dead metaphor: A dead metaphor is a metaphor that has become cliché due to overuse. Overutilization of a metaphor can shift its meaning and impact.
2. 2. Extended metaphor: An extended metaphor is a kind of metaphor that extends throughout multiple lines, paragraphs, or stanzas of prose or poetry. Extended metaphors build upon simple metaphors with figurative language and more varied, descriptive comparisons.
3. 3. Implied metaphor: An implied metaphor is a type of metaphor that compares two things that are not alike without mentioning one of those things. For example, “A woman barked a warning at her child.” Here, the implied metaphor compares a woman to a dog, without mentioning the dog.
4. 4. Mixed metaphor: A mixed metaphor is a figure of speech in which the speaker or writer combines two different metaphors that are incompatible.
5. 5. Standard metaphor: A standard metaphor compares two unlike things using the basic construction “X is Y.” Shakespeare’s line “All the world’s a stage” in the 1623 comedy As You Like It is a famous example of a standard metaphor.
6. 6. Visual metaphor: A visual metaphor compares one thing to a visual image that suggests an association. Visual metaphors are common in advertising—for example, a car manufacturer picturing their latest sports car alongside an image of a panther. The metaphor suggests the car is as slick, fast, and cool as the wild animal.

Metaphors are one of prose and poetry's most common literary devices. Below is a list of famous metaphors from literature:

1. 1. Sonnet 18 (1592): William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 18” features an extended metaphor, comparing an unseen lover to a summer’s day.
2. 2. Romeo and Juliet (1597): Shakespeare’s tragedy features several metaphors. When Romeo sees Juliet at the beginning of the famous balcony scene, he speaks the iconic line, “But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!” Upon seeing Juliet alight upon her balcony, Romeo uses metaphor to compare her visage to the sun.
3. 3. “The Sun Rising” (1633): John Donne’s poem uses hyperbole and figurative language to draw a metaphorical link between the narrator’s relationship and the sun.
4. 4. “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” (1891): Emily Dickinson’s poem “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers” makes a direct comparison between the feeling of hope and a bird. Dickinson uses figurative language to personify the concept of hope and paint a vivid picture of a living, breathing, ebullient force that lives within her. The lines include: “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers/ That perches in the soul/ And sings the tune without the words/ And never stops/ at all.”
5. 5. “The Road Not Taken” (1915): Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” features an extended metaphor about decisions and pathways that can define a person’s life.
6. 6. “Metaphors” (1960): In the poem “Metaphors,” author Sylvia Plath builds a nine-line picture of a pregnant woman through the use of a variety of metaphors. The nine lines correspond to the nine months of pregnancy, and each introduces a visual metaphor for a pregnant woman.

In addition to literature, metaphors appear in music, including in song titles like “Love is a Battlefield” by Pat Benetar or “You Ain’t Nothing but a Hound Dog” by Elvis Presley. Many great thinkers and orators incorporated famous metaphors into their public speeches and writing, including John F. Kennedy, Albert Einstein, and George Orwell.

Metaphors often appear in everyday figures of speech and conversational turns of phrases. Consider the following examples of metaphors in the English language that describe everyday life:

1. 1. A blanket of snow: This common phrase compares a layer of snow to a soft, fluffy blanket.
2. 2. Beating a dead horse: This phrase likens a redundant action to the unnecessary wounding of a dead animal.
3. 3. Better half: Many people use this phrase to refer to their significant other. It metaphorically implies that two individuals are part of one body by nature of their union.
4. 4. Black sheep: This draws a link between a member of a group who doesn’t fit in and an anomalous sheep with black wool in a herd of ordinary white sheep.
5. 5. Couch potato: This metaphor draws a link between a sedentary person and a potato.
6. 6. Early bird: The metaphor “early bird” describes a person who wakes early in the morning.
7. 7. Heart of stone: This description applies to someone who is unfeeling and cold.
8. 8. Heart of gold: The metaphor describes a kind and compassionate person.
9. 9. Late bloomer: A common metaphor that links aging and a blooming flower.
10. 10. Light up my life: This metaphor uses the symbolism of light to describe the happiness a person can bring to another person.
11. 11. Melting pot: This image often describes a culture or place where people from diverse backgrounds unite.
12. 12. Night owl: A night owl describes someone who stays up late.
13. 13. Roller coaster of emotions: This phrase connects a mercurial emotional state with the ups and downs of an amusement park roller coaster.
14. 14. Slippery slope: This phrase warns of impending danger initiated by a few small steps.

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