A metaphor is a figure of speech in which two unrelated things are compared. Usually a metaphor states that one thing is (or is like) another thing, for instance when a relationship is described as a rainbow, a spider web, or a bucket of mud. Metaphors are everywhere: commonly, “up” is positive, “down” is negative, “the future is rosy,” and you have a “sunny disposition.”  Every description of sensation—from elusive odors to concepts of beauty—employs metaphors. They can also provide a simple entry-point to a complex idea (imagine what feelings a fuzzy or spikey interface conjures).

//Guiding Questions

• Why use metaphors?
  • Employ them because they do a lot of conceptual work! Metaphors make ideas vivid. They can exaggerate a feature of the subject. They can help express a complex idea (i.e. DNA is a double helix ladder; the movement of the solar system is a cosmic dance floor and the planets are dancers)
• Are metaphors mental models?
  • Yes! And they carry a lot of invisible weight. For instance, in the north, when the stock market is “headed south” it means it is in decline. Is the future a road, a smiley face, an ocean, or a pair of dice? 
• What do metaphors tell us about the connections we make in this world? Why choose one over another?
  • What are some differences when we compare the earth to a peach or a big blue marble? Both play with scale, but elicit very different ideas. The peach metaphor helps us materially understand the earth’s crust, mantle and core. The “big blue marble,” the quote attached to a photo of Earth taken on the Apollo 17 space mission in 1972, referred to a new perspective and a sense of awe for our mostly-oceanic planet.
• How might a metaphor help us understand something in a deeper way?
  • Metaphors are persuasive. They bring extra layers of meaning to their subject, and can elevate, denigrate, expand, or shrink the meaning of a concept. 
• How do I choose which metaphor works best for my project?
  • What do you intend to say? How can metaphor enhance your motives or reveal secondary information? Do you want to create surprise, or tap into the familiar? Metaphors are often culturally specific, and understanding their common uses gives you a chance to leverage them, play with them, or upend them completely.

//Resources