Songs and poems often use metaphors. A metaphor makes a comparison between two things. These things may seem very different at first. But the metaphor shows that they have something in common.
For example, "he is such a pig" is a metaphor. People might say that when someone eats too much.
A metaphor is close to a simile. Similes use words such as "like" and "as." An example of a simile is the phrase "she eats like a bird." That could be used for someone who eats very little.
Take a look at the words from Michael Jackson's song, "Human Nature." It has the following line:
If this town is just an apple
Then let me take a bite.
Jackson used the apple as a metaphor. It stands for New York City. This is because New York city is also called the Big
…show more content…
This has been done for a long time. The Scottish poet Robert Burns did it about 300 years ago. He compared his lover to a rose and a song:
O my Luve's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June:
O my Luve's like the melodie,
That's sweetly play'd in tune.
Music can help us learn about metaphors. Many songs use them.
"Can't Stop The Feeling" - Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake during a world tour. Photo: Drew de F Fawkes/Wikimedia. [click to enlarge]
Justin Timberlake during a world tour. Photo: Drew de F Fawkes/Wikimedia. [click to enlarge]
In the song "Can't Stop the Feeling," Justin Timberlake sings:
I got that sunshine in my pocket
Got that good soul in my feet.
The sunshine in the pocket is how happy he feels when the girl he likes dances.
The word soul also has more than one meaning. Soul is a type of music. It also sounds like "sole." That's the bottom of a foot.
The poet E.E. Cummings used the sun to talk about his feelings of love: "Yours is the light by which my spirit's born: you are my sun, my moon, and all my
…show more content…
Superman has been in comic books for 80 years. Superman is very strong, but a rock called kryptonite makes him weak. Kryptonite does not really exist. But it is used as a metaphor to talk about a person's weakness.
"My Heart's A Stereo" - Maroon 5
Maroon 5 in downtown Los Angeles, California. Photo: Justin Higuchi/Flickr. [click to enlarge]
Maroon 5 in downtown Los Angeles, California. Photo: Justin Higuchi/Flickr. [click to enlarge]
"My Heart's a Stereo" has a metaphor in its title.
My heart's a stereo.
It beats for you so listen close.
Many stories talk about the sound of a beating heart. Edgar Allen Poe's story "The Tell-Tale Heart" is one of them. It describes a man who hears the heartbeat of someone he killed. It grows louder and louder. In the end, the man can't stand it anymore. He tells the police what he did.
"Naturally" - Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez's song, "Naturally," has these lyrics:
You are the thunder and I am the lightning
And I love the way you
Know who you are and to me it's