Understanding Metonymy and Metaphor

A metaphor designates a relation based on a substitution, can represent or stand for another.

This an example of a metaphor: President Bush is a puppeteer. He is representing that he is in control and he is pulling the strings.

A metonymy designates a relation based on combination of modes. It is a relation based on contiguity between elements in different modes.

This is an example of a metonymy. The celebrity in the picture "Britney Spears" is smoking,  the reader is smoking any the model on the magazine is smoking. All the images directly relate to each other. The concept is the "controls of the culture." The images represent the idea that celebrities can control a social culture. If Britney Spears smokes then, it is ok; that is the image that is represented.


I did not apply metonymies to my presentation. I did include a metaphor. This image is a photo of stilettos and type of high heels. The phrase says "jewelry for feet." A play on words, saying that high heels are jewelry for feet.

This is an example of a metonymy. This is from Ashley Phillips's. She is using Lady Gaga to represent equal rights. The background of the picture is rainbow. The rainbow represents the colors for gays and lesbians.

This is an example of a metaphor. It is a good example of diversity, because it represents that people are all different. People come in different, shape, sizes and colors.


This is an example of a metonymy from Carolanne Keim's  blog. The tree represent an outdoor classroom, that classroom comes in many forms.