Consider the difference, for instance, between describing “knife-blade slits for eyes” and “squinty eyes like Popeye’s first cousin.”, For example: “he barreled through the crowd of people like a wave through a sand castle built at low tide.”, Or: “she worked her way through the crowd unnoticed, like water filtering through the cracks in a sidewalk.”. However, there are some metaphors that are used that aren’t as well known, or you might have heard a metaphor used in a way that didn’t seem to make sense to you. Metaphors in Literature. You can stick to just describing the color of their skin, using terms like “olive,” “pale,” “dark brown,” and so on. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. However, there are times when it is used to describe someone who is mentally or emotionally developing slowly as well. There are lots of different ways to describe people’s personalities. This article has been viewed 1,040,589 times. You might have even said you had cabin fever after staying inside all winter doing nothing much but staying warm. Some of these characteristics bridge the gap between physical appearance and personality traits, but they can help provide a fuller picture of the person you’re describing physically. There are currently 301 worksheets available on this topic; they are free and easy to print out to use in your classroom.This feelings & emotions worksheet uses an amusing character to illustrate thirty different emotions. This phrase explains that fear only grows if you give into it. Jumping for joy. Leave the rest up to the reader's imagination! If you can remember anything very specific about their clothing, shoes, or movements, include those descriptions, too! Usually, the arguing or shouting that the messenger receives is meant for the original sender, but the messenger ends up receiving it instead. There are 21 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. How to Describe a Person's Physical Appearance. The idea behind the 800 pound gorilla metaphor is that a person or organization has enough power and strength behind it to crush any competition in its path. The same can be said if you use the phrase “survival of the fittest” while at a funeral or in a situation in which someone was injured. Metaphors allow writers to create imagery for readers that is limited by description alone. People usually use this phrase to describe a person who is physically developing slowly. Describing someone’s physical appearance sounds easy, until you actually try to do it. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Metaphors are a great tool to use both for speaking or for creating stories, but you should always consider the situation before saying a metaphor. Metaphors are one of the most widely used literary devices by the authors to describe their subjects. Now, they just emphasized the blue-green veins that traced a sad story up her once-shapely calves. While a slippery slope in writing usually involves a sequence of events taking place in chronological order causing the undesirable event to result, the fallacy describes that if event A were allowed to happen then event Z would eventually happen, therefore event A should not be permitted. This stronger creature would then live on to create more stronger creatures like it. Today I discuss metaphors derived from our experiences in seeing colors of red, blue, green and yellow. Eyebrows: color plus qualities like bushy, thin, connected, and so on, Glasses: note the color, shape, material, thickness, and any tinting. Everyone has put things off at one time or another, and most people believe they’re saving time by putting those things off. It is commonly used to describe a very heavy rain. I, Ahab, am a speeding locomotive. However, there are times when the truths being ignored should still be addressed because leaving them unspoken is what is bringing tension, embarrassment, or anxiety. Be consistent with the order in which you notice features, and you will remember them more easily. To create this article, 50 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Therefore, a person would be incorrect in saying, “All similes are metaphors, but not all metaphors are similes.” This is simply not true because a metaphor is not a broader term that contains the simile form. Your support helps wikiHow to create more in-depth illustrated articles and videos and to share our trusted brand of instructional content with millions of people all over the world. If it doesn’t really matter if your character is tall or short, or has brown or black hair, leave it up to the reader to decide. Learn how to use metaphors like these in writing by taking a class on quality paragraph writing. 4th–5th century CE) was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered ancient India's greatest playwright and dramatist. When describing people, ensure they are believable. Then, write five sentences to describe a famous person using similes and metaphors. It is usually more accepted to use as someone physically developing slowly, however. If you’re estimating a specific weight, try to do it within 20 pound or 10 kilogram increments if possible. Use these examples as a starting point. Examples of Metaphors in Literature Example #1 ‘An Apple Gathering’ by Christina Rossetti. Metonymy works by the contiguity (association) between two concepts, whereas the term "metaphor" is based upon their analogous similarity. Take a blog writing workshop, and use metaphors in your posts. This can refer to people – looking at their outer beauty (or lack of) before knowing their personality – or things. People tend to overlook situations, and some people may question it, others not. It’s also a good phrase to use to show a person’s character when writing a novel. If you’re interested in learning more about using metaphors, try an online course in metaphors, Learn how to use metaphors like these in writing by taking a class on quality paragraph writing, Take a blog writing workshop, and use metaphors in your posts, Get more help writing your novel with the novel writing workshop, Watercolor Painting Techniques Every Artist Should Know, 40+ Project Manager Interview Questions: Getting Prepared and Getting the Job, Help! Try to notice the person's most outstanding quality. 2. If you're filing a police report, you may want to mention if they have “rosy cheeks,” “bags under their eyes,” or a “double chin.” Otherwise, be polite and skip these details! In British English (more so than American English), calling someone “smart” indicates that they are well-dressed and well-groomed. Most people who are “jumping for joy” aren’t actually jumping even as they say this statement. Survival of the fittest is the phrase that was used to describe natural selection in simpler terms. However, as this metaphor explains, if you do things on time then you won’t have so much work to do later on. How do I describe my own physical appearance? 56 Surprisingly Perfect Metaphors For Your Laziness. If you’re interested in learning more about using metaphors, try an online course in metaphors. Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. You might have described someone as having a heart of stone or ice, or you might have claimed to have a broken heart after a bad breakup or losing a loved one. In my last post I discussed metaphors derived from the colors of black and white. If the recent movie Jobs is any indication, he used that power and strength to remove people who had wronged him in the past. This phrase is used to address truths that are being ignored or left unspoken. Everyone has used metaphors in some form or other, whether they realized it or not. Plants and trees are commonly used in English metaphors. Stating that a person “stood like a mighty oak” conveys quite a bit about their physical appearance and the way they carried themselves in only a few words. The wind screamed in his face while he was riding the bike. It can be more difficult, as you're so familiar with your appearance. Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. The less vital a physical attribute is to a character, the less vital it is for you to mention it. Metaphors are used to express a variety of emotions, images, and expressions by combining and comparing to different objects or situation. 800 pound gorilla. A metaphor expresses a similarity in a characteristic between two items. This is especially important with younger people—a 10 year old looks very different from a 20 year old, after all! If you’re interested in learning more about using metaphors, try an online course in metaphors. Meaning: The wind is compared with a scream to emphasize on how furiously it blew. Then, get more specific by describing features like the eyes, nose, and mouth, and don't forget to include distinctive characteristics like visible tattoos. These metaphors can help teach students about literary concepts in a more relatable, approachable way. Some people will actually jump when they’re filled with joy. Start studying Metaphors and Similes: To Describe People. Collectively, metaphors not only help people describe and make sense of their lives, but can serve as a source of encouragement, motivation, or gratitude.There are a number of common metaphors that can be used to inspire you (or help you get out of a rut) in your daily life. What are some examples of how I can describe the physical appearance of my class teacher? Top tip! You must have heard people around you using metaphors to describe things in their vicinity. Describe the person in a way that matches the tone of the writing. To describe a person's physical appearance, start with general information like hair color and length, approximate height and weight, gender, and age range. You don't like to pre-judge other people just as much as you don't want them to pre-judge you. Create an online video course, reach students across the globe, and earn money. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. Nearly everyone has experienced this situation at least once in their life. % of people told us that this article helped them. Darwin’s idea of natural selection involved the stronger creature surviving compared to the weaker creature. However, it has also been used to describe when someone is going through many difficult trials in life all at the same time. They are so common that we end up using them all the time, in any circumstance. For example, in a nutshell this particular blog post is about metaphors. This page contains 100 metaphor examples. Everyone has argued something to the point of exhaustion before. To use a metaphor to describe a person, you must first choose what descriptive characteristic of the person you wish to emphasize - to use in the metaphor. In fact, most people use this statement by saying, “I could jump for joy!” This phrase basically means that you’re very happy and that everything is going your way. For example, 'Her sunny face was a pleasing sight'. This is a well-known metaphor used by many people. This is more of a philosophical metaphor. Appearance: messy, thinning, frizzy, glossy, clean, slicked, and so on. When you find yourself with no solution or answers to your situation, you are feeling as if you are left high and dry. You usually don’t use this phrase in serious conversation as you’re likely to get dirty looks or even a slap in the face. Remember that you should only use metaphors in a situation that they would be accepted. For instance, identifying someone as looking 30-35 instead of 30-40 gives a clearer picture to others. Call a person you find unattractive “ordinary” or “plain,” not “ugly.”, Use “scruffy” or “unkempt” instead of “messy.”, Use “attractive” to denote good-looking, instead of “beautiful,” “gorgeous,” or possibly even “handsome.”, “Flabby” isn’t ideal, but it may be the best way to describe someone who is the opposite of “fit,” “toned,” or “well-built.”, Color: brown, black, blonde, sandy, red, gray. Would it be weird to be caught staring at someone? The idea behind this phrase is to avoid judging something to be of value just by looking at the covering of it. 10. List of 50 Common Metaphors. Music is a great way to teach students about both metaphors and similes. If, however, the scene is tense and dramatic, skip the silly metaphors in your descriptions. In literature, metaphors help explain a situation, illustrate a character, set a scene, or even establish a certain mood. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. A Well Compiled List of Some Commonly Used Metaphors. Welcome to the feelings and emotions section of the site. From pop to hip-hop to country, metaphors are used in all genres of popular music. I'd say just be a bit weird in the streets if you plan to do this, and it will go down well. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. However, it can also be used in personal arguments. This article has been viewed 1,040,589 times. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,040,589 times. Usually, this phrase is used to describe someone that is guilty by association because they have some kind of evidence of someone else’s crime, or even their own crime, out in view of the public eye. Take a step back and acknowledge the first thing you noticed about them: this may be brightly colored hair, a particular height, or something they wore that you found odd. If you’re able to give a more specific estimate of their actual height, try to do so in 2 inch or 5 centimeter increments—for instance, “she’s between 5’4” and 5’6”,” or, “he was 180-185 cm tall.”. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Each of these sentences describes the essence of what the subject – the blog post or The Lord of the Rings – is about. I have separated the metaphors on this page into two lists. Many of these fears pass on as they grow older, but some don’t. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. I am an INTP, and I apologize, I can only describe my personality (and others) using some systematized framework like MBTI. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. 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