What is Analogy in Literature?

An analogy is a literary device that is popularly used in literature to aid an author in establishing the point they are trying to make. A literary device is used by the author to add meaning and imagery to writing. This style of writing helps add depth to the literature. This added layer of meaning can help students and academics analyze the author’s intentions. Other literary devices include alliteration, imagery, metaphors, and similes.

An analogy is a commonly used literary device. The definition of analogy is a comparison between two known things to create an understanding of a new concept in literature. An analogy will establish a relationship between two concepts that are parallel. It works to introduce how concepts are related by identifying a common thread. This aids the reader in understanding what the author is trying to prove in their argument.

The more effective way to understand analogies is through the use of an example. Simple analogies have a distinct, identifiable format that they are written in. The following is an example of the format of a simple analogy: A is to B as C is to D. Here is an example with those terms filled in: ‘An apple is to fruit as a cat is to an animal.’

In this simple analogy, the apple is a type of fruit. Similarly, a cat is a type of animal.

A complex analogy does not follow the classic framework that is used for a simple analogy. The language used may be more figurative and imagery may be used. In this case, the relationship the author is trying to convey may be less obvious to the reader. The following analogy is considered complex: ‘Life is like a box of unmarked chocolates.’ In this complex analogy, the author is alluding to the fact that life is unpredictable.

Importance of Analogy in Literature

In literature, an analogy is a literary device that is used by the author to create connections between parallel concepts. It aids in informing the reader about the relation between two ideas. Analogies can help make abstract ideas more concrete by offering tangible comparisons. This helps the reader understand what the author is trying to convey.

Note the following analogy: ‘Raising children requires the same dedication you would give to a garden. Nurture them, feed them, introduce them to both light and dark, and have patience; and soon you will see them grow into blooming wonders.’

In this analogy, the author is comparing an abstract concept, raising children, to a well-known, tangible concept, gardening. Therefore, the reader can grasp the necessary tasks of child-rearing because of the correlation that is being drawn to raising a garden. Analogies can make hard-to-grasp concepts easier to understand.

For these reasons, analogies can prove to be a useful tool in persuasive arguments. Analogies can be utilized effectively within various genres of literature. The analogy comes from the Greek language and means ‘proportionately.’ In ancient Greece, academics would use analogies to help prove their points. They can be used to draw a connection between ideas, making an argument clear to the reader.

An analogy will establish a relationship between two concepts that are parallel.

Types of Analogy

There are two different types of analogies. They include literal analogies and figurative analogies. The subsequent sections will dive deeper into the definitions of each, including examples.

Literal Analogy

The first type of analogy is a literal analogy. A literal analogy is used to compare two similar concepts. This can be useful in arguments of persuasion by establishing that common link. This can be seen when medications are tested on animals, such as mice and monkeys before they are approved for use on humans. Researchers are saying that these animals react to the medications and treatments the same way humans would react.

Another classic example is seen when children attempt to argue with their parents. They may state: “If Janelle can play hockey, why can’t I?” The child is drawing a literal comparison between the two children to rationalize their request to also play hockey.

Literal analogies attempt to establish two concepts as being the same. This allows the person to rationalize their actions or argument. This can prove useful for persuasive arguments in academia and real-world scenarios.

Figurative Analogy

The second type of analogy is a figurative analogy. This section will define figurative analogy and identify some examples. Figurative analogies draw a correlation between two concepts that are unrelated. This type of analogy will draw the reader’s attention to the similar connection between the otherwise different ideas. This type of analogy is known for using more dramatic, poetic language that may be based on imagery.

An example of a figurative analogy includes: ‘She is as cold as ice.’ In this analogy, a person and ice have very little in common. However, this sentence is highlighting the fact that the person is not friendly or warm. Instead, she is considered to have a cold personality, similar to how ice is cold.

Another example of a figurative analogy is: ‘She is a ball of fire.’ The opposite of the last example, this one compares a person to fire. While these ideas have almost nothing to do with each other, this sentence is comparing a person’s personality to the warmth of a fire.

The two types of analogies are figurative and literal.

Analogy Examples in Literature

There are many examples of analogies that are used in literature. The following is a list of analogies that highlight rhetorical language:

• “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
  By any other word would smell as sweet.
  So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called”
  – “Romeo and Juliet”, William Shakespeare

In this analogy, Shakespeare is comparing Romeo to a rose. Juliet is stating that Romeo can be called by another name, but it would not change his characteristics. Similarly, one could call a rose by another name, but it would still smell sweet, like a rose.

• “Memory is to love what the saucer is to the cup.” – “The House in Paris”, Elizabeth Bowen.

In this literal analogy, Bowen is comparing memory to a saucer and the love of a cup. She is stating that memory holds on to the idea of love and keeps it in place. Similarly, a sauce holds onto the cup.

• “If you want my final opinion on the mystery of life and all that, I can give it to you in a nutshell. The universe is like a safe to which there is a combination. But the combination is locked up in the safe.” – “Let Me Count the Ways”, Peter De Vries.

In this analogy, De Vries is comparing the universe to a safe that is locked with a combination. The combination is locked within the safe, so it cannot be opened. In this complex, figurative analogy, the author is explaining how the universe will always be a mystery in some aspects.

Lesson Summary

In literature, an analogy is a literary device that is used by the author to create connections between parallel concepts. A literary device is used by the author to add meaning and imagery to writing. An analogy is a comparison between two known things to create an understanding of a new concept. It aids in informing the reader about the relation between two ideas. Analogies can prove to be a useful tool in persuasive arguments.

The two types of analogies are figurative and literal. A literal analogy is used to compare two similar concepts. This can be useful in arguments of persuasion by establishing that common link. The second type of analogy is a figurative analogy. Figurative analogies draw a correlation between two concepts that are unrelated. This type of analogy will draw the reader’s attention to the similar connection between the otherwise different ideas.