Question

What is a metaphor? The poem has several metaphors. One has been done as an example. Find the others and explain them.

e.g.: ‘Had chosen thus to fling his soul’ refers to a bird song as the soul.

Answer 1

A metaphor describes one thing as another to suggest a resemblance, without using “like” or “as.” Other metaphors include:

1. “Winter’s dregs”: Winter is presented as the bitter last remains of a drink, suggesting decline.
2. “The weakening eye of day”: The setting sun is described as an eye growing weak, suggesting the day’s death.
3. “The Century’s corpse”: The ending century is presented as a dead body, emphasising the end of an era.
4. “His crypt the cloudy canopy”: The cloud-covered sky is imagined as a crypt, reinforcing the atmosphere of death and gloom.
5. “The ancient pulse of germ and birth”: The returning life-force of nature is represented as a pulse, suggesting renewal.