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Irony
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
Metaphors
Explanation and Analysis—The Rotten Tree:
In the swamp, Old Scratch shows Tom a number of trees bearing the names of prominent and prosperous members of the Massachusetts colony. The inward rot concealed within the trunks of those trees serves as a metaphor for the spiritual corruption of the individuals named.
Tom looked in the direction that the stranger pointed, and beheld one of the great trees, fair and flourishing without, but rotten at the core, and saw that it had been nearly hewn through, so that the first high wind was likely to blow it down. On the bark of the tree was scored the name of Deacon Peabody, an eminent man who had waxed wealthy by driving shrewd bargains with the Indians.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Shortcuts :
A “short-cut” that Tom takes through the swamp on his way home one day serves as a metaphor for Tom’s desire to get ahead in life quickly, without doing the necessary work.
Unlock with LitCharts A+One day that Tom Walker had been to a distant part of the neighborhood, he took what he considered a short-cut homeward, through the swamp. Like most short-cuts, it was an ill-chosen route.
Related Themes:
