Analogy
Analogy: An extended comparison that explains an unfamiliar thing in terms of a familiar one.
Where metaphor asserts and moves on, analogy argues: it walks the reader through the mapping point by point, which makes it the workhorse of explanation.
Analogy examples
"My mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."
— Forrest Gump
"As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country."
— Proverbs 25:25
"Explaining the heart as a pump - valves, pressure, flow - is the standard analogy of biology teaching."
— common usage
"A first draft is scaffolding: nobody is meant to live in it, but nothing stands without it."
— original example
Spot the Analogy
Score: 0/0An extended comparison that explains an unfamiliar thing in terms of a familiar one.
"My mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."
Which work is this from?
Explore every literary device in the poetic devices hub.
Analogy: common questions
What is analogy in literature?
An extended comparison that explains an unfamiliar thing in terms of a familiar one. Where metaphor asserts and moves on, analogy argues: it walks the reader through the mapping point by point, which makes it the workhorse of explanation.
What is an example of analogy?
A classic example is "My mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." (Forrest Gump).
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