What is a metaphor, and why use it?

If literary devices were an alien invasion, metaphor would be the mothership.

It’s the “mothership” because it leads the way in helping readers feel what they can’t always define.

A metaphor compares one thing to something completely unrelated, but only on the surface. Underneath, there’s a shared truth.

Why compare love to a battlefield? Or grief to a pair of heavy boots? Because abstract feelings, like love, loss, God, and freedom, are hard to pin down.

Metaphor gives the reader something concrete, something they’ve seen or felt, or experienced, and says: “Here. It’s like this or that.”

It becomes relatable and easily understood. That’s the magic of a metaphor.

When you say, “Her voice was a knife,” you’re not just saying she was sharp or cruel. You’re letting the reader feel the cut. It’s quicker than an explanation and more powerful than exposition. That’s the point. Metaphor goes straight for that gut feeling in the reader.

Next time you sit down to write, use a metaphor. Avoid explaining to the reader how the character feels or what they want to express. 

CREATE METAPHORS:

Use this list of words to turn feelings or abstract ideas into metaphors:

Backpack (burdens, responsibilities, emotional load)

Window (perspective, opportunity, detachment)

Coffee mug (comfort, ritual, warmth, emptiness)

Clock (pressure, inevitability, waiting)

Keys (access, secrecy, trust)

Chair (rest, support, absence when empty)

Umbrella (protection, preparedness, emotional shielding)

Shoes (identity, journey, weariness)

Mirror (self-perception, distortion, reflection)

Blanket (comfort, safety, childhood)

Light switch (choices, control, sudden clarity)

Mailbox (expectation, communication, disappointment)

Fridge (nourishment, routine, emotional coldness)

Pillow (secrets, vulnerability, grief)

Pen (expression, permanence, control)

Door (opportunity, escape, boundaries)

Notebook (memory, potential, silence)

Remote control (power, passivity, distraction)

Soap (cleansing, guilt, attempts to forget)

Curtain (concealment, performance, privacy)

Wallet (identity, value, insecurity)

Thermostat (emotional regulation, tension, climate of a relationship)

Calendar (hope, fear of the future, routine)

Glasses (clarity, perspective, inherited views)

Toothbrush (ritual, care, neglect)

Cat (independence, mystery, selective affection, unpredictability)

Dog (loyalty, need for connection, unconditional love, dependency)

Bowling pin (resilience, repeated defeat, vulnerability in groups)

Swimming pool (depth, illusion of safety, memory, stagnation)

Tires (burnout, wear-and-tear, traction vs. spinning)

Doughnut (emptiness at the center, sweetness hiding voids, indulgence)

Dreamcatcher (hope, protection, illusions, selective memory)

Seashell (echoes, hidden beauty, detachment from origin)

Teddy bear (childhood safety, comfort clung to in adulthood, emotional crutches)

Dictionary (limitations of language, order in chaos, prescribed meaning)

Thesaurus (identity in flux, searching for the right self, masks)

Philosopher (overthinking, detachment, yearning for truth, loneliness)

Yoga instructor (balance, forced peace, the performance of calm)

Meditation (discipline, avoidance, space between thoughts)

Closet (hidden truths, repression, secrets)

Fork in the road (decisions, uncertainty, internal conflict)

Cracked phone screen (fractured self-image, distorted communication)

Washing machine (emotional cycles, repetition, cleansing that never ends)

Houseplant (quiet need, neglected care, growth in stillness)

Bluetooth speaker (connection issues, echoing voices, projection)

Receipt (emotional accounting, proof of exchange, unpaid debts)

Sticky note (fleeting thoughts, fragile reminders, impermanence)

Remote control drone (external control, loss of direction, flying but not free)

Backseat (passivity, letting others steer your life, silence)

Screen door (transparency with protection, letting in light but not touch)

Next week, we’ll talk about metaphor’s more polite sister, simile. Simile still makes strong comparisons, but more softly using like or as.

Happy Writing!

M.C. Convery