How To Use Metaphors More Effectively (3 Mistakes)

HolisticSongs

HolisticSongs

New member
Hey everyone,

Friedemann here. In my new blog, I talk about 3 mistakes I see time and time again when
it comes to songwriters using metaphors. You can read all about them in my blog below,
but in short, they are:

1. Make your metaphors have emotional purpose
2. Keep them precise and specific
3. Make it clear what you mean
 
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HolisticSongs said:
Hey everyone,

Friedemann here. In my new blog, I talk about 3 mistakes I see time and time again when
it comes to songwriters using metaphors. You can read all about them in my blog below,
but in short, they are:

1. Make your metaphors have emotional purpose
2. Keep them precise and specific
3. Make it clear what you mean
Click to expand...

See, what you have listed here are not three mistakes, they're three guiding principles, or suggestions, or tips that you are espousing - the exact opposite of mistakes.

This begs the question as to why anyone would take songwriting advice from someone who can't write a coherent paragraph about their blog... erm, metaphorical songwriting tips.:confused:

Would you like me to spell out what the three mistakes you're trying to get us all to avoid actually are, or can you work that out yourself?

Oh, and the other thing you might want to get across.... most of the things you're writing about on your blog aren't actually metaphors - poetic allusions perhaps. "I still make coffee for two" isn't, in and of itself, a metaphor.

But hey, we're songwriters, right? Words can mean whatever we want them to.:thumbs up:

Thanks for dropping by.
 
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You've opened a real can of worms with this post, Armistice. I smell a rat here and there was no need to go total frog-in-a-sock on this dude. In future, get your ducks in a row before you break out the Feuer-und Flammenwerfer.
 
Bubba po said:
You've opened a real can of worms with this post, Armistice. I smell a rat here and there was no need to go total frog-in-a-sock on this dude. In future, get your ducks in a row before you break out the Feuer-und Flammenwerfer.
Click to expand...

Cliche metaphors, I'm afraid, Bubba. Not to mention animal-themed and predictable.. worms, rats, frogs, ducks.
Sounds like someone didn't read the Holistic Songwriting blog.
 
This guy buzzes into forums everywhere, a bumblebee visiting spring flowers, promoting his blog and ($$) songwriting videos. Never participating, he's the poor waif looking in through the frosted window to the warm cabin fire.

Got rid of the 'likes' - metaphors now?

'Avoid notes' - that's a good one!
 
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mjbphotos said:
This guy buzzes into forums everywhere like a bumblebee visiting spring flowers, promoting his blog and ($$) songwriting videos. Never participating, like the poor waif looking in through the frosted window to the warm cabin fire.
Click to expand...

Similies, dude. :D
 
Like a bunch of vultures.

---------- Update ----------

Oh no....When you use "like" it becomes a simile. Never mind.

---------- Update ----------

This thread makes......something look like....something....

Christ, I suck at analogies, too. :(
 
That's a horrible pun. It's not even punny. Go to your room, pun. You're punished!
 
Hey Armistice,
I rephrased my 3 mistakes into guidelines for my post here because I didn't just want to copy paste. Thanks for pointing it out!
The actual mistakes are:
1) Avoid Notes
2) Nonsensical Harmony
3) No Build-Up
And you're right of course about "still make coffee for two" not technically being a metaphor, I understand metaphors in the sense of
understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another. In my definition, an image or act can be a metaphor. Like
when we see Jonah Hill eat a gold fish in Wolf of Wall Street (There we go again with the animal metaphors), which is a metaphor
for greed and hubris.

@fat_fleet: I agree: Animal themed metaphors are the worst.

@jonny deep & fat_fleet: Technically, since you're using "like" it's a simile. ;)
 
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