Communications
Click Play below to start the video
(TEDEducation. YouTube. TED, 24 Sept. 2012. Web. 21 July 2017)
After watching the video, in a new Word document, respond to the following in roughly 600 words:
1. Describe some examples of metaphors and similes from the video. Which did you find most compelling and why?
2. Does the use of these forms of expression help in both visualizing and remembering the main points of the speech? Why or why not?
3. What guidelines would you suggest in using metaphor and simile in your speeches to make them more memorable to your listeners?
Would it ever be inappropriate to use these in a speech? If so, when?
ANSWER
The art of the metaphor
Describe some examples of metaphors and similes from the video. Which did you find most compelling and why?
Examples of metaphors used in the video include, “there is the elephant in the room,” “it’s raining cats and dogs” and, the world of newborn infants is a buzzing and blooming confusion.
Other metaphors include “all the world is a stage” and “life for me ain’t been no crystal stairs. It’s had tacks in it, and splinters and boards torn up.” Examples of similes used in the video include “sweet as honey,” “strong like a tree, and “the world is like a stage.”
The most compelling metaphor used in the video is “the world of newborn infants is a buzzing and blooming confusion.” This is quite a compelling metaphor in that it tends to describe how an infant’s life is, where it indirectly yet directly tries to explain what the life of an infant is. The most compelling simile from the video is “strong like a tree,” since it compares a person’s strength to a tree since it is quite hard to make a tree fall unless you use an ax or excessive strength.
- 2. Does the use of these forms of expression help visualize and remember the main points of the speech? Why or why not?
Yes, using metaphors and similes greatly helps one visualize better and remember the points clearly. The use of metaphors makes one compare an incidence, a person, and an object with something that has happened before or with a real object, making it vital when making a speech. It also aids in ensuring that the audience will remember the speech since they will be able to compare it with something they are conversant with, a factor that will aid in meeting the objectives of the speech.
- What guidelines would you suggest using metaphor and simile in your speeches to make them more memorable to your listeners?
When giving a speech using metaphors and similes, there is always a need to ensure that they are short and easy to understand. It is always also important to ensure that there is no explanation about the metaphor or simile, but always let the audience analyze and comprehend for themselves and form their mind.
- Would it ever be inappropriate to use these in a speech? If so, when?
It would be inappropriate to use a metaphor or simile in certain circumstances. First, this would be unsuitable to use them when they sound stereotypical, racist, homophobic, discriminative, or in any way abusive. It would also be unsuitable if they brought public misunderstanding and had a message that undermined the other party.
