Metaphor

Literary Technique: Metaphor

Poem Example:

The Rain-bow
By Thomas Love Peacock

The day has pass’d in storms, though not unmix’d
With transitory calm.   The western clouds,
Dissolving slow, unveil the glorious sun,
Majestic in decline.   The wat’ry east
Glows with the many-tinted arch of Heav’n.
We hail it as a pledge that brighter skies
Shall bless the coming morn.   Thus rolls the day,
The short dark day of life;   with tempests thus,
And fleeting sun-shine chequer’d.   At its close,
When the dread hour draws near, that bursts all ties,
All commerce with the world, Religion pours
Hope’s fairy-colors on the virtuous mind,
And, like the rain-bow on the ev’ning clouds,
Gives the bright promise that a happier dawn
Shall chase the night and silence of the grave.

Biographical Information: Thomas Love Peacock was an accomplished poet, essayist, opera critic, and satiric novelist. During his lifetime his works received the approbation of other writers, literary critics, and a notoriously vocal reading public. Peacock’s novels record the intellectual, social, economic, and literary discussions (sometimes battles) of early-nineteenth-century England. They are, in one sense, “conversation novels,” and many of the characters who take part in the various conversations were modeled after the leading personalities of Peacock’s day. Peacock’s novels have lost none of their appeal, however, for the subjects they address continue to inform the political and social dialogues. Their comedy still delights readers, and the conversations never go for long without a pause for comic action or comment.

Explanation of Technique: Metaphor is a figure of speech which makes an implicit, implied or hidden comparison between two things or objects that are poles apart from each other but have some characteristics common between them. In this poem, a metaphor is made between a day and a storm. A day is calm and bright, while  a storm is dark and dreary and quick and violent. The comparison says that 'The day has pass'd in storms'. This implies that the day has gone by quickly and drearily into a peaceful calm.

Interpretation of Poem: This poem describes a roiling and worn out day that has passed like a storm. It feels dark and full of despair, but after the storm comes a bright dawn. The blessed morning causes the western clouds to dissolve and reveal the rainbow. The rainbow is made of fairy's color poured upon clouds, and like a bright dawn, a rainbow brings a happy promise that makes the silence and dark go away. The message of this poem is that no matter how hard the storm is, the tempest will eventually pass, and the rainbow will shine through the clouds and give you hope.

Visual Representation:

Explanation of Visual: This image depicts a colorful rainbow shining through a dark storm. It properly represents the poem because the poem's message is to have hope because the storm will soon pass. The rainbow represents a new dawn and hope, and that is why I selected it. 

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