Imagery in creative writing
‘Hope is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all – ‘
Emily Dickinson
When discussing beautiful imagery, metaphors and simile, we usually think of poetry. The queen herself, Emily Dickinson, is a never-ending source of some of the most beautiful metaphors, many of which have become a staple on cards, Instagram carrousels and epigraphs.
It is not uncommon in prose, either, but it stands out less and has to compete with many other literary devices. Sometimes the whole work is a metaphor, like George Orwell’s Animal Farm, and sometimes a main character is a metaphor, like the crow in Grief is a Thing with Feathers by Max Porter (and the title is an homage to Emily Dickinson’s poem). But usually, in fiction, it is restricted to an image, referring to, most often, a human condition, experiences and feelings, comparing them to events or conditions in nature, our surroundings, even inanimate objects.
As a somewhat obsessive researcher in all things language, I took a deep dive into this area of the writing process that has resulted in some of the most beautiful sentences I have read. And because I’m a teacher, I needed to translate it into lessons learnt.
Lesson 1: What’s the difference and when to use what?
A metaphor states that one thing is another.
Time is a thief.
She is an open book.
It should be used when you want to be strong and forceful about the aspect you are describing, usually a feeling you want to evoke.
A simile compares two things, showing that they are alike.
She is as cool as a cucumber.
He is fit as a fiddle.
Similes are used to help readers understand a new concept by comparing it with something familiar or to be less aggressive (than a metaphor) but allow the reader to instantly recognise what you are trying to say
Lesson 2: Don’t use a metaphors/simile for the sake of having a beautiful sentence
This lesson is probably behind the famous ‘kill your darlings’ advice. Writers often fall in love with their own sentences and forget that every sentence needs to do a few jobs, not just sound beautiful. Metaphors and similes should reveal character, deepen mood, reinforce theme or help readers experience something emotionally rather than simply understand it intellectually.
This also applies to the use of multiple metaphors in the one sentence or passage. Often, using only one is more powerful than overloading the reader with processing different imagery, thus confusing them and possibly switching off. For example,
His eyes were blue lakes frozen over.
is better than
His eyes were blue lakes, shimmering emeralds, ice-cold floes.
Lesson 3: Don’t use cliches and tired metaphors
I slept like a baby.
She gave him the cold shoulder.
Laughter is the best medicine.
We’ve heard them a million times and we often don’t even notice they are metaphors/simile. As result, they’ve lost their potency and will rarely lead the reader to create a picture in their mind.
Lesson 4: Match the metaphor to the character
Metaphors make the most sense when they are in tune with the character they are used for. For example, if the character is a farmer, the metaphor should refer to something from a farmer’s environment, such as fields, tilling the soil, milking cows, etc. If the character is a nurse, the metaphor should be from that environment, like a reference to injections, blood pressure, etc.
Lesson 5: Always ask questions to check if the metaphor works
During the editing process, check each metaphor and aske the following question:
Does the image fit the character?
Does it fit the tone?
Is it original?
Does it add meaning beyond the description?
Some examples from literature
Metaphors
Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
"It is the east, and Juliet is the sun."
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
"In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars."
Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
"The wine shops ... seemed to have a tigerish smear about them."
Similes
Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises
"The cafe was like a battleship stripped for action."
Stephen King, The Long Walk
"He died like a bug under a microscope."
Robert Frost, "Birches"
"Life is too much like a pathless wood."
Sylvia Plath, "Morning Song"
"Love set you going like a fat gold watch."
Shakespeare, All's Well That Ends Well
"She weeps like a wench that had shed her milk."
Some useful resources:
Purdue OWL: Using Metaphors in Creative Writing
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/resources/writing_tutors/tutoring_creative_writing_students/metaphors_in_creative_writing.html
Excellent overview of metaphor types and how they function in creative writing.
Jericho Writers: Metaphors Dos and Don'ts
https://jerichowriters.com/metaphors-dos-and-donts/
Practical advice for fiction writers, including avoiding clichés and strengthening imagery.
F(r)iction: Writing figurative language: a guide to metaphors, similes and analogies
https://www.writerswrite.com/fiction/metaphors-similes/
Useful guide with lots of examples and discussion of effective figurative language.
Background painting: Georgia O’Keefe: Blue and Green Music