Are you a
visual person? Do concrete examples help you to picture what’s happening in a
story? The Bible is full of it. Brilliant imagery, that is. Metaphors, similes,
strong verbs, parables, word pictures—they’re all there and help us to
understand God's word at a deeper level. Let’s consider two of them in this post—metaphors
and similes.
Metaphors and similes help us visualise a scene by comparing one thing to another. The difference is that similes typically include the words ‘as’ or ‘like’ (she’s as quiet as a mouse), while metaphors state that one thing is another (she is a mouse).
There are hundreds of similes and metaphors in the Bible, but here are a few examples.
Biblical Examples
Similes
- As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. (Psalm 42:1)
- [Jesus speaking] Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. (Matthew 23:37)
- Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:7)
- [Paul speaking] I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. (2 Timothy 4:7)
- The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. (Proverbs 4:18)
Metaphors
- Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life’. (John 6:35)
- You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. (Matthew 5:13)
- Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ (Acts 4:11)
- Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. (Isaiah 64:8)
- [The false prophets] are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever. (Jude 13)
Tips for Crafting Similes and Metaphors
If we stop and think about those word pictures, it can give
us a greater understanding of the scriptures. In the same way, well-crafted
metaphors and similes can help paint a scene for our readers, whether we’re
writing fiction or nonfiction. Here are some tips for writing metaphors and
similes that sing (and zing!)
Avoid clichés
Try thinking of something fresh. Instead of saying an object is ‘as white as
snow’, think of other things that are white and use something less common (e.g.
milk, pearls, clouds, whipped cream, photocopy paper, bridal gown).
Change perspective
Don’t just look at obvious similarities
between two things. Try looking at it
from different angles. I attended a
workshop in which poet Cameron Semmens asked us what the moon is like. Most people thought of round objects like a
ball or a pizza. He then asked us to
think of different phases of the moon (e.g. crescent moon, half-moon) or to consider
what the moon looks like at different times of the day or with different types
of sky as a background. The variety of
examples people came up with was amazing.
Match the mood
Ensure that any similes or metaphors correspond to the mood of the piece you’re writing (e.g. amusing metaphors for a funny article, dramatic similes for a serious scene). Your protagonist’s eyes might be ‘so bloodshot they look like a Google map of Mars’, but that humorous description may ruin your heartfelt scene. Save it for later and write something else.
Less is more
Metaphors and similes have a greater effect
if used sparingly. You want your reader
to linger over your beautiful words or funny analogies rather than being jarred
out of the story. This is especially
true for action-packed scenes. A
well-placed metaphor or simile can heighten the action, but too many slow it
down.
Ensure they make sense
‘Her voice was like a stick of liquorice in a jar of boiled lollies.’ Huh? You’ll be happy to know I just made that one up, but it’s not unlike some metaphors and similes I’ve seen in published work. What sound is conveyed by a stick of liquorice in a jar of boiled lollies? Is it the clanking sound as you stir the lollies with the liquorice? Does it mean her voice seemed out of place with the others in the room? The author obviously had something in mind, but the reader is left clueless.
Avoid mixed metaphors
These occur when you combine two metaphors, similes or clichés that don’t really go together and thus create a confusing image. For example, ‘This toothache is a pain in the butt’. Um … I’m not sure where your teeth are, but … you see what I mean.
Avoid anachronisms
You know how Mel Gibson wears kilts in the movie Braveheart? Well, they weren’t invented for another four centuries. That’s an example of an anachronism—something that is out of place in a particular time period. So if your novel is set in the 1880s, you can’t say your hero’s snoring was so bad it sounded like a jet taking off. However, you can say his snoring was like a locomotive or a foghorn.
Match the setting or theme
Are you writing a rural romance? Try including some metaphors or similes with a rural flavour (‘Her hair was the colour of rust on a corrugated roof’). You wouldn’t want to overdo these, but a well-placed one can really add some punch to your narrative. Anthony Doerr’s short story So Many Chances tells the story of a family from America’s mid-west who move to coastal Maine to start a new life. The daughter is entranced by all of the new things she discovers while exploring the beach. By the time we hear ‘her mother’s face retreats inside itself like a poked sea anemone,’ the contrast is palpable.
Use extended metaphors
If you have an important scene, you can also use extended metaphors for added impact. For example, think of the girl with hair like the rusty corrugated roof. You could keep the rural imagery going by describing other aspects of her appearance or personality in rural terms (e.g. eyes the colour of cornflowers; disposition like an electric cattle prod). Jesus’ illustration of the vine and the branches (John 15:1-8) is a great example of an extended metaphor.
Final Thoughts
It takes time and thought to come up with just the right image, but it’s worth it if it helps the reader to gain a better understanding or deeper appreciation of your words.
Have you used metaphors and similes in your writing? I’d
love to hear some of your sizzling examples.
Sources
All Bible references are from the New International Version that appears on Bible Hub. Featured photo from Hans on Pixabay. Author photo by Wayne Logan from Encouraging Photos.
Author Bio
She would love to connect with you through her website: www.nolalorraine.com.au
