Death in Office
Vice Admiral Francis Pickmore attained a rather dubious honor. He may well have done a great many wonderful things during his term in office, but the author finds only the end of that term to be grist for metaphorical poetry:
“The severe conditions of the winter, the turmoil in the aftermath of the fires, the constant damp and cold of the governor's residence overtook him like a predator running down a wounded animal.”
Regrets, More Than a Few
The author of the book has made it clear that what he considers to be a primary motivating theme of the story revolves around feelings of regret. As a result, regret gets mentioned more than a few times, including sometimes dressed up in metaphor:
“An increasingly familiar twinge of regret hammered at him, like the heel of a tiny foot kicking at his ribs from the inside.”
A Nightmarish Tone
Darkness pervades the narrative. Those looking for a story that makes a reader laugh out loud are advised to look elsewhere. Nightmares abound both literally and figuratively in the minds of certain characters:
“The ground beneath his feet seemed hardly more solid than the ocean and he could sense the earth's dark, inevitable undertow. Eventually the earth opened up and swallowed a person, body and soul.”
Conversation
Conversation is not always the best place to introduce metaphor. Although everybody speaks in metaphor every day, very often it is done without consciousness or intent. When attention is drawn to intent, an indelicate writer can instantly transform naturalistic dialogue into something stilted and artificial. In a textbook lesson, the author demonstrates how to avoid that pitfall:
“At first John Senior had resisted the undertow of his own loneliness and lust, holding himself apart from the women who circled the tavern tables like gulls over a cutting room. `I was beginning to wonder,’ Harry Miller said, after finally goading his younger partner into bringing a woman back to his room, `what sort of oil you required to set a flame to your wick, if you follow my meaning.’"
Character Description
Metaphor and simile are particularly effective tools for an author when it comes to giving life to his character. Strangely, however, not all writers seem to be familiar with the idea of stretching out a series of connected images which connect together to give form and shape to a specific character trait. This description of Cassie vividly illustrates the efficiency of learning to develop this skill. A lesser writer would have stopped at just one of these metaphorical phrases, but by building upon the central conceptual foundation, the structure is ultimately much stronger.
“Even her most soothing, affectionate words had an edge to them, as if she was trying to hold down another's panic. She was like a person leading a skittish horse that could bolt at the least provocation. Something dogged and steady in her, like a hand gripping the bit.”
