STYLE TOOL · 5–10 min

Metaphor Workshop

Build and test a metaphor by mapping one useful shared feature while avoiding clichés and unintended implications.

LEARN WHILE YOU WRITE

A metaphor clarifies one relationship by borrowing structure from another domain.

Name the target idea, choose a source image and state exactly which feature transfers. Then test what should not transfer, because every metaphor highlights some features and hides others.

Open the full guide and example Optional

VISUAL EXPLANATION · MARKER BOARD

A metaphor clarifies one relationship by borrowing structure from another domain.

Target · co vysvětlujiThe abstract or unfamiliar idea.

Source · obrazThe concrete domain being borrowed.

Mapping · společný rysThe feature that legitimately transfers.

Limit · hraniceWhat the comparison must not imply.

Context · zasazeníThe metaphor should fit voice and purpose.

Concrete example

Cliché: ‘Time is a thief.’ More precise: ‘The calendar kept removing doors from the corridor before he reached them.’

GUIDED WORKSPACE

Build the structure before polishing sentences

Write freely, use a starter when you get stuck, and turn your notes into a clear draft map. Nothing here grades your writing.

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1Name the difficult target idea.

2Choose a concrete source with matching structure.

3State where the comparison stops.

01Target ideaWhat is difficult to express directly?

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02Source image or domainChoose something concrete with usable structure.

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03Shared featureState the exact relationship the metaphor reveals.

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04Where the comparison stopsPrevent accidental claims.

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05Draft metaphor in contextWrite a full sentence or line, not only ‘X is Y.’

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Required structure checklist 0/5 checked

Target · co vysvětlujiThe abstract or unfamiliar idea.Source · obrazThe concrete domain being borrowed.Mapping · společný rysThe feature that legitimately transfers.Limit · hraniceWhat the comparison must not imply.Context · zasazeníThe metaphor should fit voice and purpose.

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Start with any field or choose a starter above.