Metaphor Examples

A metaphor is a figurative device in which one thing is compared to another unlike thing.

A metaphor directly compares the two things-saying that one thing is the other. This makes it different from a simile because a simile says that it is like the other.

1. That child is a bear when he is sleepy.

2. The dancer was a graceful eagle taking flight.

3. This pie is heaven!

4. You are my sunshine!

5. The book was an addiction-I couldn't put it down.

Examples of Metaphors in Literature

1. "My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss". Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

2. "But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet, the sun!" Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet.

3. "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate." Shakespeare, Sonnet 18

4. There are several metaphorical comparisons in The Hunger Games series: Katniss is called the mockingjay; she is also girl on fire.