Analogies & Metaphors

Definition of Terms

Comparisons—analogies, metaphors, and similes—are invaluable tools to writers of instructional documentation. They convey descriptive information without a lot of dull words.

Comparing the Known with the Unknown

By comparing or contrasting something readers know quite well with something unfamiliar—especially something they can visualize—you avoid considerable boring descriptive text.

If you were trying to explain to a child how long six feet is, you could say, "That's about as long as your daddy is tall." You would be using comparison to make your meaning clear by using images your reader can grasp quickly.

The nice thing about analogies, metaphors, and similes is that they put readers at ease, let them know that this piece of learning is going to be easy, and sets up a cozy rapport between the two of you.

The following paragraphs provide a brief definition of these three terms.

Analogies

The most useful form of comparison is the analogy, a form of reasoning in which two things are compared through known similarities--often comparing an unfamiliar thing to something familiar. Consider the following example:

"Carbon filter elements look like solid or broken charcoal briquettes, but seen under a microscope, the carbon granules look like sponges, with little canals and pockets that trap suspended solids."

Metaphors

A metaphor implies a comparison by applying a term or phrase to something to which it is not literally applicable, such as:

"The road was a silver ribbon."

Similes

A simile is an expression that explicitly compares two unlike things, using like or as:

"She is like a rose"
"A bull as big as a house"

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