metaphor

Definition:

A figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity. Metaphorical language makes writting more vivid, imaginative, thought provoking, and meaningful. See Simile.

Examples:

Examples of Metaphor from Raymond Chandler For examples of metaphor in contemporary literature, it's hard to do better than Raymond Chandler, the hard-boiled detective novelist.
 * "...his hair was bone white"
 * "I got the drunk up [the stairs] somehow. He was eager to help but his legs were rubber..."
 * "Sooner or later I may figure out why you like being a kept poodle."