Poetry Class Assignment Four: He Was

An extended metaphor, also called a conceit, is a metaphor that continues into the sentences that follow. An extended metaphor is also a metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work. Extended metaphors are especially effective in poems and fiction. Western usage of extended metaphors is thought to have originally been a product of the Renaissance.

• If one starts with the metaphor of "The seeds of discontent have already been sown", an extension could be "It remains to see whether weed or flower will spring forth."

• "The winds were ocean waves, thrashing against the trees' limbs. The gales remained thereafter, only ceasing when the sun went down. Their waves clashed brilliantly with the water beneath, bringing foam and dying leaves to the shore."

  In this case, the extensions would then be the second two sentences, "The gales remained thereafter, only ceasing… and dying leaves to the shore."

• Also, many fables and fairy tales are often extended metaphors.
• Such as short stories like "Where Have You Gone, Charming Billy" by Tim O'Brien

Extended metaphors break into two types: implicit and explicit. Implicit means that the poem doesn't state what one of the objects you are comparing is. Explicit means that the poem clearly state the two comparison items; e.g. "He is a pig."

like water:

     Necessary for life

     Yet excess can cause death

     Refreshing when hot

     But painful when cold

     Delectable, with the right ingredients

     Yet too much is just disgusting

     Beautiful, tempting horizon

     But too often, simply a mirage

he was like water, it seemed