Metaphors

The word ‘Metaphor’ comes from a Greek word meaning ‘transfer’.

Metaphors compare two different things or ideas.

• the leg of the table: The leg supports our body. So, the object that supports a table is described as a leg.

• the heart of the city: The heart is an important organ in the center of our body. So, this word is used to describe the central area of a city.

Some more examples of metaphors:

1. Life is a dream.

2. Rana Pratap was the lion of India.

3. I am the star of my family.

In pairs, find metaphors from the story to complete the table below. Try to say what qualities are being compared.

One has been done for you.

Object	Metaphor	Quality of featured compared
Cloud	Huge mountains of clouds	The mass or ‘hugeness’ of mountains.
Raindrops
Hailstones
Locusts
		An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very rapidly and leaves many people dead.
	An ox of a man.

Relative clauses:

Definition:

The clause that gives us more information about the first/principal clause is called relative clause. It is used to add two or more simple clauses into one.

Look at the sentences:

(a) Throughout the morning Lencho – who knew his fields intimately – looked at the sky.

Here, italicized parts of the sentences give us more information about Lencho. So, we call them relative clause.

(b) The woman, who was preparing supper, replied, “Yes, God willing”.

Here, italicized parts of the sentence give us more information about the woman. So, we call them relative clauses.

Join the sentences given below using who, whom, whose, which as suggested.

1. I often go to Mumbai. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India. (which)

2. My mother is going to host a TV show on cooking. She cooks very well. (who)

3. These sportspersons are going to meet the President. Their performance has been excellent. (whose)

4. Lencho prayed to God. His eyes see into our minds. (whose)

5. This man cheated me. I trusted him. (whom)

Using negatives for Emphasis:

We know that sentences with words such as no, not or nothing show that absence of something or contradict something.

For example.

(a) This year we will have no Corn. (Corn will be absent.)

(b) The hail has left nothing (Absence of a crop).

(c) These aren’t raindrops falling from the sky, they are new coins. (Contradicts the common idea of what the drops of water falling from the sky are).

But sometimes negative words are used just to emphasize an idea.

Look at these sentences from the story:

(d) Lencho had done nothing else but see the sky towards the north-east (He had done only this).

(e) The man went but for no other reason than to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body. (He had only this reason.)
(f) Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money. (He showed no surprise at all.)

Now look back at example (c). Notice that the contradiction in fact serves to emphasize the value or usefulness of the rain to the farmer.

Find sentences in the story with negative words, which express the following ideas emphatically.

1. The trees lost all there leaves.

………………………………………………..

2. The letter was addressed to God himself.

……………………………………………………

3. The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.

………………………………………………………

Have you ever been in great difficulty, and felt that only a miracle could help you? How was your problem solved? Speak about this in class with your teacher.

Listen to the letter (given under in this lesson) read out by your teacher/on the audio tape. As you listen fill in the table given below: