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Nan
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since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191
Cape Cod Massachusetts USA

0 posted 2000-04-04 06:53 PM


It's difficult enough to discern the difference between simile and metaphor - and we expect you to extend them as well, huh??

Well - It's certainly not reasonable to try to extend a metaphor unless we can identify one, I'd say...

Let's review the metaphor. A metaphor is a literary comparison, using one thing in place of another to create an effective visualization for the reader.  a metaphor does NOT use the words "as" or "like" in its comparison.  

A couple of examples are...
His stomach is a bottomless pit.
Her smile is a ray of sunshine.
The clouds were big fluffy tufts of cotton.
I hit a brick wall.


We could go on and on here - Needless to say, a stomach isn't a bottomless pit, a smile isn't a ray of sun, a cloud is not made of cotton, and we really don't make a habit of literally hitting walls of brick.  The comparisons, though, create visualizations for the reader which really enhance the effect of the words.

So - what then, is an Extended Metaphor??  An extended metaphor is another form of literary imagery which incorporates the entire poem as a metaphor in itself.  A perfect example is Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken. Frost brilliantly weaves the entire poem around the traveler's choice of which road he'll choose... the one more, or the one less traveled...

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.


This poem is about wandering through the woods and coming upon a fork in the road - and choosing which to take - on the surface.  In reality, the entirety of this wonderful poem is about making choices in life.  Should we opt to follow the crowd, or should we venture into the unknown to seek out new and different experiences.  The choice is ours...

Let's write a poem (formatted or free) which has an entirely different agenda behind the scenes from the one we see on the surface...

C'mon guys... This is a piece of cake...     


If you'll excuse me now, I'm headed back to the Robert Frost website - You can actually listen to wav files of his own poetry readings there... See ya..


© Copyright 2000 Nancy Ness - All Rights Reserved
Munda
Member Elite
since 1999-10-08
Posts 3544
The Hague, The Netherlands
1 posted 2000-04-04 07:34 PM


Why is it when you say it's easy, I always find it most difficult ?  

jbouder
Member Elite
since 1999-09-18
Posts 2534
Whole Sort Of Genl Mish Mash
2 posted 2000-04-04 08:25 PM


Thanks, Nan.  I think I might actually be able to finish this one on time.  Now off to writing! *Jim slips a straw and a piece of napkin out of his pocket and eyes Philip across the room*
Nan
Administrator
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since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191
Cape Cod Massachusetts USA
3 posted 2000-04-05 07:40 AM


NO SPITBALLS EITHER!!!




[This message has been edited by Nan (edited 04-05-2000).]

Not A Poet
Member Elite
since 1999-11-03
Posts 3885
Oklahoma, USA
4 posted 2000-04-05 10:21 AM


Munda, I think Nan just says it's gonna be easy to trick us. You know she gets paid for the number of kids in the class don't you? *keeping an eye on Jim with that straw and paper*

AVANTI
Senior Member
since 2000-02-02
Posts 664
INDIA/MAHARASHTRA/PUNE
5 posted 2000-04-05 12:47 PM


NAN i wanna try too...
If i go wrong...then I'll learn...


 If all was light...then I would have never learnt the dark...from which such truth evolves
from which evolves the light...
Avanti Rao

Nan
Administrator
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since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191
Cape Cod Massachusetts USA
6 posted 2000-04-05 04:19 PM


WOW - I'm getting paid??? I'm psyched!!

Nan
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191
Cape Cod Massachusetts USA
7 posted 2000-04-05 04:26 PM


OK - Let's take attendance - If you're not here, raise your hand, please???

We've got...
Doreen Peri
Jim Bouder
warmhrt
Munda
Tony DiBart
StarrGazer
ESP
AVANTI
Hope Tears & Renewal
Lone Wolf
Not a Poet

Is that all, folks??



[This message has been edited by Nan (edited 04-05-2000).]
wonderous
Member
since 2000-02-29
Posts 75

8 posted 2000-04-05 06:10 PM


*running into class*
me too please sorry i'm late -the bus broke down and because of the fire the replacement bus couldn't get there for an hour after which we had to make a detour to the hospital as someones baby decided to come earlier then expected and...

Hope, tears, and renewal
Member
since 2000-03-27
Posts 74

9 posted 2000-04-05 08:01 PM


I'm here, I'm here, but can I raise my hand anyway?   sobs whenever I raise my hand in school I always get the answer wrong  (
warmhrt
Senior Member
since 1999-12-18
Posts 1563

10 posted 2000-04-05 09:44 PM


Nan...Nan...,              

(Pleading to the teacher from the doorway)
Please grade my assignment. It's done...has been, and I have to get out of here...fast!!!
                                          

Thanx,
Kris< !signature-->

 the poet's pen...gives to airy nothing
A local habitation and a name ~ Shakespeare




[This message has been edited by warmhrt (edited 04-06-2000).]

Nan
Administrator
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since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191
Cape Cod Massachusetts USA
11 posted 2000-04-06 07:09 AM


It's Wonderous.... how anybody could expect me to believe a story like that - OK - You're in...

It warms my heart to see that some people actually get their work in on (ahead of) time... I'll be correcting papers soon, warmhrt...

Nan
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191
Cape Cod Massachusetts USA
12 posted 2000-04-06 07:14 AM


HT&R.... There'll be no smoking in class, if you don't mind...
doreen peri
Member Elite
since 1999-05-25
Posts 3812
Virginia
13 posted 2000-04-06 01:27 PM


I'm here. Sorta. Half way there in my head. Never mind. See ya tomorrow.
ESP
Member Elite
since 2000-01-25
Posts 2556
Floating gently on a cloud....
14 posted 2000-04-06 02:54 PM


Present, Nan!!

Erm, about the assignment you just gave us...piece a cake for who?!? For me it's tough but I can't wait to give it a try! Er, how long do we get? ((((chewing on end of pencil))) I better go get on with it now!!

 "Poetry is the true expression of my soul, it is my ultimate means of communication. It is a rainbow of delight."

Hope, tears, and renewal
Member
since 2000-03-27
Posts 74

15 posted 2000-04-06 09:05 PM


(cringes)  Sorry Nan!  I didn't mean to do the little smoking smiley thing, I typed the frowny face wrong... I didn't wanna get in trouble on the first day of class!  
Lone Wolf
Member Ascendant
since 2000-03-16
Posts 5842
Lansing, MI USA
16 posted 2000-04-06 11:15 PM


Nan....I am here!!!  And working on it.  Hopefully completed tomorrow.
Elizabeth Santos
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-11-08
Posts 9269
Pennsylvania
17 posted 2000-04-08 05:37 AM


Dear teacher,
I realize I'm too late for class, but may I please take the correspondence course? I just happened on this post and wrote a little poem about my daughter, which I am posting. I hope this is correct as a metaphor.
Liz

Oooops! Just realized I would need a password to post. Too late, huh?
I will post my little poem in Open 6.
Liz



[This message has been edited by Elizabeth Santos (edited 04-08-2000).]

kaile
Deputy Moderator 1 TourDeputy Moderator 1 Tour
Member Ascendant
since 2000-02-06
Posts 5146
singapore
18 posted 2000-04-08 07:39 PM


count me in too ")--my first time in your class,don't hit me if i do things wrongly.... ")
Purnima
Junior Member
since 2000-04-10
Posts 12
India
19 posted 2000-04-13 02:22 PM


Nan! You emailed me and said I could join. Is it OK?

Purnima

kaile
Deputy Moderator 1 TourDeputy Moderator 1 Tour
Member Ascendant
since 2000-02-06
Posts 5146
singapore
20 posted 2000-04-14 07:37 PM


dearest Teacher Nan, me very good has completed the homework assignment already but then me don't have the private password so can e-mail me to pass me the password ")
thank you,teacher ")

wonderous
Member
since 2000-02-29
Posts 75

21 posted 2000-04-14 08:02 PM


het teach
this is really difficult i try and try and try but...nothing!
shall try again i guess

wonderous
Member
since 2000-02-29
Posts 75

22 posted 2000-04-14 08:02 PM


hey teach
this is really difficult i try and try and try but...nothing!
shall try again i guess

Awesome Guy
New Member
since 2000-04-19
Posts 9
Qualicum Beach , BC, Canada
23 posted 2000-04-20 02:12 AM


I like what I see in this section.

I have one comment about Frosts' "The Road Not Taken". This is perhaps one of his most mis-understood poems. Frost [who SHOULD have been the poet laureate for the USA] was actually writing about his own choice of career.

"Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same"

Frost says here that he chose one path over the other because it was less travelled, although in reality, he knew it was the same. It was his imagination that let him see the road as being less traveled. He imagined taking the road was an important choice. And that, in fact, he would someday betelling himself that he HAD taken the road less traveled road.

"And that has made all the difference"

The 'difference' was in Frost from before he began his career. Besides being the different road, for Robert Frost, it was the right road and the only road he could have taken!

Now these comments are not mine. They belong to Louis Untermeyer in the Washington Square Press' New enlarged anthology of Robert Frost's Poems. ISBN:0-671-49617-4

The ONLY reason I felt compelled to comment is my love of this poem. It was the first poem I committed to memmory and I love his work!

So there ya go --

Al

Nan
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191
Cape Cod Massachusetts USA
24 posted 2000-04-20 08:19 AM


Thanks, Awesome Al... You're a welcome addition to our poetic walls.. More insight is always a good thing..

Watch out for this class, my friend - They can be a bit unruly at times...  

jbouder
Member Elite
since 1999-09-18
Posts 2534
Whole Sort Of Genl Mish Mash
25 posted 2000-04-20 10:37 AM


Awesome Al:

It sounds like you might enjoy the little debate going on right now on interpreting poetry in English Workshop.    Interesting stuff about Frost's poem, by the way.

Jim

son of man
Member
since 2000-04-25
Posts 125

26 posted 2000-04-27 10:31 AM


an extended metaphor huh?
this is the first time i have evr heard of the likes.
what seems simple enough...
but could it be?
there's only one way to find out.

 

4eva_at_heart
Member
since 2000-02-12
Posts 238

27 posted 2000-04-28 05:22 AM


ahem.....i just stumbled across this little workshop...though it doesn't appear to be all that little
i was wondering....how should i go about joining class?? do i have to bring a big shiny red apple for Nan on the first day??

so sorry if i wasn't spose to post this message here....here i go....pushing the 'submit' button and hoping i won't get in trouble  

Bec

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