The fairest thing (Metaphor)
When Blanchefleur saw her son at the first time she said that he was “…the fairest thing ever a woman bore”. She had a tough life and the birth of Tristan was the best thing that ever happened to her. By this metaphor, the author wanted to say that there is no better moment in woman’s life than the birth of a child.
The child of sadness (Metaphor)
Under this metaphor, the author understood Tristan. “And as by sadness you came into the world, your name shall be called Tristan; that is the child of sadness”. As we already know, the life of his mother was not easy, he was born during tough times and Blanchefleur died right after his birth. Tristan’s life also couldn’t be called an easy one; he went through a lot of hard moments and suffered from many difficulties.
Evil hour (Metaphor)
After Tristan was stolen by merchants, he began to work on their ship. And during their journey the storm started. The storm was so awful and dangerous that merchants started to think that the sea punishes them for kidnapping the boy. “…then they did penance, knowing that the anger of the sea came of the lad, whom they had stolen in an evil hour, and they vowed his deliverance and got ready a boat to put him…” The metaphor “an evil hour” describes the moment when they lured Tristan and shows how bad this decision was.
As a son (Simile)
When Blanchefleur died, the care of Tristan was in hands of Rohalt, his father servant. Rohalt looked after him for seven years, he saw how Tristan learned how to use a sword, how to fight, how to keep his word and to hate lie. He was really like father to him as far as Tristan had nobody to rely on, Rohalt became such a person for him. “But Rohalt remembering Rivalen and Blanchefleur (of whose youth and grace all this was a resurrection) loved him indeed as a son, but in his heart revered him as his lord”.
As a rich prize (Simile)
Someday Norway merchants came to the city and lured Tristan to their ship. And he was for them as a rich prize, because he knew a lot, he was brave and strong, he was a real soldier. Tristan could help them to conquer other lands, so he was really helpful for them, he was really like a prize. “Now all his joy was snatched from him on a day when certain merchants of Norway, having lured Tristan to their ship, bore him off as a rich prize”.
