#AP English Literature: Extended Metaphors - Your Ultimate Guide 🚀

Hey there, future AP Lit superstar! Let's dive into extended metaphors, a key concept that can unlock deeper meanings in poetry. This guide is designed to be your go-to resource, especially the night before the exam. Let's make sure you're feeling confident and ready to ace it!

#1. Metaphor Refresher

First things first, let's quickly review what a regular metaphor is:

Metaphor: A figure of speech that compares two unrelated things or ideas without using "like" or "as."

Example: "The world is a stage." (Comparing the world to a stage where people play roles)

#2. Understanding Extended Metaphors

Now, let's get to the main event: extended metaphors. Think of them as metaphors that go the extra mile 🏃‍♀️.

#How to Identify Them:

• Look for a comparison that is sustained over multiple lines or stanzas.
• Pay attention to how the comparison evolves and what new aspects are explored.
• Notice if the poet uses other literary devices (like similes and imagery) to support the extended metaphor.

#Examples:

• Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken": The choice of paths in life is compared to choosing a road in the woods. The poem explores the implications of that choice throughout.

  

  Frost's poem uses the image of a diverging path to represent life choices.

• **T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"...