Metaphors compare dissimilar objects or ideas to establish an equivalence. There are five main types: allegorical, absolute, mixed, extended, and dead. Allegories use symbols to compare two things, while absolute metaphors present a simple equivalence. Mixed metaphors merge contradictory elements, extended metaphors compare multiple objects, and dead metaphors are based on physical movement.
Metaphor is a rhetorical device used to compare two dissimilar objects or ideas in an implication that establishes an equivalence between the two. There are numerous types of metaphors. They are used both in classical rhetorical constructions and in everyday casual speech. The degree of the comparison determines what kind of metaphor it is. While there are more than a dozen distinct types of metaphors, there are five main types: allegorical, absolute, mixed, extended, and dead metaphors.
Allegory is a metaphor that employs an extended story that illustrates the comparison of two things using symbols rather than explicit words. An allegory in literature often presents the obvious elements of a given story along with subtle and nuanced comments for other events with which the author wishes to show an equivalence. For example, an element of the novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is considered to be an allegory of Christ’s resurrection.
The absolute metaphor, in comparison with other types, cannot be blurred or reduced in any way. An absolute metaphor presents a simple equivalence, such as light indicating knowledge or snow indicating purity. Absolute metaphors can be symbolic or literal and differ from other types of metaphors in that they cannot be replaced by other metaphorical constructions.
The mixed metaphor is one of the more common types of metaphors, but it can be difficult to understand. A mixed metaphor is the merger of two contradictory elements that are completely inconsistent in type, but the symbolic meaning of the comparison is still conveyed. Sometimes the mixed metaphor can be used intentionally for effect. For example, “There’s no place like a house on the range” combines two well-known idiomatic expressions.
The extended metaphor presents a complex comparison with multiple objects. Compares a primary object with a symbolic object, then compares secondary objects connected to the primary with other elements of the symbolic object. For example, Shakespeare’s famous “All the world is a stage, and men and women are but actors” is an extended metaphor, in which the “world” and “stage” serve as primary objects, while “we” and “actors” represent secondary objects.
The dead metaphor offers a comparison that is not symbolic in form, but to physical movement. A dead metaphor is simply a comparison that goes unnoticed because the metaphor is based on a comparison that has simply become part of the language. It often involves the use of an idiom. For example, the phrase “the committee will hold a meeting” is a dead metaphor for the word expected. The committee cannot physically grasp the encounter, but the word is used to identify a physical action with a conceptual one.
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