Extended Metaphor - GCSE English Language Definition

An extended metaphor is when a writer continues a metaphor over several lines, sentences, or even throughout a whole poem or passage. Instead of comparing two things just once, the comparison is developed and built on to create a stronger image or deeper meaning. This helps the reader to understand a character, idea, or theme in a more imaginative or powerful way.

Example of extended metaphor in a GCSE text

In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth compares life to a brief, meaningless performance in the lines:

"Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player / That struts and frets his hour upon the stage / And then is heard no more."

Here, the extended metaphor compares life to a bad actor on a stage, showing Macbeth’s feelings of hopelessness and the idea that life is short and without real meaning.