Of metaphor & Love

I remember the challenge my classmates had with metaphors and similes when we were in school. I was only slightly better than most and enjoyed English not because of the beauty words sometime bring to thoughts but because it was easy for me to score in itJ. But the same wasn’t the case with all. Most thought english teachers used to derive pleasure out of devising questions in grammar and could clearly imagine them dancing around teacher’s room on figuring out an unfathomable metaphor which would definitely bowl over us in a test. Stupefied as students we tried to chart our course around poetry. Shakespeare never really seemed to be on our side. His imagery was woven as much around metaphors as our heads spun around with Shakespeare.  No wonder I wasn’t quite the reader I am today till my later school days till I discovered the poor archer.

Then somewhere when I was growing up I fell in love with metaphors without even realizing. They always brought about a strong stimuli response from my heart. They brought smiles and goosebumps alike. Inspite of all this I was unaware of the control they had taken over life – mine and everyone elses until it was pointed out to me a few weeks back. And since then I have a new found respect for metaphors. The kind you have for a mountain when you stand at the very edge of a ‘sunset point’ and peer downwards and realize the magnamity of the mountain and the precariousness of you on the edge of it. It could push you over. One should judiciously measure one’s movement around it. I have been tiptoeing me way around metaphors since then.

Similarly, the single biggest reason for love is metaphors – love wala love, love for gadgets, love for moments, ideas. All love has a very strong metaphor or association attached to its origin.

I will prove it to you.

Would you really consider Romeo’s love for Juliet just as deep had he not said, “O she doth teaches torches to burn bright”. Or “Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight!
For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night”. Or if someone mentioned  “Love is like a fine wine” Tell me you didn’t think of whether it makes sense or not. You chin suddenly moves 10 degree upwards and you nod inside your head, smile to yourself and agree as if you really know both well – wine and love and thus see what a fine comparision it is. Pathetic u r man!!!

It happens all the time and we don’t realize it that often. You meet a nice girl. You spend a lot of time talking to her, going to movies, sitting for coffees. And then you think. Now thinking about a girl with metaphors used. Dangerous I tell you. As soon as you tell yourself, “It was nice. I really feel good being around her.”  And then you go ahead and associate it with a metaphor and you smile to yourself. You say “I havnt …………… since …………” whatever is it that is your metaphor for the coolest. Dude you just laid your grave and you are in love.

Intelligent salesman always use metaphors to sell (didn’t use ‘fleece’ so stop thinking of it). You barely feel the difference in your test drive of between a Honda city or a SX4 or a Verna except on your pocket. What do you think, “men are back” is.  Why was “Hamara Bajaj” as awesome ad. Association. Nerolac “jab ghar ki raunak badhani ho”. Hutch “you and I in this beautiful world” or Amul India “Zara si khushi pyar zaara”  I could go on and on. But all these are associations and adding metaphors to the features- benefit equation.

At the origin of a great love, romance, poetry lies some a metaphors. We all have love hidden in all of us and the surest way to get it out is metaphors. New found respect for you Mr Metaphor.