An analogy is to compare two things in terms of similarities and differences. Comparisons can help you see similarities between them. For example, ‘Finding the keys to my car is like finding a needle in a stockpile.’ A comparison of these two items tells the reader that finding the keys is difficult. An analogy serves to illustrate your point.
Here are few unique analogy examples or processing this concept.
- The year 2020 has been a roller-coaster ride that went off course but has yet to get back on the tracks.
- The passing of time is like a thief in the night stealing moments in our lives. In an instant, hours, days, and even years are nothing more than a memory.
Metaphor is also a writing tool that makes comparisons between two different things. But unlike an analogy which is a direct comparison. For example, ‘My sister is the devil.” Now, we know that your sister is not really the devil. However, the point made is that your sister and the devil are both evil.
The examples below define 02 things in common:
- America is a melting pot. (diverse)
- Tommy is a pig. (dirty)
Let us now see the difference between an analogy and a metaphor:
| Analogy | Metaphor |
| Uses an elaborate comparison to make a point. | Direct comparison for rhetorical effect; does not include like or as |
| Uses metaphor and simile | Metaphors used to make analogies |
| Example: David bullies kids like the devil lording over the world. | Example: David is a devil. |
From above, we see that an analogy is well elaborated of the two literary devices, but both are used in writing to make a comparison.