If you get uncomprehending stares at this point, step back one zone of proximal development and ask your class simply to list the similarities between the metaphor and the activity. Trace the DISsimilarities. In other words, encourage people to write a paragraph or list the ways that the metaphor falls short of the goal, which is to describe one activity in terms of another. The speed at solving math problems is often less important than the conceptual understanding, so a steady tortoise pace may indicate mastery better than a hare-brained rush to produce the answer. A metaphor is a terrible thing to waste, so the last step is to apply the analogy to a realistic situation.
Metaphors embellish our language in the subtlety, power, and grace of literature.
Most poetic expressions are highly metaphoric, not because the authors are hiding ideas or dressing them up in literary disguises but because complexity or potency of thought needs an equally deft or persuasive instrument. This week's Teaching Tip was written by Tom Derrick of the English Department.