Analogy and metaphor are both used to compare two things, but in different ways. Analogy compares multiple aspects to show similarities, while metaphor directly relates two things. Metaphors use direct comparison without “like” or “as”, while analogies use them. Similes are like metaphors but use “like” or “as”.
While both analogy and metaphor are used in written and verbal expressions to compare two different things to each other, they do so in very different ways. An analogy is typically a fairly lengthy comparison, using certain aspects of each thing being compared to demonstrate the similarity between them, and then extending this similarity to other aspects. This type of comparison may use metaphorical speech, but is generally not meant to imply that the objects or ideas being compared are the same. The difference between metaphor and analogy then lies in the language used, as a metaphor is a rather short expression that directly relates two things.
It is easier to understand the difference between analogy and metaphor by first understanding what each concept represents. An analogy is a comparison of two different things typically built along multiple points that show similarities between certain characteristics or aspects of each thing. For example, an analogy can be drawn between humans and ants by demonstrating that each creature builds elaborate cities and structures, demonstrates hierarchical social behaviors, and uses other creatures for work. This compares the two species to show similarities, but does not contain an argument that ants and humans are the same.
The lack of a direct comparison is one of the major differences between analogy and metaphor. A metaphorical statement typically uses a direct comparison between two different things, not by comparing different aspects of each thing to demonstrate similarities, but by saying that one thing is another. Metaphorical language does not use the words “like” or “like”, but simply says that one thing is another thing for comparison. The line “Men are simply ants scrambling through their glittering cities of earth and sand, struggling to survive and obeying the orders of their leaders” is a metaphor.
This demonstrates the main difference between analogy and metaphor, as in metaphor, humans are literally called ants, whereas in analogy, comparisons are made to demonstrate the similarities. Analogy and metaphor can be used together, however, and metaphors and similes are often used in constructing an analogy. A simile is much like a metaphor, except that the words “like” or “like” are used to compare the two, rather than directly saying that one is the other. “People are like ants” would be a simile, since it indicates that humans and ants are similar, but it does not say that one is the other.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
