Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Metaphors of Life

In trying to figure out how to maintain two blogs, maybe start a monthly newsletter to market my writing, get back to writing an occasional article for two content sites, final editing my first novel prior to e-self-publishing, working on a current non-fiction project, and soon getting back to editing my second novel, I'm considering a theme for this blog.

Taking off from Wesley's "arrow through the air" metaphor, I'm thinking of making this blog a "metaphors of life" site. To do that most of the posts would have to take a situation I encounter, or maybe create, and turn it into a metaphor for some aspect of life.

It sounds like a good idea. The problem is I struggle with metaphors. That's strange for someone who fancies himself a poet, isn't it? I have to struggle to find those situations from which to build metaphors. Consequently the vast majority of my poems are weaker than they could be. My best poems incorporate metaphor and simile.

Well, it's a goal and direction, and I'm considering it. Stay tuned. I won't give up things such as book reviews, but will be trying to incorporate much more on metaphor.

2 comments:

Gary said...

Try a free-association exercise. Take something you know well - watersheds, for example - and try to come up with a dozen metaphors. No editing, just imagining. Takes practice. No metaphor is exact and usually only captures one or two features.

Rinse and repeat with another subject until it starts to feel natural.

David A. Todd said...

Good idea, Gary. Watersheds and floodplains: chock full of metaphors of life.