“How do I write good songs using metaphors and similes?” First, we need to define the term metaphor.
Sheila Davis states:
This major mode of thinking makes an implicit comparison that unites two dissimilar realms, and thereby creates a verbal equation. For example, the expression “jumpstart the economy” implies that the economy = a stalled engine. Of course, it is not literally a stalled engine: Metaphors, being figurative fancies rather than literal facts, lack actual existence. (The Craft of Lyric Writing 166)
We call a metaphor a figurative image:
- A metaphor takes the qualities of one thing and bestows it on something else.
- For instance, “The sound of the crickets was a lullaby that put Jon to sleep.”
- This metaphor takes the soporific qualities of a lullaby and compares it to the sound the crickets make.
- The word is works like an equals sign: sound of crickets = lullaby.
When you do this, you don’t just make simple descriptions using images:
- If done right, you can also imply an interpretation of what the metaphor means.
- For example, in Romeo and Juliet Act 2 Scene 2, Shakespeare wrote, “Juliet is the sun…”
- That makes a powerful statement about Juliet’s “warmth” and “radiance.”
- It bestows the qualities of the sun on Juliet while also commenting on Romeo’s love for her.