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Definition of Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other. The comparison in a metaphor can be stated explicitly, as... read full definition
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other. The comparison in a metaphor... read full definition
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other... read full definition
Book 2, 1923, An Actress, an Apparition, an Apiary
Explanation and Analysis—First Impressions:
Early in the novel, the narrator pauses to consider the inadequacy of first impressions, a theme that resonates throughout the Count’s story. The observation is framed through metaphor, comparing a brief encounter with a person to fragments of art—a single chord from Beethoven or a lone brushstroke from Botticelli:
After all, what can a first impression tell us about someone we’ve just met for a minute in the lobby of a hotel? For that matter, what can a first impression tell us about anyone? Why, no more than a chord can tell us about Beethoven, or a brushstroke about Botticelli.
Related Themes:
