Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2018 January 19

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January 19

What figure of speech is this?

"in Europe they were as so many useless plants, wanting vegitative mould, and refreshing showers; they withered, and were mowed down by want, hunger, and war; but now by the power of transplantation, like all other plants they have taken root and flourished!"

In the quote, the word transplantation references the plant metaphor in the quote; what is this reference called? 147.126.10.152 (talk) 02:51, 19 January 2018 (UTC)

Without context, it seems to be referring to people. Metaphor perhaps. Akld guy (talk) 03:27, 19 January 2018 (UTC)

The quote is a metaphor comparing settlers to plants. Is there a name for using that word ("transplantation") to reference the metaphor? 147.126.10.152 (talk) 03:41, 19 January 2018 (UTC)

Pun. 196.213.35.146 (talk) 06:34, 19 January 2018 (UTC)

It's an extended metaphor. Henry^Flower 09:39, 19 January 2018 (UTC)

I think it is, rather, an extended simile. A metaphor says that x is y (but does not mean it literally); a simile says that x is like y. The quote "In Europe, they [= x] were as so many useless plants, [etc., = y]" is grammatically equivalent to x was like y, not x was y. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.200.41.3 (talk) 01:58, 20 January 2018 (UTC)

Yes, it's a simile, which is a metaphor with its like punched out. Seriously, whoever said "pun" must be a scion of the most unspeakable couthlessness. μηδείς (talk) 03:28, 21 January 2018 (UTC)