Extended Metaphor
Review:
• What is a metaphor?
– A comparison between two unlike things NOT
using like or as.
– Stating that something IS something else.
Examples:
• The sea is a playful cat.
• My handwriting is a spider’s crawl.
• The building is a laughing face.
Extended Metaphor
• An extended metaphor still compares two
unlike things, but the comparison is drawn out
(extended) through several lines OR
throughout the entire poem.
Metaphor
Extended Metaphor
The sea is a playful cat.
The sea is a playful cat. It licks
and paws the beach. On sunny
days it lies calmly with its belly
to the sun.
My handwriting is a spider’s
crawl.
My handwriting is a spider’s
crawl. It moves with many legs
over the page.
The building is a laughing face.
The building is a laughing face.
The eyes blink merrily in the
light. The open mouth invites all
who pass to enter.
“The Toaster”
Our toaster is a
Silver-scaled dragon
With a winding black tail
And an evil, red-glowing mouth
That spits out breakfast with a
fiery vengeance.
- William Jay Smith
Mirror
by Sylvia Plath
I am a mirror, silver and exact.
I have no preconceptions.
Whatever I see, I swallow immediately.
Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike
I am not cruel, only truthful –
The eye of a little god, four cornered.
Things to Do If You are a Subway
Bobbi Katz
Pretend you are a dragon.
Live in underground caves.
Roar about underneath the city.
Swallow piles of people.
Spit them out at the next station.
Zoom through the darkness.
Be an express.
Go fast.
Make as much noise as you please.
“Metaphor for a Family”
My family lives inside a medicine chest:
Dad is the super-size band aid, strong and powerful
But not always effective in a crisis.
Mom is the middle-size tweezers,
Which pick and poke and pinch.
David is the single small Asprin on the third shelf,
Sometimes ignored.
Muffin, the sheep dog, is a round cotton ball, stained and dirty,
That bounces out as I open the door.
And I am the wood and glue which hold us all together with
my love.
Metaphor for YOUR Family!
• Complete Your Chart
– Write a metaphor for each member of your family.
– Then you must describe WHY that metaphor
accurately describes each family member.
– THEN, draw a picture to represent each family
member.
• Example: My dad is a jack-in-the-box; most of the time
he is a calm, peaceful guy; but then, without warning,
he abruptly jumps out from nowhere to get you!
Family Member
Metaphor
Description
Dad
My dad is a jack-inthe-box.
Most of the time he is
a calm, peaceful guy;
but then, without
warning, he abruptly
jumps out from
nowhere to get you!
Mom
My mom is the talking
broken doll that won’t
turn off.
My mom is fabulous
to play with, but she
doesn’t EVER stop
talking.
Brother
My brother is the
favorite old toy.
No matter what else
comes along or goes
away, My brother
Trevor is always there
when you need him.
Picture
Next Steps!
• Turn your “Metaphor for a Family” chart into a
poem!
• Rewrite your poem on a separate sheet of
paper.
• Include colored pictures to help your readers
visualize your family.
My family lives in a toy room.
My dad is the jack-in-the-box; most of the time he a
quiet and peaceful guy; then, without warning, he
abruptly jumps out to get you.
My mom is the talking doll that won’t turn off; she
never stops talking—even if no one else is around.
Brian is the box that holds the sporting equipment; no
matter what sport anyone wants to play, Brian is
ready.
Trevor is the old, worn, but favorite toy; no matter
what else comes and goes, he is always there when
you need him.
Zach, the youngest, is the GI Joe that has
fallen behind the dollhouse; often forgotten.