AP English Literature and Composition Flashcards: Function Of Metaphor Poetry

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This deck focuses on Function Of Metaphor Poetry, giving you a quick way to review the definitions, rules, and examples that matter most for AP English Literature and Composition.

How to use these flashcards

Work through these flashcards in short sessions. Try to answer each prompt before flipping the card, then revisit any cards you miss until the explanation feels automatic.

Flashcard 1: What is the tenor in the metaphor "Time is a thief"?

Answer: Time. The tenor is what's being described metaphorically.

Flashcard 2: Identify the extended metaphor in: "The classroom was a zoo; the bell was the keeper's whip."

Answer: School is framed as a zoo across multiple linked images. Both sentences develop the central zoo comparison.

Flashcard 3: Identify whether this is extended metaphor: "Life is a journey" repeated with travel details.

Answer: Extended metaphor. Journey metaphor continues with travel imagery.

Flashcard 4: Identify the metaphor in the sentence: "Time is a thief."

Answer: "Time is a thief.". The entire sentence equates time with a thief.

Flashcard 5: Identify the metaphor in this line: "Time is a thief."

Answer: Time is a thief. The entire statement equates time with thief directly.

Flashcard 6: What is a metaphor in literary analysis?

Answer: A direct comparison stating one thing is another to create meaning. Unlike simile, metaphor creates identity without comparison words.

Flashcard 7: Identify the tenor (target) in: "Her mind was a storm of questions."

Answer: Tenor: "her mind". The tenor is the subject being described metaphorically.

Flashcard 8: What is a dead (conventional) metaphor?

Answer: A metaphor so common it no longer feels figurative. Overuse strips the comparison of its imaginative power.

Flashcard 9: Identify the problem in: "We will sail through this and hit the ground running."

Answer: Mixed metaphor. Sailing and running clash as incompatible images.

Flashcard 10: Which option best identifies the mixed metaphor: A) "a sea of grief" B) "grief is a stone" C) "grief is a stone that drowned me"?

Answer: C. Stones can't drown people—incompatible actions mixed.

Flashcard 11: What is the vehicle in the metaphor "Time is a thief"?

Answer: Thief. The vehicle is what the tenor is compared to.

Flashcard 12: Identify the implied metaphor in: "He barked orders all morning."

Answer: He is compared to a dog (barking) without being named. "Barked" implies dog-like behavior without stating it.

Flashcard 13: What is the most reliable way to distinguish metaphor from simile?

Answer: Metaphor asserts identity; simile compares using "like" or "as". Direct equation (is/was/are) vs. comparison markers distinguish them.

Flashcard 14: What key feature distinguishes a metaphor from a simile?

Answer: Metaphor asserts identity; simile compares using like/as. This structural difference creates stronger identification.

Flashcard 15: Which word signals a metaphor in: "Her voice was velvet"?

Answer: was. This linking verb creates the metaphorical equation.

Flashcard 16: What does it mean to explain the function of a metaphor (not just identify it)?

Answer: State how it develops meaning, tone, or theme in context. Function analysis goes beyond identification to purpose.

Flashcard 17: What is an implied metaphor (as opposed to an explicit metaphor)?

Answer: A comparison suggested without naming both compared terms. The comparison relies on context clues rather than explicit statement.

Flashcard 18: What is a dead metaphor?

Answer: A conventional metaphor whose figurative force is largely worn out. Original figurative meaning has become literal through overuse.

Flashcard 19: Identify the metaphorical claim in: "The city swallowed him whole."

Answer: The city swallowed him whole. Direct metaphor: city = predator that swallows.

Flashcard 20: What question best identifies a metaphor's function in a poem or passage?

Answer: What meaning or effect does this comparison create in context. Function analysis focuses on purpose, not just identification.

Flashcard 21: Which function is most likely when a metaphor intensifies mood or feeling?

Answer: Emotional amplification (tone and mood shaping). Metaphors evoke feelings through sensory associations.

Flashcard 22: Which option best states a metaphor's function rather than its literal meaning?

Answer: It reveals the speaker's attitude by framing the subject through an image. Function describes effect, not literal comparison.

Flashcard 23: Which option best states the function of "Time is a thief" in one phrase?

Answer: It emphasizes time's power to take life and opportunities. The thief comparison emphasizes loss and theft.

Flashcard 24: Which function is most likely when a metaphor frames how readers judge a subject?

Answer: Reframing: guiding interpretation and evaluation. Metaphors shape perception by controlling comparison terms.

Flashcard 25: Which function best fits a violent metaphor describing debate as combat?

Answer: It frames conflict as adversarial, intensifying tone and stakes. Combat imagery creates hostile, aggressive tone.

Flashcard 26: Which function is most likely when a metaphor reveals a speaker's attitude or bias?

Answer: Characterization of the speaker's perspective. The comparison choice reveals the speaker's worldview.

Flashcard 27: What is a mixed metaphor?

Answer: A faulty blend of incompatible metaphorical images in one expression. Combines unrelated metaphors illogically.

Flashcard 28: Which function is most likely when a metaphor makes an abstract idea concrete?

Answer: Clarification through concretizing abstraction. Concrete images help readers grasp complex concepts.

Flashcard 29: What is an extended metaphor?

Answer: A metaphor sustained and developed across multiple lines or passages. It elaborates one central comparison throughout.

Flashcard 30: Which step best completes metaphor analysis after identifying tenor and vehicle?

Answer: Infer shared qualities and connect them to theme, tone, or character. Analysis requires linking comparison to literary effect.

Flashcard 31: Which phrase is most likely a dead metaphor: "the foot of the bed" or "my grief is an ocean"?

Answer: "the foot of the bed". "Foot" barely registers as metaphorical anymore.

Flashcard 32: Identify the metaphorical vehicle in: "Her mind was a storm of questions."

Answer: Vehicle: "storm". The vehicle is what the tenor is compared to.

Flashcard 33: What is the most defensible function of "The city swallowed him whole" in context?

Answer: It conveys dehumanizing overwhelm by portraying the city as predatory. Predatory image emphasizes urban alienation.

Flashcard 34: What is the primary effect of a conceptual metaphor (e.g., ARGUMENT AS WAR)?

Answer: It structures how readers think about an abstract idea through a framework. Shapes understanding by mapping one domain onto another.

Flashcard 35: Which function is most likely when a metaphor connects a specific detail to a larger idea?

Answer: Thematic development through symbolic association. Repeated metaphors build meaning beyond literal events.

Flashcard 36: Identify the vehicle in: "Her mind was a locked room".

Answer: A locked room. The vehicle is the comparison image (locked room).

Flashcard 37: Choose the sentence that contains a metaphor: A) "He ran like the wind." B) "He was the wind."

Answer: B. A uses "like" (simile); B creates direct equivalence.