METAPHOR (Aerra4sopcf, literally 'a transference'), a figure of speech which renders the subject of discourse striking, by the aid of expres sions primarily referring to other objects. A common kind of metaphor is that called personification, where inanimate beings are represented as endowed with life, and even with feeling, reason, &e., as " the fields do laugh and sing,"—" stern whiter." If this kind of metaphor spiritualisea the corporeal, another kind, on the contrary, embodies the spiritual, as " the star of renown"—" the pinnacle of honour," and so on. A third kind is little else than a shortened simile, two objects in the same sphere being brought together, only on account of their resemblance. To this kind belong such expressions as "the silver moon"—" the golden sun," &c., where it will be seen at once that " silver" and " moon," gold" and " sun," are connected merely on account of their obvious similarity of colour and bright ness. The origin of the first two kinds of metaphor is not so appa rent, for though they likewise express a similarity, yet the similarity of a series of bodily objects to a series of objects merely of the mind, where there can of necessity be no sensible resemblance, is a subject for psychological investigation. The application of certain metaphors, in all languages and among all people, attracted the attention of Jean Paul Richter, who remarked that, " no nation called error, light, or truth, darkness." If we attend to the state of language, we shall find
that a great part of the commonest discourse is composed of metaphors of the second kind, and that nearly all words expressing mental states, operations, and affections are in fact metaphorical. Thus, we say every day " a man of extended views"—" a man of good capacity, acute judgment," &c., where the words " extended," " views," " capa city," " acute," evidently belonged originally to material objects, but have been applied to things immaterial by metaphors. The circum stance that material objects are more apparent, that language seems primarily to have them for its sole objects, and that when a higher degree of reflection brings with it objects belonging to the mind alone, nothing is left but to apply in a new sense the words already formed, is sufficient to explain the use of these metaphors generally. But still the fact that such and such bodily attributes are univer sally predicated of such and such spiritual objects alone, may still furnish matter for consideration to the curious in psychological speculation.