A metaphor is a figure of speech that implicitly compares two different or contradictory things that happen to share a common characteristic. It is also important to note that a metaphor is usually regarded as different from a simile. Similes make explicit comparisons using the terms "like" or "as," while metaphors make implicit or hidden comparisons. Gary Soto employs a metaphor toward the end of the poem when he compares the boy's orange to a...
A metaphor is a figure of speech that implicitly compares two different or contradictory things that happen to share a common characteristic. It is also important to note that a metaphor is usually regarded as different from a simile. Similes make explicit comparisons using the terms "like" or "as," while metaphors make implicit or hidden comparisons. Gary Soto employs a metaphor toward the end of the poem when he compares the boy's orange to a fire in his hands. Soto writes,
"I peeled my orange / That was so bright [. . .] Someone might have thought / I was making a fire in my hands" (52-55).
Oranges and fire have little in common other than their bright color. The boy's orange looks bright against the dark setting and resembles a fire in his hands. Soto's metaphor implicitly compares the brightness of both the orange and fire. The orange also symbolizes young love throughout the poem.
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