Name:
Instructor:
Course:
Date:
Of Artists and their Metaphors
The Collins Dictionary defines metaphor as “a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action that it does not literally denote in order to imply a resemblance.” The lines “Cause, baby, you’re a firework” in Katy Perry’s song Firework and “You’re a shooting star in Rihanna’s song Diamonds are examples of metaphors. The poems Love is a Sickness Full of Woes by Samuel Daniel, and Maudlin; Or, The Magdalen’s Tears by Linda Gregerson contain metaphors. The metaphors identified vary in their effectiveness. There are no weak metaphors since they are all used to give more meaning to the work. However, I would rank them as follows, beginning from the strongest. “Love is a sickness full of woes, all remedies refusing”, “Cause, baby, you’re a firework”, “If faith is a tree that sorrows grows and women, repentant or not, are swamps”, “You’re a shooting star”
The metaphor in Perry’s song compares someone to a firework. Fireworks are only visible at night and they light up the skies. They are of different colors and people admire them because of their beauty. By using this metaphor, Kerry is encouraging someone to become the light in the middle of darkness. She means that people are worth more than they appear to be even if they are facing problems. She is urging people to let others know their value and not concentrate on the challenges that may be burdening them. The different colors in a firework may be symbolic of the many capabilities that people have.
Many people are always fascinated by the appearance of shooting stars. Some use the opportunity to make a wish because they believe that it can come true. Others see the shooting star as a sign of good luck. The metaphor in Rihanna’s song follows these beliefs. In the song, Rihanna refers to someone as a shooting star. She considers that person a good fortune. In addition, shooting stars usually appear at night. The person in the song could represent a change in the singer’s life. She considers him a light in the middle of darkness. This means that he brings brightness and adds value to her life.
Daniel compares love to a sickness that is full of affliction, which does not have any cure. He has tried all the remedies but he has not found an effective one. Ordinarily, many people consider love a wonderful thing that fills a person with joy. However, this is not the case with Daniel. He seems to be going through a lot of suffering and he is experiencing a lot of anguish because of love. The metaphor means that the Daniel does not consider love to be a joyful and pleasurable experience. On the other hand, he writes that he has tried all remedies but they have not worked. This could mean that he has tried many ways of removing love from his life but he has not been able to do so.
Gregerson’s poem compares faith to a tree and women to swamps. Trees have leaves and some provide fruit. Fruit can be bitter or sweet. This metaphor means that a person can reap or get harvest when he or she has faith. However, the poet is specific when she talks about sorrow growing on trees. This could mean that one does not always get good things even though she has faith. Swamps are full of water. A person intending to use an area where there is a swamp has to drain the water first. In this case, the poet is speaking about a woman’s tears. Women cry for different reasons. The poet says that some women are not comfortable with their nature, but this does not stop them from being feminine. They will use their tears as a way of expressing how they feel
Works Cited:
Gregerson, Linda. Maudlin; Or, The Magdalen’s Tears. Poetry Foundation. n. d. Web. 13 Feb. 2014
Katy Perry. “Firework.” Teenage Dream. Roc the Mic Studios, 2010. CD
Rihanna. “Diamonds.” Unapologetic. Roc the Mic Studios and Westlake Recording Studios, 2012. CD
Samuel, Daniel. Love Is A Sickness Full of Woes. Poetry Foundation. n. d. Web. 13 Feb. 2014