Defining by Comparison

Sometimes it is useful to employ techniques of extended definition to explain the meaning of a word. Comparison can be used, especially by comparing a less familiar word or concept to one more familiar. Two special types of comparison are the simile and the metaphor.

A simile is a figure of speech that suggests a similarity between two different things. Robert Burns famous line "My love is like a red, red rose" is an example of a simile. One danger of using similes is failure to clarify for readers exactly how the two things are being related.

A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes an association between two very different things that share a significant trait or quality. For instance, Christ, in attempting to explain to his disciples his relationship to them, said "I am the vine, ye are the branches" (KJV, John 15.5). One danger of using metaphors is falling into cliches or hackneyed comparisons.

An analogy is an extended metaphor. While a metaphor makes an association between two things that share a single significant trait or quality, an extended metaphor suggest more expansive similarities, involving several traits or qualities. Scientists often use analogies to help non-scientists understand things that cannot be seen, like the atom, to things that can be seen like the solar system. The primary danger in using analogies lies in extending the analogy to cover more points of comparison than is warranted.

ENGL1010 Composition I