Why We Use Metaphors

Metaphor : a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them (as in drowning in money). This is the definition of a metaphor, as given by the Merriam- Webster dictionary.

Metaphors are used to help the reader better understand something that may not be tangible by comparing it to a more tangible object or idea. Merriam- Webster gives the example of a metaphor as a person "drowning in money"; the concept of having a lot of money is more easily understood in their example than a person possessing  " a  lot of money". Metaphors are used extensively throughout the Bible. A metaphor that many people know is the snake that tricks Eve, in the Garden of Eden, representing the Devil, who is also known to be sly and tricky. Metaphors are used throughout literature and in our everyday life.

In Dante Alighieri's "Inferno", Dante has lost his way on the straight or right path in life and finds himself awaking in a dark forest where he finds out that he must travel through the 9 levels of Hell (each level being a metaphor for a specific sin) in order to find salvation. The author, Dante Alighieri, does not literally mean that Dante, the character, has gotten lost on a road but that Dante has strayed from a moral or righteous path leading to salvation or God. His use of this metaphor makes this poem so much more interesting because people like stories with drama and excitement. A story about a man who is disobedient against God but wants to learn to change his ways in order to achieve salvation is just not as exciting as a man, lost in a dark forest, who encounters his mentor (who has been dead for many years)and they embark upon a journey through Hell in order to achieve his salvation. Metaphors bring better understanding, beauty and images to writing and I love them but I can understand how some people are confused by them. When there are too many metaphors or they are used incorrectly, it makes the story hard to understand. I, sometimes find myself reading passages over and over to understand metaphors because they can be tricky. I believe that a person must have and use critical thinking skills in order to understand metaphors (shout out to Dr. Kern Jackson at the University of South Alabama for teaching, nurturing and encouraging the use of these skills in me).

The way that people are taught directly affects their perceptions of school and them not being able to understand metaphors and sarcasm. We are raised to blend into society: go to school, get good grades, listen to authority, take notes, regurgitate notes, graduate, get married.... The key part in all of this is listening to authority. Not enough teachers (authority figures) encourage students to think for themselves (critically or creatively) but instead teach and encourage them to listen and regurgitate. Because of this, many students stop thinking for themselves (or never even start) and take what they get from these figures as the literal truth and never even question if they agree with it or whether it makes sense.