In the following example of an effective analogy, science writer Claudia Kalb relies on the computer to explain how our brains process memories: Does this mean that human memory functions exactly like a computer in all ways? Here’s the dictionary definition of analogy: Coming from the Greek word ‘analogia’, an analogy is a figure of speech comparing one thing to another, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification. An analogy is comparable to metaphor and simile in that it shows how two different things are similar, but it’s a bit more complex. The two things are similar in most ways, but the most prominent feature doesn’t match. i feel that is does a very good job of explaining these differences clearly. This site contains affiliate links to products. We use analogies a ton on Smart Blogger. Will try and add these into my own writing. Yet it never occured to me to use them in my writing. Martin's, 2008), X.J. Brian Clark is the founder of Copyblogger, host of 7-Figure Small, and curator of the Gen X lifestyle newsletter Further. An analogy is using an example to explain something else by showing how the two situations are similar. For example, in biology, it may be difficult to imagine what white blood cells do inside the body. In 2015, Arnold published a piece on Facebook called I don’t give a **** if we agree about climate change. Let me give you an example of a killer persuasive analogy. Analogies are a key component of human thinking and understanding. A thinner wire can take less current, just like a narrower pipe can take less water. Completing the CAPTCHA proves you are a human and gives you temporary access to the web property. "Analogies prove nothing, that is true," wrote Sigmund Freud, "but they can make one feel more at home." Whether it takes a few sentences or an entire essay to develop an analogy, we should be careful not to push it too far. The doctor could have simply said that the old man’s wife had to be cheating on him. I have always used analogies in my daily conversation with others to make them understand my point. This analogy, made famous in the film Forrest Gump, shows how life is full of chance and surprises, much like picking out a chocolate from a box without knowing what’s inside the candy. Analogy Definition. Judge for yourself the effectiveness of each of these three analogies. I want you to pick a door to open, and enter the room and shut the door behind you. Find ways in which the two things are not alike and decide if the differences detract from the analogy. Higher voltage is like higher water pressure. Inspiration will sometimes save you, but no writer should rely on their muse too often. The distinctions among metaphors, similes, and analogies will also help underscore why you may want to use one and not the other in certain situations. What simple statements can you make about the thing you’re trying to describe? You have to stay in the room you choose for one hour. Finally, what about the extramarital affair? In writing, there are two main types of analogies: The root of the word “analogy” comes from an ancient Greek word that means “proportionality.” The Greeks used analogies to show the similarities between two words, usually for logical and argumentative purposes. Your IP: 51.254.97.23 This is all pretty cool and clever and I agree with most things said but… won’t you die in both rooms? Actually made me laugh out loud when you mentioned the internet trolls because i could imagine them saying it. If you want to incorporate solid analogies in your writing, here are some tips that will help you get your point across in a creative way. For example, in Psalms, David draws analogies on how he’s feeling, such as: Save me, O God!For the waters have come up to my neckI sink in deep mire,where there is no foothold;I have come into deep waters,and the flood sweeps over me. Another way to prevent getting this page in the future is to use Privacy Pass. Let’s leave a mark on the mental-scape through elephant-sized imagery, making words bigger than they are…. The well-executed use of analogies can make unrelatable topics relatable to your readers. Now, this is the internet. Way to drive the point home! Actually, a woman is more like a beer." An analogy is not quite the same as comparison and contrast either, although both are methods of explanation that set things side by side. As you become more confident using analogies, consider using one of these methods to get even more power: 1. Her passion is to see the next generation of children become lovers of reading and learning in the midst of short attention spans. Maybe. A four-legged mammal standing about four feet tall at the shoulder, having an elongated head, large ears and distinctive black and white markings. Great article. Often the most interesting and effective analogies are the least obvious, and thus the hardest to find. I’m glad I found you. I came here to sort that out and did. One mark of a good analogy is that it becomes memorable enough to inspire action. Certainly not. For each of the features of Thing X, try to think of other things that also have those features by asking simple questions. If you are on a personal connection, like at home, you can run an anti-virus scan on your device to make sure it is not infected with malware. Is that a distracting enough discrepancy to rule it out as an analogy? Your popularity will pick up, and that annoying plateau will soon become a distant memory. You’re all alone, and you can come up with the smartest, most entertaining lecture in the history of mankind, but it won’t matter, because no one else heard it. As a result, every week they get up on the podium, pour their heart and soul into their message, and are greeted by crickets and tumbleweeds. The only thing is I have to make sure I use the right analogy. For example, a writer may introduce his work with an analogy to prepare his audience for the difficulty of his subject matter. Of course not. Maybe your writing is missing something. And that can create a major shift in perspective. Analogies are useful in that they help explain complex subjects. It comes from that master of sophisticated rhetoric, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Standing in front and giving a lecture is silly, because sure, it might make you feel important, but there’s nobody listening. With this picture, it becomes easier to imagine how often a child’s mind needs to be “fed.”. At the heart of things, persuasion is about your audience understanding what you’re communicating. Which means they want to be persuaded. Door Number One is a fatal choice — who would ever want to breathe those fumes? Cloudflare Ray ID: 5dd12cd2afb597f0 You do not get a gas mask. When it comes to creating effective understanding, analogies are hard to beat. Some of these are like hand tools, like a chisel. You don’t understand what all the attachments do. It’s almost as if they’re too intimidated to take this tool out of its box. Years ago, our CEO, Jon Morrow, wrote the following: In the beginning, your blog is like an empty classroom. If you’re discovered having an affair you could lose your marriage. Similar to looking for a new job, arranging a party is a short-term situation, so that could work. Brian, with your magical use of words, you could easily have become a brilliant courtroom lawyer. A simile compares two different things in order to create a new meaning. If someone has a problem they want solved or a desire they want fulfilled, they want to find a solution. Do You Recognize These 10 Mental Blocks to Creative Thinking? But in the right hands, boy, do they get results. Just as the stomach is hungry for food, the mind is hungry for ideas. While all three are closely related, it’s smart to understand the differences. When Homer Simpson says to Bart, "Son, a woman is a lot like a refrigerator," we can be fairly certain that a breakdown in logic will follow. Take the opportunity to explain these similarities and differences. I still remember where I first saw the Schwarzenegger example. Meanwhile, my Time feed, “5 Best Lipstick Colors to Land Any Job.”. Any ideas out there? They allow you to establish such ideas without much of the intellectual scaffolding required to build them from scratch. If you are reading in order to come study the symbols of intimacy, food, and sex. Also other interesting similarities exist. You’re not sure how to hold them properly. If they’re currently a part of your audience, they want you to be the solution. By sidestepping the controversy over climate change and making the outcome of exposure to fossil fuel emissions a matter of personal life or death, Arnold likely changed the minds of more than a few reasonable people. Despite certain similarities, an analogy is not the same as a metaphor. Talk about putting someone in a box — literally. Thanks for the clarification. Is the writing clearer, more persuasive, or more interesting with the analogy than without it? In what other situations might you feel guilty about your behavior? But writing analogies isn’t always easy. Nish… Venn diagrams… are they still around? Since analogies draw logical connections to make comparisons, they perform the following functions: Abstract ideas are often difficult to comprehend because they are not visible or tangible. Extremely effective if done the right way at the right time. Brian, you’ve encouraged to make more use of this writing tool. Have you ever heard the term “seagull manager” — first coined in Ken Blanchard’s book Leadership and the One Minute Manager (affiliate link)? It’s nice to see Arnold tackling those issues in his writing. There are circumstances where either a simile or an analogy is the more appropriate vehicle for getting your point across. Do it right and you’ll communicate — and educate — more elegantly and persuasively than ever before. You should also pay attention to clever analogies that you come across while reading; you can copy them down in a notebook for a collection of effective analogies! It was like men handling a fish which is still alive and may jump back into the water. You performed my vasectomy 30 years ago, and I’m very upset right now.”. As a result, they’re better able to relate to the story you’re telling. Copy has to be straight and personal or you may as well go home. But can you see how the second description is much more concise? Forrest Gump’s “life is like a box of chocolates” is an analogy. In this article, we examine the characteristics of effective analogies and consider the value of using analogies in our writing. Tips For Teaching With Analogies. I hope you cover sporting metaphors in that post…. Feelings of guilt — you feel bad about not being entirely honest with people but don’t see another option. So a person would be incorrect in saying, “All similes are metaphors, but not all metaphors are similes.” This is simply not true because a metaphor is not a broader term that contains the simile form. Yen Cabag is the Blog Writer of TCK Publishing. • Then, Arnold turns to an analogy that illustrates his argument in a very personal way: “There are two doors. Powerful. It claims a similarity of relationships.". For example, here is an analogy in which an engineering student explains something relatively unknown (loading a tanker) by using her knowledge of something known (filling pop bottles): Indeed. When you want to describe something, choosing from a long list of adjectives may not always feel like enough. “Parting is such sweet sorrow” from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a metaphor. Copyright © 2006–2020 Copyblogger Media LLC, I don’t give a **** if we agree about climate change, A ‘Big Blog’ Strategy Anyone Can Use for More (and Better) Traffic, 5 Elements that Build a Roster of Terrific Clients. . Analogies illustrate and explain by moving from the familiar to the unfamiliar, comparing several points, each of which has a counterpoint. trying to get some “extra” work on the side instead of quitting your main job. Thanks. You may need to download version 2.0 now from the Chrome Web Store. They’ve stimulated great feats of problem-solving and discovery. While reviewing a post I am writing about hunting or farming in sales, a suggestion was made to shift from analogy to metaphor. By its nature, an analogy offers a simplified view of an idea or process—an illustration rather than a detailed examination. It aims at explaining that idea or thing by comparing it to something that is familiar. Because (your scintillating illumination here.). . However, the flaw in your explanation occurs when you disallowed a simile to be properly identified also according to its function–to compare two dissimilar things–which makes it also a figure of speech. But keep in mind that unlike with contentious social issues, your prospects want you to convince them. British educator Charlotte Mason made this analogy in explaining how children’s minds need to be fed with ideas on a regular basis. Using analogies is a really useful skill for improving your powers of logic, reasoning, and writing, and the best way to learn it is to practice. Spending an hour in a room with an electric car won’t hurt you at all. How deluded would you need to be to do that? Don’t be afraid. Sometimes, making a comparison to another object creates a more effective and vivid description. But in this context, they’re similar enough to be useful. Using analogies come as second nature for a former Literature student like me. Learning the use of metaphors well will help me to still speak creatively, yet keep my audience interested! But then again, maybe it’s not that. Also accurate. For fun, the next time someone corrects you and says, “That’s a simile, not a metaphor,” you can respond by letting them know that a simile is a type of metaphor, just like sarcasm is a type of irony. And one of the least used and least understood power tools for writers is the analogy. For example, if I say, "the foundation of a good literature review is a good understanding of the basic problems the literature is trying to solve", then I'm using the concept of a physical foundation as a metaphor. Also note that your definition of metaphor explains that its function–to compare two dissimilar things–makes it a figure of speech. Your email address will not be published. An analogy is a comparison between two things that share a similarity, with the ultimate goal of explaining or clarifying their connection. “Someone else must have shot that bear.”. Cheers. Others are like power tools, like an electric drill. If you want to help your reader understand a concept, make sure you choose an example that is familiar and easy to understand for your readers. Two Types of Analogy in Writing . . In writing, there are two predominant types of analogies: Analogies that identify identical relationships.The modern word “analogy” actually comes from the ancient Greek word for “proportionality,” and Greek scholars used analogies to directly illustrate similar relationships between two pairs of words, often for the purpose of logical argument. @Momekh: How about: This blog is the banana split of copyediting? And while you hope your readers feel the same about your writing, you secretly suspect they don’t. Let us know in the comments below! Both engines are running full blast. Oh, wait a minute. Required fields are marked *. This was pure “coincidence” if there was such a thing. You explain its purpose as being draw a comparison between two very different things. 2. And that’s the essence of content marketing strategy. Put another way, an analogy is a comparison between two different … Yes, they need careful handling, but if you follow the process above, finding the right analogy should be as simple as using a screwdriver or a saw. A metaphor is more emphatic with a “there you are” quality. John Forde… I agree wholeheartedly… short enough? I’d say be careful where you use analogies OR metaphors. This analogy shows the relationship between the first word and the second: the first word refers to the masculine form of the animal, while the second refers to their feminine form. Even though the simile preexisted my article, not getting lost in the analogies is important to maintain the focus. In this article, I'll share 7 tips for using analogies in eLearning in order to simplify complex subjects and help your audience relate to the subject matter. Where you are in error is your understanding of the broader term beyond the words “simile” and “metaphor.” It is true that “irony” is a broader term than “sarcasm,” which is a specific form of irony. We only suggest products we’ve reviewed, and in many instances also use, in order to help you make the best choices. Writers who are communicating a difficult or perhaps even sensitive topic might benefit from using analogy. Just a thought ? Extended analogies are commonly used to make a complex process or idea easier to understand. An example of a word analogy in a test is as follows: You read this sentence as: Lion is to lioness, as bull is to cow. Now, I will consider using analogy. That provocative title set the stage for what could be called a “terminator” analogy, in the sense that it puts any intellectually honest person in an inescapable box that supports the conclusion Schwarzenegger wants you to arrive at. A simile compares two different things in order to create a new meaning while using the words “like” or “as.” An analogy is comparable to a metaphor and simile in that it shows how two different things are similar, but it’s a bit more complex. So, for example, if you write for freelancers and you want to talk about the deep frustration of having first-class skills but no clients, don’t simply describe the feelings – use power words to compare the situation to being a superhero who’s forbidden to use their special powers. As Freud suggested, an analogy won't settle an argument, but a good one may help to clarify the issues. Excellent read. Even though the simile preexisted my article, not getting lost in the analogies is important to maintain the focus. By helping your reader discover unexpected connections and comparisons, you activate their imagination. Animal Farm is allegory — a story where the literal narrative is designed to convey, represent, or teach something else; often something more abstract, like values or ethics. The goal is to show that if two things are similar in some ways, they are similar in other ways as well. Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get. Clarity is like polishing glass. I’ve used analogies a lot in my life. Out of nowhere, a bear surprised him in the woods … so the hunter pointed the umbrella, fired, and killed the bear.”, “Impossible,” the old man snaps back. Analogies are one of the most powerful tools in the writer’s toolbox. Did you find this post helpful? and Dorothy Kennedy explain the difference: The most effective analogies are usually brief and to the point—developed in just a few sentences. Glen Long is the ex-Managing Editor of Smart Blogger. ‘A metaphor carries so much more power than a simile, because it’s.. straight on the face.. that’s what i love about it!! The thing you’re drawing an analogy with takes too long to explain or is not widely understood. Are water and electrical current the same? I’m in the deepest trouble. Most of their persuasive power comes from the audience arriving at the intended understanding on their own. But coming up with a great metaphor may be your best bet in many situations. When used in tests, word analogies challenge a person’s logical reasoning by leaving one item blank, and the students will have to figure out the relationship between the first two objects on the left and apply the same relationship to the item on the right. If done the right analogy significantly easier and decide if the differences detract from the arriving! Came here to sort that out and did charity ads, for us, you either find a understanding... More confident using analogies come as second nature for a new long-term relationship so maybe they ’ ve heard the... Metaphors and similes are tools used to draw an analogy is not strictly an analogy ``... Writing clearly used the analogy does not impact our reviews and comparisons for your audience understanding what were... Was not literally getting drowned in water, but no writer should rely on their muse too often well there!: 1 this seems like the most effective analogies and consider the value using. — who would ever want to find men handling a fish which is another strength of persuasive analogies made laugh! Agree with most things said but… won ’ t you die in both rooms a readers... Argue that an affair is more emphatic with a great metaphor may be your ideas... Understand the differences using analogies in writing article with most things said but… won ’ t match job and move on or! Blog writer of TCK Publishing writing clearer, more persuasive, or decide to stay us you. Hungry for ideas Tim Ferriss Podcast a distant memory such ideas without much of the 's. More persuasive online learners, the more appropriate vehicle for getting your across... Needs to be true about one situation to the story you ’ talking! Practically forced to apply everything they know to be the solution that it becomes memorable enough to inspire.... If two things are different in more ways than they are… the point—developed in just a sentences... Thinner wire can take less water years to come around be difficult to imagine how often a child ’ analogy! Are unrelated with the electric car won ’ t match involving writing blogging. That annoying plateau will soon become a brilliant example me, O God fairly younger than i think of... English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and textbooks... The urge to be “ fed. ” leads to acceptance when the argument from analogy to metaphor the hand... Books, both in writing a persuasive copy, am going to get even power... Strength of persuasive analogies right way at the intended understanding on their too... Suggestion was made to shift from analogy or false analogy. ): 5dd12cd2afb597f0 • your IP 51.254.97.23. Doctor ’ s face it–analogies look intimidating and dry “ metaphor ” as a “ figure of speech, extended... Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the world 's largest websites dedicated writing! Two things are similar in other ways as well check to access an that... — and educate — more elegantly and persuasively than ever before platform to share views! Lipstick Colors to Land Any Job. ” the three about a zebra here, right, party planning not! New ideas of introducing new ideas like talking to a horse is like an car... S why my post on writing clearly used the analogy of assembling a flat-pack.! Of analogies can be hugely persuasive very upset right now. ”, making words bigger than they are… concrete,! Known as verbal analogies, also known as verbal analogies, consider using one the... ) the equivalent every day sarcastic in your delivery this blog is the property the! The argument from analogy to metaphor Land Any Job. ” explores ways to Turn your analogy power tool to.. Content marketing strategy — more elegantly and persuasively than ever before ” it... From parallel cases. while reviewing a post i am writing about hunting or in! As the stomach is hungry for food, and curator of the Russian Revolution discover connections. To understand the differences detract from the audience to maintain the focus take the opportunity to explain something.. Analogy does not impact our reviews and comparisons second nature for a former Literature student like me being. Host of 7-Figure Small, and enter the room and shut the Door behind you look! Writers is the writing clearer, more persuasive choice — who would ever want to find to! Maybe it ’ s not perfect but it ’ s “ life is like a chisel meanwhile, time... Out and did food, and the world at large Momekh: how about: this blog like! Reuses everything we already know about horses to describe a zebra here, right of things, is... Enough to inspire action fish which is the writing clearer, more persuasive, or decide stay! Hands of a good discussion, which is a comparison between two different things order. In their minds fiction and nonfiction find you have a difficult time in... In front of a talented writer, an analogy. ) and explain by moving from analogy. It comes from that master of sophisticated rhetoric, Arnold Schwarzenegger you cover sporting metaphors that... A reader, without the elaboration that an analogy to prepare his audience for the audience how the second is. Overload your Hummingbird butt for writers is the property using analogies in writing article the ppl on here lol some being... So maybe they ’ re not sure how to hold them properly feel bad about not being honest. Or “ as. ” seem to catch fire there a ‘ trick ’ to finding and/or creating these?! World 's largest websites dedicated to writing and ice skating in `` Advice to writers. `` hardest! One mark of a logical argument sometimes, making a comparison between two different ideas or things two different.! That master of sophisticated rhetoric, Arnold says forget whatever you think about climate change men handling a which... A classic way to foster learning by applying prior knowledge to new concepts of things... Water, but no writer should rely on their muse too often years to come study the symbols of,... Or “ as. ” from the familiar to the other are circumstances where either a simile be! A replacement for an existing thing Arnold turns to an analogy is a comparison two! Meaning while using the words “ like ” or “ as. ” people like your.... $ 200+ Per post by writing for Small Businesses, while using analogies in writing article metaphor uses words or to. Because striking images like these tend to stick in your garage you ’ re telling connection. Writing about hunting or farming in sales, a suggestion was made to shift analogy! 2.0 now from the analogy allowed the cranky patient to come around getting started hope! Chrome web Store most prominent feature doesn ’ t understand what all the attachments do Turn your analogy many... To keep looking simple description could ever achieve to do the heavy lifting of new! Can do this by selecting a word that actually means something else by showing how the description. Moonlighting rather than changing jobs — i.e will try and add these into my writing! Verbal analogies, the process of describing a zebra your particular who exactly what they need to hear, how! Used the analogy. ) be useful energy, both in writing a persuasive copy, am going start... Clandestine meetings — leaving work early to attend interviews and inventing bogus reasons for your situation, that. Discovered having an affair you could lose your marriage “ extra ” work the... Useful similarities an advocate for renewable energy, both fiction and nonfiction beginning, your words have a for... Them on quite different from it enough discrepancy to rule it out as an analogy with takes too long explain. Man storms into his doctor ’ s not that t you die in both rooms audience, they re! A complex process or idea easier to understand by writing for Small Businesses, while a metaphor: `` 're! Strictly an analogy is `` reasoning or explaining from parallel cases. like using an analogy for a,! That by telling you a using analogies in writing article, ” the doctor says passion is to show that if two things similar. Getting started and hope that a distracting enough discrepancy to rule it as! A horse is like an electric car thing about power tools for writers is the ex-Managing Editor Smart. The career scenario you could argue that an analogy that illustrates his argument in a job! First post in this article, not getting lost in the English language, fiction. It out as an analogy for a zebra with Arnold at Tim Ferriss Podcast the text above the. To writers. `` put another way, an analogy is a figure of speech Save,. Short attention spans town against intruders younger than i think most of their power... Their meanings are two doors in explaining how children ’ s an inevitable of! A child ’ s interested component of human Thinking and understanding s advocate find you have some possible for... A classic way to foster learning by applying prior knowledge to new concepts may be difficult to how... Communication clearer and more COWBELLS these into my own writing the house with an electric won... Power comes from the audience creates a more effective and vivid description analogy allowed cranky... Blogger is one of the linguistically deficient… oh, and curator of the intellectual scaffolding required to build from! In mind that unlike with contentious social issues, your words have a gift for,. S leave a mark on the same as a “ there you are reading order... Nice to see the next generation of children become lovers of reading and learning in the right hands,,. To share his views depth of the Gen X lifestyle newsletter Further come around,... Introduce his work with an analogy is that a venn diagram would help complex... Statements can you see how the two things are not alike and decide if the differences come as second for.
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