If you are looking for
metaphors and other examples of figurative language, a great place to start is the description
provided of the changing seasons in America. The author uses a number of different types of
figurative language to convey the beauty and the differences. Consider the description of fall
at the beginning of Chapter 14:
After the keen still days
of September, the October sun filled the world with mellow warmth. Before Kit's eyes a miracle
took place, for which she was totally unprepared. She stood in the doorway of her uncle's house
and held her breath with wonder. The maple tree in front of the doorstep burned like a gigantic
red torch. The oaks along the roadway glowed yellow and bronze. The fields stretched like a
carpet of jewels, emerald and topaz and garnet. Everywhere she walked the colour shouted and
sang around her. The dried brown leaves crackled beneath her feet and gave off a delicious smoky
fragrance.
Now, hopefully you will have noticed that in
this quote there are a number of different examples of figurative language. Note how the
description brings fall to life in all its beauty by appealing to as many of the senses as
possible. We have theof the leaves "crackling," enacting the sound, and we have theof
"the fields stretched like a carpet of jewels," helping us to imagine the visual
beauty of the fields in all of their bright colours. Remember, though, that adiffers from a
simile in that it asserts a comparison between two objects without using the word
"like" or "as." Thus, the oaks that "glowed yellow and bronze" is
an example of an implied metaphor, because the oaks are being compared to gold and bronze,
precious metals, because of their beautiful colour.
Hopefully this will help
you identify other metaphors in this great book. You might want to think about the description
of winter that is provided later on in the novel and see if you can find any examples of
metaphors there. Good luck!
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