Metaphoric Love

Love is a cool breeze on a warm day, soft and welcome comfort. This is how I picture love. While this idea works for me, every person has a different idea of love. Generally, most agree it is a good thing, but it is difficult to put this concept into words. In describing love, writers often use the tool of metaphor. A metaphor is a comparison of two unlike items to bring home the point to the reader. When an emotion or concept is difficult to describe, the writer uses metaphor to help the reader understand what the author is trying to convey. For example, in the following quote, love is compared to a haunting melody, a concept to which most readers can relate. Love is a haunting melody That I have never mastered And I fear I never will. ~ by William S. Burroughs ~ The metaphor you select should fit into the theme and characterization of the story. You don't want to use a reference to musical composition in a romance story set in an extremely isolated part of the country. Especially one taking place in a time when music was not readily accessed over radio and television. The comparison must fit the theme of the tale and the characters. A simple farmer who has never left his land would be unlikely to compare his love for his spouse to music, instead he might compare it to a sunset or even the richness of the soil. Be certain to keep this in mind when using metaphor in your writing. For more information on metaphor, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphor.