A metaphor is a literary device that compares two things that are not alike in most ways, but have some common characteristics. A metaphor says that one thing is another thing, without using the words “like” or “as”. For example, in the sentence “She is a rose”, the word “rose” is a metaphor for the person, because roses are beautiful, fragrant, and delicate.

Metaphors are used to make language more expressive, creative, and vivid. They can help the reader or listener to imagine something more clearly, or to understand something more deeply. Metaphors can also convey emotions, attitudes, or moods. For example, in the sentence “He has a heart of gold”, the word “gold” is a metaphor for the person’s kindness, generosity, and value.

Metaphors are very common in everyday speech and writing, as well as in poetry, literature, music, and art. Some famous examples of metaphors are:

• All the world’s a stage. (William Shakespeare)
• America is a melting pot. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
• Time is money. (Benjamin Franklin)
• Life is a roller coaster. (Anonymous)
• The moon was a ghostly galleon. (Alfred Noyes)