How do you create metaphors?

[Lee Knight]

Some ideas after reading some Pat Pattison.

 

 

Metaphor - A figure of speech in which an implicit comparison is made between two unlike things that actually have something in common.

 

 

So, how do you go about creating them? Do you think about it? Do you stumble upon them?

 

Like a rolling stone

 

(OK college grads, ^ that's a simile. We know. Let's just lump them together and get over it)

 

You ain't nothin' but a hound dog.

 

I really love your peaches wanna shake your tree

 

We were just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl

 

You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain

 

 

That last one ... ^ it's interesting. It is metaphor. But, nerves and brain aren't. So... why? Cause you don't shake nerves. You don't rattle brains. We think we do cause we've heard those expressions. But we don't. But what is even more interesting about it is they aren't two nouns being compared. They are verbs acting on nouns. Clever.

So... doesn't that then end up being fertile ground for some metaphor creation? We don't have to be noun to noun. We can use the verb from an unsaid other noun.

 

 

Metaphor - A figure of speech in which an implicit comparison is made between two unlike things that actually have something in common.

 

 

Verbs acting on nouns creating metaphor:

 

Wind up my heart

(You wind up clocks, the clock is the other noun not mentioned, just its verb, metaphor)

 

Fall buried our summer in a blanket of leaves

(You can't bury seasons)

 

Bullets rained down

(Bullets do not rain, they don't pummel either)

 

I stubbed my pride...

(Pride is a body part? No, it's not, but... thinking about that pain of stubbing your toe. Stupid clutz! What a dork I am. They are "two unlike things that actually have something in common")

 

We know that toes and pride are disssimilar but... what does your toe and your pride have in common? Well, we own both. Every human's got one. You forget you even have a toe. It sticks out there in the world and soemtimes we slam it into a table leg and holy mother of GOD!!!! Same thing with our pride. We forget we have it. It's sticking out there into the world. And sometimes we... you hurt my feewings. you get the idea.

 

 

Let's try something else. A is a B. Hate is blindness

 

1) A is a B

Hate is blindness

 

2) The B of A

The blindness of hate

 

3) A's B

Hate's blindness

 

 

Creating metaphors for metaphor sake is silly, except to practice. So why use them? You're stuck on a lyric. You want to say you angry. An argument with your girl.

 

Angry. What's angry like? Boiling water. Ummm, heard that one. Bees. No thanks. But... I woke with the TV on and the channel had gone to static. Sounded pissed off. Hmmm. Static, noise... white noise.

 

 

Anger's white noise drowned out every thing you said

 

 

How do you create metaphors? Ideas?

[LeonardScaper]

I think that metaphors are crucial to a good song. Which means that they oft times get forced.

 

I love a song that teases me with a metaphor....making me wonder if it was really placed there or if it was just a happy lyrical accident.

 

These days I wait for them to come along. That often means letting a set of lyrics steep for a while until on the umpteenth re-read a subtle shift in verbiage results in something that makes me smile.

[Marshal]

I read a good description of creativity once. It said something like; creativity is a process where the mind draws parallels between totally unrelated things. I use that quote with my wife to explain why creative people are many times so spacey. The creative mind is always making comparisons between unrelated things. It comes naturally, but it also means it can't be turned off.

 

I think seeing metaphors, is a natural thing. Definitley for me. I'm always comparing this pattern to that pattern. Even in just regular conversation about mundane regular stuff. It brings me great mental joy to think this is like that. Do it all the time.

[rsadasiv]

Complicated topic, and I need to get some work done this morning

 

In addition to simile and metaphor, you can also achieve this type of effect using rhythm and parallel construction. When two nouns appear in the same rhythmic location, you create an implicit comparison in the mind of the listener.

 

There are also some semantic/domain based effects (using adjectives or descriptive nouns that are normally associated with a different topic domain in the context of your primary topic causes an implicit comparison between the two domains/topics).

[dramey]

I can't say I've ever thought about it. I don't remember ever specifically trying to come up with a metaphor. In fact looking at a few songs I've written, I don't use a lot of metaphor.

 

I guess it's something I need to work on. It would be a new way to approach that one line in a song that's been alluding me.

[Lee Knight]

I think that metaphors are crucial to a good song. Which means that they oft times get forced. I love a song that teases me with a metaphor....making me wonder if it was really placed there or if it was just a happy lyrical accident. These days I wait for them to come along. That often means letting a set of lyrics steep for a while until on the umpteenth re-read a subtle shift in verbiage results in something that makes me smile.

 

"letting a set of lyrics steep"

 

^metaphor^

 

I do that too. when I'm writing lyrics, I'm running them in my head over and over. Those rough edges get smoothed (metaphor) and metaphors begin to appear organically. But... just like rhyme can either tie you to a post (metaphor), it can also be a geyser of opportunity (um, metaphor). You get stuck, you run the list of rhymes and... that's what I wanted to say anyway, and it rhymes! They suggest perfect ideas at times.

 

And so can metaphor.

 

I'm going to experiment with trying to consciously develop metaphors and see what it brings.

 

From Pattison...

 

Arbitrary adjectives:

 

Smokey

 

Refried

 

Decaffeinated

 

Hollow

 

Understated

 

Arbitrary Nouns:

 

conversation

 

railroad

 

rainbow

 

rain forest

 

eyebrows

 

Combined:

 

Smokey conversation

Refried railroad

Decaffeinated rainbow

Hollow rain forest

Understated eyebrows

 

That just arbitrary. What if we understand the two pools each side of the metaphor is drinking from

 

 

Let me try...

 

Stingray bike (our noun)

 

 

Now something dissimilar and similar at the same time

Apollo Space Program:

 

Eisenhower

Kennedy

Direct Ascent

Lunar Orbit

Lunar Module

Manned Mission

Rocket fuel

 

On his rocket fueled, metalflake Stingray bike

A manned mission on a wheelie in direct ascent

 

 

Oh well, interesting anyway.

[Lee Knight]

Eisenhower

Kennedy

Direct Ascent

Lunar Orbit

Lunar Module

Manned Mission

Rocket fuel

 

On my rocket fueled, metalflake Stingray bike

A manned mission on a wheelie in direct ascent

Dad's rockin' an Eisenhower '55 BelAir, allright

10 years with out a scratch or a dent

[rsadasiv]

 

Eisenhower Kennedy Direct Ascent Lunar Orbit Lunar Module Manned Mission Rocket fuel On my rocket fueled, metalflake Stingray bike A manned mission on a wheelie in direct ascent Dad's rockin' an Eisenhower '55 BelAir, allright 10 years with out a scratch or a dent

 

 

TBH, this reminded me of the intro to "The Wonder Years", or maybe "The Right Stuff". What's the turn? Where does it go from here?

[Lee Knight]

From the matching of arbitrary adjectives and nouns above, I came up with 'smokey conversation' and 'decaffeinated rainbow. Both are kinda interesting but I like the mix:

 

decaffeinated conversation

 

That brings to mind a boring first date in a coffee bar. Kinda cool. So right there, what if I listed words having to do with coffee bars/coffee vs. first date conversation. Already the opportunity for some interesting word play about something we all know more that a little about is waiting. Hey, I like this.

[Lee Knight]

 

TBH, this reminded me of the intro to "The Wonder Years", or maybe "The Right Stuff". What's the turn? Where does it go from here?

 

 

Kid looks up to Dad like a god, but Dad's going to disappoint.

 

Rocket Age Hero

[rsadasiv]

 

From the matching of arbitrary adjectives and nouns above, I came up with 'smokey conversation' and 'decaffeinated rainbow. Both are kinda interesting but I like the mix: decaffeinated conversation That brings to mind a boring first date in a coffee bar. Kinda cool. So right there, what if I listed words having to do with coffee bars/coffee vs. first date conversation. Already the opportunity for some interesting word play about something we all know more that a little about is waiting. Hey, I like this.

 

 

My mind is racing

Deconstructing the arrangement

Of

"What is Life"

And

"All Things Must Pass"

But

She's just sitting there

Not saying a thing

Sipping her drink

Like Lana Clarkson

On Phil Spector's couch.

[rsadasiv]

 

From the matching of arbitrary adjectives and nouns above, I came up with 'smokey conversation' and 'decaffeinated rainbow. Both are kinda interesting but I like the mix: decaffeinated conversation That brings to mind a boring first date in a coffee bar. Kinda cool. So right there, what if I listed words having to do with coffee bars/coffee vs. first date conversation. Already the opportunity for some interesting word play about something we all know more that a little about is waiting. Hey, I like this.

 

 

All the Joy Division Fans Work In Coffee Shops

[blue2blue]

I create metaphors like a spider extrudes silk to make his web.

 

Oh, wait... that's a simile.

[rsadasiv]

 

I create metaphors like a spider extrudes silk to make his web. Oh, wait... that's a simile.

 

 

*college grads* :poke:

[Lee Knight]

I'm losing patience like a crappy doctor. No wait...

 

[rsadasiv]

 

My mind is racing Deconstructing the arrangement Of "What is Life" And "All Things Must Pass" But She's just sitting there Not saying a thing Sipping her drink Like Lana Clarkson On Phil Spector's couch.

 

 

It's like Citizen Kane

Or Sunset Boulevard

I didn't get smaller

But the music did

And she's just sitting there

Not saying a thing

Sipping her drink

Like Lana Clarkson

On Phil Spector's couch.

 

That Johnny Ramone

He wouldn't play {censored}

They didn't understand

Till I showed them the gun

I've still got it

Do you want to see it

 

But she just sits there

Not saying a thing

Sipping her drink

Like Lana Clarkson

On Phil Spector's couch.

[kraftydevil]

I imagine that if you are a writer known for metaphors then at some point in your career you can give up on doing this because people will be looking into your lyrics with a fine-tooth comb anyways.

 

Think of all those Beatles songs that were supposed to be about Paul or something like that!

[kraftydevil]

I create metaphors like a spider extrudes silk to make his web.

 

You have special metaphor glands? Where can I get those?

[Lee Knight]

 

I imagine that if you are a writer known for metaphors then at some point in your career you can give up on doing this because people will be looking into your lyrics with a fine-tooth comb anyways. Think of all those Beatles songs that were supposed to be about Paul or something like that!

 

 

Umm...

 

 

...exactly.

[blue2blue]

*college grads* :poke:

Speak for yourself. I never took a sheepskin.

 

 

(Actually, not strictly true, I got a certificate of completion for a commercial recording program at my local community college in 1983 or so. And I went through the core recording program classes at another nearby school with a very different recording program. Anything for knob time. But, at Cal State University, Long Beach, I never matriculated, declared a major, etc. I did accumulate something around 100 semester units, most of them upper division [is there anything more boring on earth that lower div classes?] -- a little over the equivalent of 3 years full time -- and complete a rather extraordinary interdisciplinary studies program. Hell, it took me most of that time to learn to spell interdisciplinary.)

[blue2blue]

I'm losing patience like a crappy doctor. No wait...

:facepalm:

[blue2blue]

You have special metaphor glands? Where can I get those?

I was more suggesting I pull them out my... uh... backside.

[LeonardScaper]

I was more suggesting I pull them out my... uh... backside.

 

 

That's it!

 

I'm outta here.....like a turkey through the corn.

[yanktar]

How about: "This thread turns my stomach"?

[LCK]

 

My mind is racing Deconstructing the arrangement Of "What is Life" And "All Things Must Pass" But She's just sitting there Not saying a thing Sipping her drink Like Lana Clarkson On Phil Spector's couch.

 

 

Wow. Cool. Scary cool.

 

LCK