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Extended comparison

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

An extended simile or metaphor developed across multiple lines, enriching description and deepening thematic or emotional resonance.

Detailed Definition
An extended comparison is a sustained metaphor or simile that unfolds over multiple lines or stanzas, developing intricate parallels between two unlike things; this rhetorical device deepens thematic resonance by exploring layered correspondences, as in John Donne’s conceits that liken lovers to compasses or worlds in miniature.
Example
Example in poetry:
“My love is like a red, red rose / That’s newly sprung in June” (Burns); “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? / Thou art more lovely and more temperate” (Shakespeare); “Hope is the thing with feathers / That perches in the soul” (Dickinson); “Life is a broken-winged bird / That cannot fly” (Hughes)
Additional Notes
Extended comparison develops a metaphor or simile across multiple lines or stanzas—allows for nuanced exploration of similarities; foundational in conceits (e.g., Donne’s metaphysical poetry).
Also Known As
Extended metaphor sustained simile elaborate comparison prolonged analogy Homeric Simile launched comparison Parabole Run-on metaphor Homeric comparison
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