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Misapplied 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 that misaligns tenor and vehicle, resulting in confusion, implausibility, or weakened poetic impact due to poor fit.

Detailed Definition
A misapplied metaphor occurs when a figurative comparison is illogical, inconsistent with its context, or clashes with established imagery, resulting in confusion or unintentional absurdity; while sometimes used deliberately for comic or surreal effect, it often signals a lapse in poetic control or coherence.
Example
Example in poetry:
'He had a voice like a foghorn drifting through a field of cotton candy' (The actions of the tenor and vehicle conflict awkwardly); 'The ship of state is a magnificent bird, but its wheels are falling off' (The metaphor mixes imagery from different and unrelated domains); 'Her eyes were two burning coals that whispered secrets to the night' (Burning coals do not whisper); 'The economy is a tiger, but we've clipped its wings and grounded it' (A tiger does not fly).
Additional Notes
Misapplied metaphor: A metaphor that is logically inconsistent or inappropriate in the context where it is used, often resulting from an unintentional clash of imagery or concepts; related to mixed metaphor.
Also Known As
Catachresis misused metaphor strained figurative use
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