Home › Glossary › Letter S

switchable metaphor

Device
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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 structured so that its subject and object can be exchanged logically

Detailed Definition
Switchable metaphor is a figurative device where the tenor and vehicle of a metaphor can be reversed or interchanged without losing coherence, suggesting a reciprocal or symbiotic relationship; this technique—such as “the river is a road” and “the road is a river”—implies deep equivalence, challenging hierarchical distinctions between subject and comparison through fluid, bidirectional imagery.
Example
Example in poetry:
In metaphor, “time is a river” can switch to “time is a thief” depending on context—switchable metaphor; In political poetry, “nation as family” may switch to “nation as battlefield” as switchable metaphor; In Sylvia Plath, the moon shifts from maternal to cold observer as switchable metaphor; In war poetry, “soldier as hero” may switch to “soldier as victim” as switchable metaphor.
Additional Notes
switchable metaphor: A metaphor that allows easy role-reversal between tenor and vehicle, highlighting adaptability.
Also Known As
Replaceable metaphor Switch metaphor Substitutable trope Commutative metaphor
Skip to main content