Image via WikipediaWell, bless her heart!
There's more than one way to skin a cat.
I haven't seen you since you were knee high to a grasshopper.
Jesus is the Lamb of God.
I haven't seen you in a coon's age.
A mighty fortress is our God.
I believe I picked up on the metaphor used in Tom Johnson's post for a few reasons. I grew up in the country where metaphors are used DAILY! My Dad's favorite parting metaphor is "I'll let you get back to your rat killing!" Also, I have studied the Bible my entire life. Every parable told by Jesus is a metaphor. "It would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter heaven." (Paraphrased)
Aside from having students detect metaphors in written works, having them listen for, write down and explain metaphors in their favorite television shows or movies would be a great way to help them become aware of metaphors. I still get confused between some metaphors and similes. Learning to really distinguish between the two would show mastery in my opinion.
My favorite use of metaphors would be for sarcasm, with a close second being to relate a difficult concept in a way people can more readily understand. Students need to study metaphors for many reasons. Metaphors make life more interesting, complex, beautiful, entertaining, and meaningful. If a student can find, understand and explain a complex metaphor, they are exercising reasoning skills that will benefit them throughout life. It's hard to think understanding something like "Love is in the air," could improve one's mental abilities, but I believe it does since you have to understand and compare multiple meanings.
Aside from having students detect metaphors in written works, having them listen for, write down and explain metaphors in their favorite television shows or movies would be a great way to help them become aware of metaphors. I still get confused between some metaphors and similes. Learning to really distinguish between the two would show mastery in my opinion.
My favorite use of metaphors would be for sarcasm, with a close second being to relate a difficult concept in a way people can more readily understand. Students need to study metaphors for many reasons. Metaphors make life more interesting, complex, beautiful, entertaining, and meaningful. If a student can find, understand and explain a complex metaphor, they are exercising reasoning skills that will benefit them throughout life. It's hard to think understanding something like "Love is in the air," could improve one's mental abilities, but I believe it does since you have to understand and compare multiple meanings.
No comments:
Post a Comment