I don't get this.

So I have this homework. It's about metaphors and similes.

There's six metaphors/similes and for each you have to complete these three questions:

1) The subject ______ is being compared to _______.

2) Type of comparison (metaphor or simile):

3) Two reasons for this being a fitting comparison: _______ and ______.


It would have been really easy, but the actual metaphors/similes are hard. There's some that I get, but some I don't. Could you guys explain the ones below to me?

• My heart is like a singing bird. (what I can't think of is why it's a fitting comparison... I can't explain :P).

• Truth is a shadow.

• Oh for a poet—for a beacon bright (what.)

• Shame is pride's cloak.

• My heart is like a singing bird. (what I can't think of is why it's a fitting comparison... I can't explain ).
This is a similie because it's comparing one thing (my heart) to another (a singing bird).
• Truth is a shadow.
This is a metaphor because it's saying one thing (truth) is another thing (a shadow). If was was- truth is like a shadow, then it would have been a similie because it's using like (as would work too).
• Oh for a poet—for a beacon bright (what.)
Okay i'm not really sure about this one but I'm just gonna say it's a metaphor
• Shame is pride's cloak.
Like the second one, it's a similie because it's saying one thing (shame) is another thing (pride's cloak).

Not really sure about these either. I'll try my best. oAo
1) The subject ______ is being compared to _______.
Is this about the subject and predicate? I don't understand these questions.
2) Type of comparison (metaphor or simile):
I'm assuming you would write an example here? I'm not really sure.
3) Two reasons for this being a fitting comparison: _______ and ______.
Like and as??

Len wrote:

• My heart is like a singing bird. (what I can't think of is why it's a fitting comparison... I can't explain :P).
This is a similie because it's comparing one thing (my heart) to another (a singing bird).
• Truth is a shadow.
This is a metaphor because it's saying one thing (truth) is another thing (a shadow). If was was- truth is like a shadow, then it would have been a similie because it's using like (as would work too).
• Oh for a poet—for a beacon bright (what.)
Okay i'm not really sure about this one but I'm just gonna say it's a metaphor
• Shame is pride's cloak.
Like the second one, it's a similie because it's saying one thing (shame) is another thing (pride's cloak).

Not really sure about these either. I'll try my best. oAo
1) The subject ______ is being compared to _______.
Is this about the subject and predicate? I don't understand these questions.
2) Type of comparison (metaphor or simile):
I'm assuming you would write an example here? I'm not really sure.
3) Two reasons for this being a fitting comparison: _______ and ______.
Like and as??

No I understand the questions and everything else, just tell me what the sayings actually mean. Like why is shame pride's cloak?

Rufistar wrote:

Len wrote:

• My heart is like a singing bird. (what I can't think of is why it's a fitting comparison... I can't explain ).
This is a similie because it's comparing one thing (my heart) to another (a singing bird).
• Truth is a shadow.
This is a metaphor because it's saying one thing (truth) is another thing (a shadow). If was was- truth is like a shadow, then it would have been a similie because it's using like (as would work too).
• Oh for a poet—for a beacon bright (what.)
Okay i'm not really sure about this one but I'm just gonna say it's a metaphor
• Shame is pride's cloak.
Like the second one, it's a similie because it's saying one thing (shame) is another thing (pride's cloak).

Not really sure about these either. I'll try my best. oAo
1) The subject ______ is being compared to _______.
Is this about the subject and predicate? I don't understand these questions.
2) Type of comparison (metaphor or simile):
I'm assuming you would write an example here? I'm not really sure.
3) Two reasons for this being a fitting comparison: _______ and ______.
Like and as??

No I understand the questions and everything else, just tell me what the sayings actually mean. Like why is shame pride's cloak?

Ooh, okay! I gotcha!

Anyways, I'm assuming the writer said that because it's a distinct contrast? I can't think of a logical explanation of it, however; other than the fact that it sounds really nice and poetic and stuff, it's contrasting two opposites--pride and shame. As if saying if you're prideful enough, if you take off the "cloak," then you'd be ashamed??

•" My heart is like a singing bird."

Okay, so this one is comparing your heart to a singing bird. In a simile, when two things are compared, it's because they have something in common. Most similes will compare an inanimate object to something symbolic or alive in order to show what the inanimate object has in common with the other one. A singing bird is symbolic, because often times people refer to birds singing with a happy connotation, thus implying the fact that the writer's heart is joyful.

•" Truth is a shadow."

Alright, so here's a metaphor. Kind of like an idiom; the thing being described is described literally, when it isn't actually the object that it's being compared to. In this sentence, 'truth' is not a literal shadow, but it's being represented as a shadow. So the real question is, a shadow of what? Think about what an actual shadow is; a shadow is the dark outline of you that always follows you. In that case, this perhaps this means that truth is the dark outline of the lies that create an outer image. Get what I'm saying?

•" Oh for a poet—for a beacon bright"

This one is just like the first one. The object being compared here is a poet. The object that it's compared to is a bright beacon. Let's think about what a beacon does (a beacon, in case you didn't know, is like the light at the top of a lighthouse). A beacon shines to the world and lights the way for others. Basically, the sentence here is saying that a poet lights up the way for others.

•" Shame is pride's cloak."

Same idea for this one: think about the two objects and designate which is which. Shame is the inanimate object being compared, as a cloak is the object it's being compared to. But this sentence is a special sentence, since it says that shame isn't just any cloak, but it's pride's cloak. A cloak covers you, so this is saying that shame covers pride. Therefore, the actual meaning of the sentence could go two ways: it could mean that deep down beneath a cloak of shame is a layer of pride, or that pride is only covered by shame. I'm not sure, to be honest.

Hope this helps!

hop wrote:

•" My heart is like a singing bird."

Okay, so this one is comparing your heart to a singing bird. In a simile, when two things are compared, it's because they have something in common. Most similes will compare an inanimate object to something symbolic or alive in order to show what the inanimate object has in common with the other one. A singing bird is symbolic, because often times people refer to birds singing with a happy connotation, thus implying the fact that the writer's heart is joyful.

•" Truth is a shadow."

Alright, so here's a metaphor. Kind of like an idiom; the thing being described is described literally, when it isn't actually the object that it's being compared to. In this sentence, 'truth' is not a literal shadow, but it's being represented as a shadow. So the real question is, a shadow of what? Think about what an actual shadow is; a shadow is the dark outline of you that always follows you. In that case, this perhaps this means that truth is the dark outline of the lies that create an outer image. Get what I'm saying?

•" Oh for a poet—for a beacon bright"

This one is just like the first one. The object being compared here is a poet. The object that it's compared to is a bright beacon. Let's think about what a beacon does (a beacon, in case you didn't know, is like the light at the top of a lighthouse). A beacon shines to the world and lights the way for others. Basically, the sentence here is saying that a poet lights up the way for others.

•" Shame is pride's cloak."

Same idea for this one: think about the two objects and designate which is which. Shame is the inanimate object being compared, as a cloak is the object it's being compared to. But this sentence is a special sentence, since it says that shame isn't just any cloak, but it's pride's cloak. A cloak covers you, so this is saying that shame covers pride. Therefore, the actual meaning of the sentence could go two ways: it could mean that deep down beneath a cloak of shame is a layer of pride, or that pride is only covered by shame. I'm not sure, to be honest.

Hope this helps!

wow thanks so much! That was exactly what I needed!

Rufistar wrote:

hop wrote:

•" My heart is like a singing bird."

Okay, so this one is comparing your heart to a singing bird. In a simile, when two things are compared, it's because they have something in common. Most similes will compare an inanimate object to something symbolic or alive in order to show what the inanimate object has in common with the other one. A singing bird is symbolic, because often times people refer to birds singing with a happy connotation, thus implying the fact that the writer's heart is joyful.

•" Truth is a shadow."

Alright, so here's a metaphor. Kind of like an idiom; the thing being described is described literally, when it isn't actually the object that it's being compared to. In this sentence, 'truth' is not a literal shadow, but it's being represented as a shadow. So the real question is, a shadow of what? Think about what an actual shadow is; a shadow is the dark outline of you that always follows you. In that case, this perhaps this means that truth is the dark outline of the lies that create an outer image. Get what I'm saying?

•" Oh for a poet—for a beacon bright"

This one is just like the first one. The object being compared here is a poet. The object that it's compared to is a bright beacon. Let's think about what a beacon does (a beacon, in case you didn't know, is like the light at the top of a lighthouse). A beacon shines to the world and lights the way for others. Basically, the sentence here is saying that a poet lights up the way for others.

•" Shame is pride's cloak."

Same idea for this one: think about the two objects and designate which is which. Shame is the inanimate object being compared, as a cloak is the object it's being compared to. But this sentence is a special sentence, since it says that shame isn't just any cloak, but it's pride's cloak. A cloak covers you, so this is saying that shame covers pride. Therefore, the actual meaning of the sentence could go two ways: it could mean that deep down beneath a cloak of shame is a layer of pride, or that pride is only covered by shame. I'm not sure, to be honest.

Hope this helps!

wow thanks so much! That was exactly what I needed!

hehe no problem! anytime!