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What is Creative Analogy in Creative Writing?

Creative Analogy is using analogies from one field to explain something in a different field. It is a popular method in creative writing, especially when a narrative is involved. For example, if you are writing about a time when you were a child, you can use real-life experiences to explain complex ideas or concepts. The goal is to make the reader understand the topic in a new way. In many cases, the technique is used to show the differences between two things. If you are comparing apples to oranges, you might use creative analogy to demonstrate the contrast in ways that make the reader care more about the issue than they would have otherwise. It is a highly effective technique because it is easy to understand and interesting to read. Creative Analogy is one of the many methods used in Creative Writing that allows for a deeper, more personal connection with the reader. Below is an example of Creative Analogy in action from James Salter’s The Carnivaliers. The technique is used to contrast the refined manners of the French nobility in the 18th century with the cruder customs of the working classes. The result is a more complex understanding of the issues at hand than could have been achieved through pure logic. While the technique is often associated with literature, it is also used in scientific papers to explain complex concepts in a simple and easy to follow way. Below you will find a short list of examples of Creative Analogy in literature, followed by a few examples from scientific papers to highlight the technique’s versatility in different fields. 

Examples Of Creative Analogy In Literature

Trollope’s The Lady Evelyn is a classic Victorian novel about a wealthy heiress who is determined to show the less well-bred elements of society that she is just as high-bred as they are. She uses creative analogy to great effect in her correspondence with the working-class attorney Bertram. When she explains how she intends to outwit her greedy legal advisor, she uses analogies from her experience as a society lady. She pretends to be someone she is not, and uses her superior intellect to manipulate those around her. This is an excellent example of Creative Analogy in narrative. Below you will find a short list of tropes and analogies used in this 19th-century novel.