What are Metaphors?
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Objective
I can analyze the effect of metaphors in literary texts.
Part 1 of 4
Warm-up video
TED-Ed · 5:39Vetted channel
We don't generate video — this one is by TED-Ed on YouTube. The practice questions and exit ticket below were drafted by AI for this objective, and every question is editable in the teacher guide.
Part 2 of 4
Key concepts
3 concepts
- 1
Metaphors describe something by comparing it to something else, using imagination and the senses to create a vivid image.
- 2
Unlike similes, which use 'like' or 'as' to make a comparison, metaphors let you feel things directly, as in Shakespeare's 'All the world's a stage'.
- 3
Metaphors aren't puzzles with hidden meanings, but rather a way to feel and know something differently, giving words a way to go beyond their own meaning.
Part 3 of 4
Practice
10 questions
According to the video, what is the primary function of a metaphor?
Explain how metaphors engage our senses and imagination, according to the video.
Part 4 of 4
Exit ticket
Quick comprehension check
“In Langston Hughes' poem "Mother to Son," life is compared to a wrecked house with splinters and tacks. Analyze the effect of this metaphor on the reader. What does this comparison convey about the mother's life experiences beyond the literal image of a damaged house?”
Sample answer included in the free materials
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