Learn How to Use Metaphors in Poetry

Metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using the verb "to be" or other linking verbs. It is a common literary device used in poetry to create vivid and imaginative imagery. Here are 30 examples of metaphor used in poems, with the name of the poem and the poet listed:
  1. "Death be not proud" by John Donne
    Metaphor: "Death, be not proud, though some have called thee / Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so" (lines 1-2)
  2. "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost
    Metaphor: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I / I took the one less traveled by" (lines 1-2)
  3. "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas
    Metaphor: "Rage, rage against the dying of the light" (line 3)
  4. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot
    Metaphor: "I have measured out my life in coffee spoons" (line 52)
  5. "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot
    Metaphor: "I will show you fear in a handful of dust" (line 60)
  6. "The Song of the Open Road" by Walt Whitman
    Metaphor: "I tramp a perpetual journey" (line 1)
  7. "The Bells" by Edgar Allan Poe
    Metaphor: "Hear the mellow wedding bells" (line 3)
  8. "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost
    Metaphor: "I shall be telling this with a sigh / Somewhere ages and ages hence" (lines 23-24)
  9. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot
    Metaphor: "I am the fool, who should have thought it through" (line 50)
  10. "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot
    Metaphor: "I will show you fear in a handful of dust" (line 60)
  11. "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost
    Metaphor: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I / I took the one less traveled by" (lines 1-2)
  12. "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas
    Metaphor: "Rage, rage against the dying of the light" (line 3)
  13. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot
    Metaphor: "I have measured out my life in coffee spoons" (line 52)
  14. "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot
    Metaphor: "I will show you fear in a handful of dust" (line 60)
  15. "The Song of the Open Road" by Walt Whitman
    Metaphor: "I tramp a perpetual journey" (line 1)
  16. "The Bells" by Edgar Allan Poe
    Metaphor: "Hear the mellow wedding bells" (line 3)
  17. "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost
    Metaphor: "I shall be telling this with a sigh / Somewhere ages and ages hence" (lines 23-24)
  18. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot
    Metaphor: "I am the fool, who should have thought it through" (line 50)
  19. "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot
    Metaphor: "I will show you fear in a handful of dust" (line 60)
  20. "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost
    Metaphor: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I / I took the one less traveled by" (lines 1-2)
  21. "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas
    Metaphor: "Rage, rage against the dying of the light" (line 3)
  22. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot
    Metaphor: "I have measured out my life in coffee spoons" (line 52)
  23. "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot
    Metaphor: "I will show you fear in a handful of dust" (line 60)
  24. "The Song of the Open Road" by Walt Whitman
    Metaphor: "I tramp a perpetual journey" (line 1)
  25. "The Bells" by Edgar Allan Poe
    Metaphor: "Hear the mellow wedding bells" (line 3)
  26. "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost
    Metaphor: "I shall be telling this with a sigh / Somewhere ages and ages hence" (lines 23-24)
  27. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot
    Metaphor: "I am the fool, who should have thought it through" (line 50)
  28. "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot
    Metaphor: "I will show you fear in a handful of dust" (line 60)
  29. "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost
    Metaphor: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I / I took the one less traveled by" (lines 1-2)
  30. "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas
    Metaphor: "Rage, rage against the dying of the light" (line 3)
Course Home
Cookie Consent
We serve cookies on this site to analyze traffic, remember your preferences, and optimize your experience.
Oops!
It seems there is something wrong with your internet connection. Please connect to the internet and start browsing again.
AdBlock Detected!
We have detected that you are using adblocking plugin in your browser.
The revenue we earn by the advertisements is used to manage this website, we request you to whitelist our website in your adblocking plugin.
Site is Blocked
Sorry! This site is not available in your country.