Famous and Unique Examples of Metaphor Poems for Kids
A metaphor is a figure of speech that involves describing one thing by referring to another, typically by asserting that the first thing is the second.
Unlike similes, which use words like “like” or “as” to draw comparisons, metaphors state that one thing is another.
Metaphors are used to create vivid imagery, evoke emotions, and convey abstract concepts by associating them with familiar or concrete objects or ideas.
They allow writers to convey complex ideas and experiences in a concise and impactful manner, enriching language and enhancing communication.
The use of metaphors can be found in literature, poetry, rhetoric, creative writing and everyday language to deepen understanding and stimulate imagination.
Below we’ve gathered a mixture of poems from famous poets and some of my own poetry creations to give examples of metaphors.
Famous Poems with Metaphors for Kids
Hope is the Thing with Feathers – by Emily Dickinson
“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –
And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –
I’ve heard it in the chillest land –
And on the strangest Sea –
Yet – never – in Extremity,
It asked a crumb – of me.
Hope is a Thing with Feathers by Emily Dickinson utilizes an animal metaphor where the bird represents hope.
Clouds – by Christina Rossetti
White sheep, white sheep,
On a blue hill,
When the wind stops
You all stand still.
When the wind blows
You walk away slow.
White sheep, white sheep,
Where do you go?
Clouds by Christina Rossetti is a fun short poem and excellent example of using sheep as a metaphor for clouds.
The Road Not Taken – by Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
The Road not Taken by Robert Frost utilizes a few examples of metaphors. The entire poem is an extended metaphor with the road representing life. The opening line of divergent paths along represent choices we must make. He also alludes to looking down the road as far as he could see implying we can only see so far into the future.
Mother to Son – by Langston Hughes
Well, son, I’ll tell you:
Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
It’s had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I’se been a-climbin’ on,
And reachin’ landin’s,
And turnin’ corners,
And sometimes goin’ in the dark
Where there ain’t been no light.
So boy, don’t you turn back.
Don’t you set down on the steps
’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.
Don’t you fall now—
For I’se still goin’, honey,
I’se still climbin’,
And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
Mother to Son by Langston Hughes uses figurative language to describe the struggles of life. She utilizes different things like tacks, splinters, and torn up boards to convey her message.
Hamlet – by William Shakespeare
To be, or not to be? That is the question—
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?
Children are usually introduced to William Shakespeare in middle school. Many of his poem excerpts are filled with metaphors. In the excerpt taken from his play above, Hamlet compares his misfortunes to an attacker assailing him with slings and arrows and then to a sea overwhelming him with troubles.
Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? – by William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
In this William Shakespeare Sonnet, the central metaphor is the fair youth’s beauty compared to that of a summer day.
Women – by Alice Walker
They were women then
My mama’s generation
Husky of voice—stout of
Step
With fists as well as
Hands
How they battered down
Doors
And ironed
Starched white
Shirts
How they led
Armies
Headragged generals
Across mined
Fields
Booby-trapped
Ditches
To discover books
Desks
A place for us
How they knew what
we
Must know
Without knowing a page
Of it
Themselves.
Women by Alice Walker is filled with examples of metaphors. She compares the struggle her mother’s generation faced to secure the right to education to walking through booby-trapped ditches and mined fields.
Do not go gentle into that good night – by Dylan Thomas
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Dylan Thomas uses the term good night as a metaphor for death in his poem.
Metaphors – by Sylvia Plath
I’m a riddle in nine syllables,
An elephant, a ponderous house,
A melon strolling on two tendrils.
O red fruit, ivory, fine timbers!
This loaf’s big with its yeasty rising.
Money’s new-minted in this fat purse.
I’m a means, a stage, a cow in calf.
I’ve eaten a bag of green apples,
Boarded the train there’s no getting off.
Metaphors by Sylvia Plath is a poem more fitting for students of high school age or older kids. It is full of metaphors where the speaker’s identity is shown as a series of riddles and transformations.
Unique Metaphor Poems for Kids
The Moon’s Mirror
In the night sky, a silver mirror gleams,
Reflecting dreams in its shimmering beams.
It holds the secrets of the silent night,
A guardian watching with serene light.
Each phase it waxes, each phase it wanes,
A storyteller of celestial plains.
Its face may change, its essence remains,
A timeless guide through the cosmic domains.
The Moon’s Mirror is an example of a poem that utilizes inanimate objects as metaphors. For instance the silver mirror represents the moon.
The Garden’s Symphony
In the garden’s heart, a symphony plays,
Where flowers dance in the sun’s warm rays.
Each petal a note, each stem a chord,
Harmonizing in nature’s accord.
The breeze conducts with a gentle hand,
Through leaves and blossoms, a melody grand.
Birds join in chorus, insects hum along,
Creating a tapestry of life’s sweet song.
The Garden’s Symphony is a beautiful poem that utilizes the nature metaphor.
The Puzzle of Life
Life is a puzzle, pieces unseen,
Each one unique, in shades of green.
A mystery waiting to be solved,
Its story unfolds, as time revolves.
We search for answers, far and wide,
Adventurers on a daring ride.
Each piece we find, each step we take,
Like a journey through a waking dream.
The Puzzle of Life uses comparative phrases contrasting life to puzzle pieces and a story to unfold and be solved.
The Journey of Life
Life is a winding river,
Flowing from mountain to sea.
Each twist and turn a new adventure,
Each ripple a memory.
We navigate its currents,
Through valleys deep and wide,
Facing storms and sunny days,
With courage by our side.
Like a river, life meanders,
With bends we cannot see,
But in its ever-changing course,
We find who we’re meant to be.
So let’s embrace the journey,
With hearts both strong and true,
For in the ebb and flow of life,
We’ll discover something new.
The Journey of Life uses the river as a metaphor to life. The river navigates twists and turns and faces stormy and sunny days like we do in life.
The Eagle’s Flight
Courage soars on wings of an eagle,
High above the mountain’s crown.
With eyes that see beyond the horizon,
It never looks back, never looks down.
In its graceful swoop through azure skies,
It embodies freedom, fierce and true.
With every beat of its majestic wings,
It shows us what we, too, can do.
So let’s spread our wings like the eagle,
And rise above our doubts and fears.
For in the vast expanse of possibility,
We’ll find strength to dry our tears.
The Eagle’s Flight is full of descriptive language to conjure up a connection between courage and facing your doubts and fears like the eagle.
Apple of My Eye
In this world, vast and wide,
One sweet fruit, my joy and pride.
With ruby skin, tender sigh,
You’re the apple of my eye.
Your laughter, like morning dew,
Your smile, a sunbeam true.
In your gaze, I see the sky,
You’re the apple of my eye.
Through stormy nights, cloudless days,
Your love shines in countless ways.
In your warmth, I find my sky,
You’re the apple of my eye.
The phrase “apple of my eye” was originally an idiom referring to the pupil of the eye and is a simple metaphor for elementary education aged children.
Introducing metaphor poems to young minds can be an enriching experience. Through examples of metaphor poems, such as those inspired by famous works or crafted specifically for educational settings, children can grasp the power of figurative language in literature.
Teachers and educators can incorporate these poems into lesson plans to inspire critical thinking and language appreciation among students.
By exploring metaphorical expressions, young learners not only enhance their language skills but also develop a deeper understanding of the world around them, making their literary journey both educational and enjoyable.
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Krissy lives in California with her family of three that make up “The Hadicks.” With a passion for research and helping others, The Hadicks was developed as a resource for other parents and parents-to-be!