Metaphorical play
A metaphor paints one concept with the attributes of another.
Cut out the following words and shuffle them around until you find some “_____” of “_____” forms that strike you. Typically the first will be a tangible (concrete, something you can touch) noun and the second will be intanglible (abstract, an idea or emotion, something you can’t touch). But play around with it.
The Tangibles:
goblet
cart
sheen
museum
blizzard
garden
coffin
explosion
curse
dagger
heart
illusion
drama
ghost
forest
The Intangibles:
adventureWrite sentences — or a poem — for your favorites, tying the verb in with the metaphor, eg, a cauldron of something might be stirred or boiled, a basket of something might be woven or carried.
character
conflict
death
hell
fame
friendship
gossip
insult
hope
joy
luck
pity
popularity
wit
This is adapted from an exercise from You Can Write Poetry by Jeff Mock.
