WHICH SHOE ARE YOU?

L E S S O N : C R E AT I N G A N E X T E N D E D M E TA P H O R

An extended metaphor is a comparison between to seemingly unlike things. It doesn’t stop at just one comparison. (That’s why it is called “extended.”)

Will Ferrell's Extended Metaphor: The University of Life

"I graduated from the University of Life. All right? I received a degree from the School of Hard Knocks. And our colors were black and blue, baby. I had office hours with the Dean of Bloody Noses. All right? I borrowed my class notes from Professor Knuckle Sandwich and his Teaching Assistant, Ms. Fat Lip Thon Nyun. That’s the kind of school I went to for real, okay?“

(Will Ferrell, Commencement Address at Harvard University, 2003)

So what two unlike things are being compared by Will Ferrell in his speech at Harvard?

Why will this extended metaphor work well with the audience he is addressing?

FOR EXAMPLE:

Hope is the thing with feathersThat perches in the soul,And sings the tune without the words,And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;And sore must be the stormThat could abash the little birdThat kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest landAnd on the strangest sea;Yet, never, in extremity,It asked a crumb of me.

What two things are being compared?

What are some of the traits of hope according to this extended metaphor?

What literary device seems to go “hand in hand” with extended metaphor? (Hint: It starts with a “P”)?

ANOTHER EXAMPLE: Emily Dickinson’s “Hope Is The Thing With Feathers”

Brainstorming:List any Type of shoe you can think of (category)

ASSIGNMENT: PREWRITING

PREWRITING: SPECIFIC EXAMPLESAfter you have made your list of TYPES of shoes, try to think of

specific examples of that type of shoe. Example: Athletic shoes: red Converse high tops

CREATING AN EXTENDED METAPHOR POEM 1. Think of a person. It could be YOU or someone you know. It

could be a famous person- a celebrity or person from history. It could be a character from a book or movie.

2. Once you have settled on your person, ask yourself this question. If he or she were a shoe, what shoe would he or she be ( which shoe best fits who they are )?

3. Use your organizer chart to set up your comparisons.

ORGANIZER:Name of Person Type of Shoe

Chris running shoe

Traits of Chris Traits of the shoe (related to Chris) Bold Bright yellow; runs through othersQuick Light on the feet, speedingTough through rain and heatEnduring miles and miles (marathons)Impulsive not thinkingFlashy Bright yellowAthleticquickly movingTall/big Size 12

THINGS TO CONSIDER: • Color- What color is the shoe? Use the color chart to use

specific shades of a color: • Texture- Use adjectives which describe texture

• Condition- Is the shoe new and unworn, or dirty and worn out? What does the condition of the shoe say about some aspect of the person’s life?

REQUIREMENTS:

EXTENDED METAPHOR POEM ASSIGNMENT:• Must compare a person to a one type of shoe• Must be at least 12-16 lines long (consider 3-4 four line

stanzas)• Does not need to rhyme• Should contain multiple traits being compared between your

person and the shoe• Complete the graphic organizer first• Write a rough draft on notebook paper• Revision and editing process (you will get a handout with

directions for this)• Final draft: handwritten or typed VERY neatly on stationary

paper (name on the back)

REVISION1. Take out all linking verbs (is, are , was, were, am):

Example: My dad is an old scraped up brown leather work boot.

Becomes: An old scraped up brown leather work boot,

REVISION :2. Play around with punctuation:

COMMAS are like yellow lights and street signs- SLOW DOWN or Pause

Save PERIODS for the end of a stanza. They are like red lights- a complete stop.

DASHES are used to add information. Look at the example in the previous section on periods.

RHETORICAL QUESTIONS: questions used to make the reader (or character) reflect and think:

Example:What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd.

REVISION:3. Organization: • Consider the order of your extended metaphor:• If your start with a four line stanza describing the color and

texture of the shoe, maybe the next stanza deals with where the shoe goes, and the next relates to how other people (or shoes) react to your shoe

• Avoid repeating yourself! Use the thesaurus to find synonyms or delete unnecessary repetition or “fluff.”

• Do you need more imagery- color words, shape/size words, texture adjectives, action verbs, specific nouns ? Only use words which contribute to your extended metaphor.

EDITING• Consider having a classmate read your rough draft before

you write the final draft.

• With poetry, use can “mess around with” font, capitalization, and punctuation. Be creative. But some rules still apply- spelling, for example.

• Poem must either be typed and printed out on stationary or handwritten. They may not be done in pencil. Lettering should be large enough to be clearly seen from several feet away. Make it “purty”!

• Your poem needs a title. Put some thought into it! Capitalize key words in the title.

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1Title and Content a creative title is

provided; the poem contains a minimum of 20 lines

a creative title is provided; the poem contains a minimum of 12 lines

the title is not particularly creative; the poem contains only 8-10 lines

the title is not at all creative; the poem contains only 5-7 lines

Focus and Organization

the extended metaphor is clear, focused, and maintained throughout the poem

the extended metaphor is clear, somewhat focused, but not maintained throughout the poem

the extended metaphor is not very clear, focused, and is not maintained throughout the poem

the extended metaphor is not present or recognizable within the poem

Use of Figurative Language

the poem contains at least one specific example of alliteration, onomatopoeia, simile, metaphor, and personification

the poem contains at least one specific example of alliteration, onomatopoeia, simile, metaphor, and personification

the poem contains only three specific examples of the required literary devices

the poem contains only one specific example of the required literary devices

Use of Imagery the poem contains three specific examples of imagery

the poem contains three specific examples of imagery

the poem contains only two specific examples of imagery

the poem contains only one specific example of imagery

Context all of the specific literary device examples are used correctly

most of the specific literary device examples are used correctly

very few of the specific literary device examples are used correctly

none of the specific literary device examples are used correctly

Red High Heel A red high heelStanding up high as people walk by…Proud as a peacockFlashing its bright feathers. But stilettos are the bestStrutting better than the rest…The tapping noise calls all the boysWith a chatter of clack and clatter. It glimmers and shines Always high class - never trash…In a ruby red skin that demands attention And causes people to stop and listen. So slender and sleek With a “soul” deeper than others…a red high heelStanding up high as people walk by.

TOMORROW: BRING YOUR LAPTOP OR IPAD TO CLASS

DUE MONDAY BY THE END OF CLASS:

We have 5 computers and will have a few laptops to type

your poem. The rest of you may need to handwrite your

poem unless you bring a laptop or iPad. If you use an iPad or

tablet, you may need to download an app like EVERNOTE so

you can type your poem in Word format.