What is an Extended Metaphor (and how do you use it)?

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

Metaphors make words come to life and add color to language. Authors have used metaphors for as long as they’ve been writing to make stories more approachable, understandable, and relatable.

When we say that one thing is another thing, that symbolism enhances writing and elevates it to another level. Think about the best-selling book in human history. The Bible uses a powerful metaphor to describe Jesus Christ: I am the good shepherd … and I lay down my life for the sheep.

You don’t have to be a writer to understand the significance of metaphors. We speak in metaphors, and often even think in metaphors. Comparison is a powerful concept that makes a topic easier to understand while adding depth. This creative process simultaneously simplifies something and finds deeper meaning in it.

As you can imagine, there is limitless potential to use metaphors to enhance your own writing. But that is just the beginning. There is a rhetorical technique to make a metaphor even more robust — it’s called an extended metaphor.

Multiple parallels in extended metaphors

An extended metaphor is a literary device that analyzes a core concept by drawing several parallels that extend throughout a written work. This comparison can be contained in a few lines, stanzas, or an entire work. A singular metaphor compares one thing to another — an extended metaphor goes deeper.

An extended metaphor can make any concept interesting and understandable when used creatively and properly. Beyond the practicality of using extended metaphors, they also offer numerous creative benefits. A core component of creative writing, metaphors open the door to a world of vivid imagery and expression.

From William Shakespeare to Emily Dickinson and Langston Hughes, authors have used extended metaphors for centuries. Now, it’s your turn to craft an extended metaphor that enhances your writing. If you struggle to find inspiration, fear not, because hope is on the horizon. Let’s get into it.

3 extended metaphor examples in literature

If you investigate literary history, you’ll find that some of the most notable works flaunt both single metaphors and extended metaphors. Why? Because metaphors add a tremendous amount of creativity to your writing. But that is just the beginning.

A metaphor is an excellent device to express the intensity of emotion. Take a moment to think about love — a powerful feeling that is challenging to express. At a human level, we know exactly what love feels like, but it can be quite difficult to articulate it into language. That’s why we turn to metaphors. By directly comparing two things that are generally unrelated, we can both express and emphasize the significance of the core concept. Suddenly, describing what love feels like becomes a much more approachable task.

You see this both in literature and daily life. Examples can be creative or cliché:

My love for you is a raging fire.
Burning love.
Love is a battlefield.
Love is a journey.

Shakespeare and extended metaphors

William Shakespeare was a master of the extended metaphor. His writing flexes vivid imagery — especially pertaining to love.

In his tragic love tale, Romeo and Juliet, he writes:

But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief.

In this extended metaphor example, he compares Juliet to the sun. Her beauty is bright, invigorating, and hopeful like the sun’s rays. Then, he extends the metaphor further by contrasting her radiance with the moon, which vanishes in the light of the sun. The moon is “sick and pale with grief,” quite the opposite of the hopeful sun. Shakespeare’s strategic use of figurative language allows him to convey abstract ideas and emotions (like love) in a way that readers can understand and visualize.

Emily Dickinson’s hope

Love isn’t the only emotion difficult to express through language. But as every great writer knows, nothing is indescribable. So, let’s stick with this theme and introduce another abstract concept: hope. Some of my favorite authors express hope through literary terms, and arguably none do it better than Emily Dickinson in her poem, “Hope is the Thing with Feathers.”

She writes:

“Hope” is the thing with feathers —
That perches in the soul —
And sings the tune without the words —
And never stops — at all —

And sweetest — in the Gale – is heard —
And sore must be the storm —
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm —

I’ve heard it in the chillest land —
And on the strangest Sea —
Yet — never — in Extremity,
It asked a crumb — of me.

In this beautiful poem, Dickinson is not hiding the metaphor from her readers. She compares the feeling of hope to a little bird that lives inside our souls. But then she goes deeper, and that is where you truly grasp the power of this magnificent literary work.

She elaborates that this bird also lives in the harshest places. The sweet bird can be heard amongst storms, the “chilliest land,” and on the “strangest sea.” No matter how dark, frightening, or bleak the world seems, you can always hear the bird’s sweet song.

Every time I read this entire poem, I’m taken aback by Dickinson’s literary skill. Her extended metaphor offers a powerful message: hope is never lost. When it seems like the light is gone and we’re surrounded by darkness, the bird’s song remains resilient. There’s a reason why Emily Dickinson is a timeless author. This message is as pertinent for a reader born in 1893 as it is for a reader born in 1993.

Hughes’ “Mother to Son”

Transitioning to the theme of resilience, let’s talk about an author who tackles that through (you guessed it) an extended metaphor.

Langston Hughes’ poem “Mother to Son” compares life to a crystal stair:

Well, son, I’ll tell you
Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
It’s had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor —
Bare.
But all the time
I’se been a-climbin’ on,
And sometimes goin’ in the dark
Where there ain’t been no light.
So boy, don’t you turn back.
Don’t you set down on those steps
‘Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.
Don’t you fall now —
For I’se still goin’, honey,
I’se still climbin’,
And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

From the perspective of his mother, Hughes uses figurative language to demonstrate the importance of resilience and courage. You learn that walking life’s stairs will leave you bruised and bloody. It will force you to walk through darkness. But that does not mean you should give up. You must continue climbing. You must go “in the dark.” And you must do this with courage, tenacity, and resilience. Eventually, you’ll reach the top of the staircase and there you’ll find the climb to be worthwhile.

Metaphors are relatable and thought-provoking

Think about these examples. What do they have in common?

• They are intensely relatable. As a writer, you must use language that a diverse array of readers can relate to and find valuable. All three of the authors I mentioned lived in eras far different than our experience in 2023, but their works hold up. They address fundamental but rather abstract aspects of humanity — love, hope, and resilience. Then, they all use imagery and symbolism to bring them to life in a different way with figurative language.
• They make readers think about the world differently. By comparing love to the sun, hope to a bird, and resilience to climbing a staircase, the authors challenge their readers to look beyond the surface. As a writer, you should not only entertain readers, but dare them to see the world in a new light. The best-selling and most prolific authors of all time resonate with readers for generations because they offer a unique perspective that inspires, enlightens, and comforts. Metaphors, both singular and extended, are the perfect device for this task.

How to create an extended metaphor

The structure of an extended metaphor is a two-part system involving the tenor and the vehicle. The tenor is the core concept that begins the metaphor. The vehicle is the secondary concept that the core is figuratively compared to throughout the text.

• In the excerpt from Romeo and Juliet, Juliet’s beauty is the tenor and the vehicle is the sun.
• In Emily Dickinson’s poem, hope is the tenor and the vehicle is the bird.
• In Langston Hughes’ poem, resiliency is the tenor and the vehicle is the crystal stairs.

It’s easy to understand the structure. The ultimate task for writers is choosing a central theme that is both relatable and conceptual. If you are brainstorming how to include an extended metaphor in your work, think about what concepts are most difficult for you to describe.

For many authors, it’s tricky to put our emotions and feelings into words. But with a metaphor, you can take something abstract and strategically break it into different vehicles that reflect its significance. Write from your heart. Position yourself in the vast universe and think closely about how and where you see concepts like love, hope, and strength come to life. This is how you can write a powerful extended metaphor.

Simile vs. metaphor

Although they have similarities, similes and metaphors are different devices. Like a metaphor, a simile is figurative language that compares two things. However, it compares them by using the words “like” or “as.”

The great Muhammad Ali quote, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!” is a simile.

Unlike a simile, a metaphor makes a direct comparison by saying that one thing is another. If Muhammad Ali wanted to create a metaphor for his boastful statement, it would be something like, “I am the butterfly! I am the bee!”

It’s important to make this distinction, especially since it’s a common mistake for writers to confuse these two literary devices. In a metaphor, love is a battlefield!

Tips for effectively using extended metaphors

When writing, you can have too much of a good thing. Keep that in mind when you are using extended metaphors — or any other literary device. Avoid clichés and overusing any form of metaphor. Think of an extended metaphor like a delicious sprinkle of sea salt on your meal. Just the right amount of salt, and you get that umami taste. Too much, and it’s too salty to eat.

In the spirit of balance to achieve literary umami, try not to extend the metaphor too far. Whether you’re writing a novel, a play, or a poem, your analogy should focus on the core theme and add levels of depth to it.

Romeo and Juliet is a tragic story about love. Its most recognizable extended metaphor explores that concept. Your extended metaphor should always strengthen the crux of your story. Don’t stray from the most important points at issue. If your story is about love, fully flesh out the richness of that emotion. Never lose sight of your tenor and vehicle.

After you finalize your story, it’s best practice to have an editor read through to correct grammatical errors and inconsistencies. They’re also great to discuss your use of extended metaphor and improve it so it’s more clear to the readers.

Metaphors simplify a thought

Extended metaphors may address abstract ideas and concepts, but readers should not have a hard time understanding the connection. Metaphors are effective because they make the complex appear rather simple.

Any abstract concept can be thoughtfully articulated through an extended metaphor — that’s the beauty behind this. Don’t limit yourself as a writer. Get creative, know your audience, and produce something that makes readers think differently about life itself. Consider who will be reading this and how you want the metaphor to impact them.

Using extended metaphors in your writing may seem like a tall task, but you are certainly capable of doing it. Take a moment to walk outside and observe the world. Remember that love is the sun, hope is a bird, and life is a set of crystal stairs. Life is more than what meets the eye, and thanks to extended metaphors, we can fully express that.

Start your next chapter with BookBaby

Self-publishing a book is a walk in the park when you have our team of experts to support you every step of the way. From copy editing to book printing and beyond, we’ve got you covered. Call one of our publishing specialists to get started at 1-877-961-6878.