What is an analogy?

What is the definition of ‘analogy’?

In literature, an analogy is when an author compares two different concepts or ideas with each other. Writers can use this literary device to better explain abstract ideas, to make an argument, or to add imagery to their stories. Analogies are popular in many forms of literature, including novels, poetry, dramas, and more.

Write with Confidence using Editor

Elevate your writing with real-time, intelligent assistance

Learn more

There are two main types of analogy: figurative analogy and literal analogy. A figurative analogy compares two things that have something in common but aren’t actually similar. For example, “Life is like a box of chocolates—you never know what you’re going to get” is a figurative analogy because life and chocolate aren’t actually similar, but they both share unpredictability. In a literal analogy, two things that share similarities are compared. For example: “The human heart is like a pump. It circulates blood through your body just like a pump circulates water through a system.” This literal analogy compares the human heart and a water pump, which both have similar functionality.

Examples of analogies in literature

Here are some examples of analogy used in literature:

“Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.”
-Macbeth by William Shakespeare

In this passage, Shakespeare compares life to a shadow to signify how life can quickly come and go.

Here’s another example of analogy in literature:

“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 by Peter De Vries

In this passage, De Vries writes about a safe that can’t be opened. De Vries uses this analogy to explain how the mystery of life will never be completely understood, just like how a safe with the combination inside of it will never be opened.

Here’s an example of an analogy in a poem:

“The day is done, and the darkness
Falls from the wings of Night,
As a feather is wafted downward
From an eagle in his flight.”
-The Day is Done by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

In this poem, Longfellow compares the end of a day to a feather falling from the sky.

How to write your own analogy

With the right practice, you can write a powerful analogy. Follow these steps to write an analogy:

• Determine the message. What concept or idea are you trying to explain? Narrowing down what you are hoping to help the reader understand will allow you to create a strong analogy.
• Choose two different subjects. To create an analogy, you’ll need to compare two different things. Choose two objects or things that have something in common. It’s best to choose subjects that your audience will be familiar with—otherwise, they might not understand the analogy.
• Narrow down what your two different subjects have in common. For example, a car and a bike are two different things, but they’re both forms of transportation. If you can’t make a connection between your two different subjects, find new subjects.
• Write your analogy. Once you’ve written your analogy, try reading it out loud to make sure that it makes sense. You might also want to run your analogy by a friend or teacher to make sure that it’s strong enough.

Analogies are a great tool that writers can use to explain concepts. Up next, learn what a simile is and how you can use them in your writing.