Blog Post #14: Special Assignment

1. There are a couple of different reasons that I think so many students missed the metaphor in Tom Johnson's post. I think that it's very easy to take words or statements too literally sometimes. When you don't actually hear someone say something, you may not be able to interpret the humor or sarcasm behind their statement. I think this was also one of the first times we read a post like this. We just weren't looking for the message in the passage. It's kind of like missing the punch line in a joke, sometimes you're just not expecting it and don't catch on quick enough.
2. I hear metaphors every single day, I think we just really don't pay attention to them unless we're looking for them. Here's some that I encountered:
- "Put your money where your mouth is"
- "My mouth is on fire!"
- "He's not the brightest crayon in the box"
- "He was a monster today!"
- "Don't be a baby"
- "Older than the hills"
- "It a jungle out there"
3. As educators we need to teach students that not EVERYTHING has a literal meaning. Look for the pun, the metaphor, the humor, behind what you read and learn. Some passages aren't always as they seem up front. We need to teach our students to how to interpret what they read to the message the author is trying to send. We should also help them understand how metaphors relate to their lives and how they can be properly used.
4. We use metaphors to add color to our writing and our language. Metaphors help us describe how we are feeling by comparing it to something else. We use metaphors for the same reason we use adjectives. They help us describe, relate, and define our thoughts.