figures of speech : analogy
Analogy
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. Rather than a figure of speech, an analogy is more of a logical argument. The presenter of an analogy will often demonstrate how two things are alike by pointing out shared characteristics, with the goal of showing that if two things are similar in some ways, they are similar in other ways as well.
Sometimes words and phrases can prove inept in conveying the exact depth of our expression. This doesn't mean that our grasp of the language is weak. It is that people have an innate tendency to understand the true meaning only when one concept has been compared to another. When someone presents a concept or an idea, which is contrasted with a similar concept, then the central idea becomes more apparent. This shows us the true meaning of things. In language, this is known as analogy and it is more important than facts. To get a clear idea on what analogy is, consider a concept, let us say love. A statement like "My love is as vast as an ocean" will convey more than just saying, "My love is boundless". Again, if you want to convey the height of a building, instead of saying how tall it is, compare it to other tall buildings, as this will give a better idea of its elevation. Analogy also spices up the sentence preventing it from getting monotonous. That is why analogy has been extensively used in rhetoric. Go through the various examples given below to have a better perception of analogy.
Examples Of Analogy
A gang of boys is like a pack of wolves.
Obeying is to a servant, like ordering is to a master.
Green is to go as red is to stop.
You are as annoying as nails on a chalkboard.
Just as the earth revolves around the sun, an electron revolves around the nucleus.
What a general is to an army, a CEO is to a company.
Gas is to car as wood is to fire
Rose is to vase as water is to pitcher
Day is to month as minute is to
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. Rather than a figure of speech, an analogy is more of a logical argument. The presenter of an analogy will often demonstrate how two things are alike by pointing out shared characteristics, with the goal of showing that if two things are similar in some ways, they are similar in other ways as well.
Sometimes words and phrases can prove inept in conveying the exact depth of our expression. This doesn't mean that our grasp of the language is weak. It is that people have an innate tendency to understand the true meaning only when one concept has been compared to another. When someone presents a concept or an idea, which is contrasted with a similar concept, then the central idea becomes more apparent. This shows us the true meaning of things. In language, this is known as analogy and it is more important than facts. To get a clear idea on what analogy is, consider a concept, let us say love. A statement like "My love is as vast as an ocean" will convey more than just saying, "My love is boundless". Again, if you want to convey the height of a building, instead of saying how tall it is, compare it to other tall buildings, as this will give a better idea of its elevation. Analogy also spices up the sentence preventing it from getting monotonous. That is why analogy has been extensively used in rhetoric. Go through the various examples given below to have a better perception of analogy.
Examples Of Analogy
A gang of boys is like a pack of wolves.
Obeying is to a servant, like ordering is to a master.
Green is to go as red is to stop.
You are as annoying as nails on a chalkboard.
Just as the earth revolves around the sun, an electron revolves around the nucleus.
What a general is to an army, a CEO is to a company.
Gas is to car as wood is to fire
Rose is to vase as water is to pitcher
Day is to month as minute is to