Bad essay metaphors

Tips for effectively using metaphors in your own writing. In short, by the time you finish this post, you’ll be a certified metaphor genius. But before we get to all that, let’s answer the questions people ask most often about metaphors. We’ll start with a metaphor definition…

That new metaphor is sneaking in our language as we talk about computers having ‘memory’, ‘processing power’, and being either ‘awake’ or ‘asleep’. Since metaphors are sneaky they easily place themselves into our language and become unconscious mental guides by which we make meaning out of our experiences.

Common Metaphors (aka Direct Metaphors, Primary Metaphors, Simple Metaphors, or Conventional Metaphors) These are the easiest-to-spot metaphors. A common metaphor (or direct metaphor, simple metaphor, etc.) is a comparison where the link can be easily made and directly understood.

Examples of poorly written metaphors and similes from student essays. Get ready to groan. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools. […] It’s hard to be objective about your metaphors and similes. The bad ones are some of those darlings you’re supposed to kill.