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Collateral metaphor

Device
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A metaphor created by juxtaposing two equally weighted images side by side, inviting comparison without explicit linking language.

Detailed Definition
A collateral metaphor links two seemingly unrelated domains through a shared but unstated third term, creating indirect comparison that relies on contextual inference rather than explicit simile or direct analogy, thereby generating layered, often surprising interpretive possibilities.
Example
Example in poetry:
Collateral metaphor: Metaphor implying secondary meaning: “His anger was a storm” (collateral: destruction, unpredictability); Plath’s “Daddy”: “Marble-heavy, a bag full of God” (collateral: weight of patriarchy); Original: “Her smile—a locked door” (collateral: secrecy, exclusion)
Additional Notes
Metaphor comparing parallel or secondary elements rather than primary subjects. Creates complex analogical networks. Related to: extended metaphor, tenor and vehicle. Advanced figurative technique.
Also Known As
Parallel metaphor side-by-side comparison adjacent figure simultaneous metaphor
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