A fresh look at how metaphor works in poetry, tracing from Aristotle to modern poets.
This concise study investigates how verbal images carry meaning, how different kinds of metaphor relate to one another, and how background meaning supports a poem’s ideas.
Drawing on classical and contemporary examples, the book explains key distinctions, discusses how poets use personification, and examines a famous line of thought in Tennyson’s In Memoriam. It presents clear definitions, careful analysis, and thoughtful reflections on what metaphor can do in poetry and why it matters to readers and writers alike.
- How metaphor functions as background versus the primary image in a poem
- The distinction between Aristotle’s third and fourth kinds of metaphor
- Historical and modern examples from Homer, Virgil, Dante, and Tennyson
- Appendices that illuminate metaphor in Tennyson’s In Memoriam and its impact on interpretation
Ideal for readers of literary criticism, poetry students, and anyone curious about how figurative language shapes our understanding of verse.