Metaphor and Theme

Metaphor and Theme

Uses similes, metaphors, hyperbole, personification, etc. to describe something; often through comparison with something different.
-The dog is as soft as a cloud.
-The storm was an apocalypse.
-The kettle screamed.

Figurative

Means exactly what is says.
-The dog is soft.
-It's stormy today.
-The hot water in the kettle was ready.



Source: NCTE

​Literal

Literal vs. Figurative

Allusion
Allegory
Imagery
Alliteration

Metaphor
Simile
Personification
Onomatopoeia

Types of Figurative Language

What is actually being compared?
-Comparing him to a bird that is only awake at night.
-Comparing the world to a place where theater/concerts are performed.
-Comparing the classroom to a place where wild animals are kept.

Literal Metaphor

-He is a night owl.
-The world is a stage.
-The classroom is a zoo.

Metaphor

Examples of Metaphors

Match

Match the metaphor to the literal metaphor.

• She is a couch potato.

• Life is a rollercoaster.

• He is an angel.

• Work was a prison.

• His heart was a stone.

Furniture where you rest/ a root veggie

A thrill ride that has ups and downs

A perfect, heavenly being

A place to lock up people for crimes

A hard, solid non-metallic mineral

• Furniture where you rest/ a root veggie

• A thrill ride that has ups and downs

• A perfect, heavenly being

• A place to lock up people for crimes

• A hard, solid non-metallic mineral

​Themes

A central, unifying idea in a piece of writing
-Presents ideas, deeper questions and conflicts about identity, philosophy, or morality
-NOT a judgement on how to live your life (that's a moral or message)
-Author's job to show the world's difficult questions, not answer them
Examples:
-Coming of age -Friendship -Love
-War -Survival -Revenge
-Family -Good vs. Evil
-Redemption -Justice

Source: Oregon State University

Match

Match the story to the theme.

• The Masque of the Red Death

• The Devil and Tom Walker

• The Crucible

• Dr. Heidegger's Experiment

• Young Goodman Brown

Greed

Temptation

Honesty

Repeating the past

Appearances

• Greed

• Temptation

• Honesty

• Repeating the past

• Appearances

Match

Match the metaphor to the theme.

• She is a couch potato.

• Life is a rollercoaster.

• He is an angel.

• Work was a prison.

• His heart was a stone.

Laziness

Change

Purity

Freedom

Detachment

• Laziness

• Change

• Purity

• Freedom

• Detachment

Categorize

Options (12)

Furniture where you rest/ a root veggie

Laziness

She wastes a lot of time in idleness.

A perfect, heavenly being

Purity

He is a wonderful person.

A place to lock up people for crimes

Freedom

Being at work made them feel trapped, like they lost their freedom.

A thrill ride that has ups and downs

Change

Life is unpredictable, with ups and downs, good moments and bad moments.

Organize these options into the right categories. The categories are the provided metaphors. Put the "literal metaphor," theme, and deeper meaning in the categories with the correct metaphor.

She is a couch potato.

He is an angel.

Work was a prison.

Life is a roller coaster.