Similarity In Dissimilars
The term metaphor meant in Greek “carry something across” or “transfer,” which suggests some of the following definitions.
You’ll find that most dictionaries will describe a metaphor as ‘a comparison between two things, based on resemblance or similarity, without using “like” or “as”
The philosopher Aristotle described the metaphor as the ‘act of giving a thing a name that belongs to something else.’
Another philosopher, Diomedes described it as ‘the transferring of things and words from their proper signification to an improper similitude for the sake of beauty, necessity, polish, or emphasis.’ That’s a mouthful, I think I’ll pass.
But why use them?
Think about it. We use the same words and phrases over and over again and people get tired of it, use a metaphor and you give your writing a bit of zip. Remember that as a creative writer you have the power to make the ordinary strange and the strange ordinary.
They encourage your readers to use their own imagination and supple their own interpretation of what you’ve written. Use a word or phrase that cannot be interpreted literally - “he’s a pig,” she said pointing at James - then they have to think, or better still decide what is meant.
Words to a writer are important, we all know we should not overdo it; the metaphor helps in this regards they give maximum meaning with a minimum of words.
For the creative writer they help create new meanings, they allow you to write about feelings, thoughts, things, experiences, etc. for which there are no easy words; they are necessary.
But I’ve always enjoyed reading Aristotle and much more so when I read in ‘Poetics.’ “[T]he greatest thing by far is to be a master of metaphor.” It is “a sign of genius, since a good metaphor implies an intuitive perception of the similarity in dissimilars.”
So there you have it from the master himself.
