1. Explaining metaphorical language
AO1

2. Learning objectives
To recognise the need to explain terms beyond their general definition.
Practice explaining metaphorical terminology specific to context.

3. metaphor
Consider this comparison between a person and a frog:
He is a frog.
Is it positive or negative?
Out of context, we don’t know if it is positive or negative. The meaning depends on context.

4. Recognise the similarity in the comparison
Explain the metaphor in this transcript.
“OK, so (.) he asked me to go out (.) on a date with him (1) Of course (.) I said no (.) He’s a frog (laughs)”

5. Change the context
How does the meaning of the same metaphor change in this text?
“The gold medal in the men's long jump at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro went to Jeff Henderson of the USA on Saturday night.
At 8.38 meters, his winning jump was one-hundredth of a meter longer than that of the silver medallist. He is a frog!”

6. Explain what the similarity is
Saying that this personification means the wind is like a person does not show that you understand why the writer used it.
If you explain that the wind was very strong and maybe even dangerous, like an angry person, it shows that you have understood.

7. Practice
Discuss with a partner and then write your answers as you would to answer an exam question.
The writer has used personification. For example, he describes the sun as “peeking out from behind the Eiffel Tower” in order to show that….
Look at the first paragraph on page 80 of the Anthology Paris and based on the context, explain the personification, “…we made it to Trocadero to see a blinding sun peeking out from behind the Eiffel Tower”.
Look at page 109 and explain the metaphor on line 157.
Look at page 118 and explain the simile on line