The metaphor is perhaps one of man's most fruitful…
“The metaphor is perhaps one of man's most fruitful potentialities. Its efficacy verges on magic, and it seems a tool for creation which God forgot inside one of His creatures when He made him. All our faculties keep us within the realm of the real, of what is already there. The most we can do is to combine things or break them up. The metaphor alone furnishes an escape; between the real things, it lets emerge imaginary reefs, a crop of floating islands.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Metaphor lets us transcend ordinary perception, creating imaginative possibilities beyond the limits of concrete reality.
In simple terms: Metaphor expands imagination beyond reality.
Key Takeaway
Use metaphor to envision new ideas.
Themes
creativity
imagination
language
philosophy
Mood
inspired
reflective
Type
philosophical
creative
When to use this quote
- writing
- design thinking
- teaching
- problem solving
Key Concepts
conceptual blending
cognitive expansion
Questions to Reflect On
- How can metaphor reveal hidden connections?
- When does metaphor become confusing?
A Different Perspective
Metaphor may mislead if taken as literal truth.