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  • Seminar
  • Online: Zoom
  • Adult (18+)

Metaphor, Aphorisms, and the Art of the Fine Line

No Longer Enrolling

  • $65.00 Non-Member
  • $55.00 Member

Class Description

Metaphor is most familiar as the literary device through which we describe one thing in terms of another, as when Shakespeare has Romeo say: "Juliet is the sun." But metaphor is much more than a literary device employed by love-struck poets when they refer to their girlfriends as interstellar masses of incandescent gas. Metaphor is intensely yet inconspicuously present in everything from economics and advertising to politics and business to science and psychology. We utter about one metaphor for every 10 to 25 words, or about six metaphors a minute. Fresh metaphors are essential to writing fine lines, the rich, robust sentences that characterize the most compelling poetry and prose. Nowhere is this more evident than in the brief, witty, philosophical sayings known as aphorisms (e.g., "No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible"—Stanislaw Lec).

In this lively, interactive workshop, suitable for writers in any genre, we will work with metaphor to create our own impromptu aphoristic compositions, in the process learning how to construct the kind of concise, vivid sentences that linger in readers' minds. Students can expect to leave with a heightened sensitivity to the metaphorical nature of all language, a greater awareness of the psychological influence of metaphors, and a quickened ability to coin fresh metaphors to enliven and deepen their own writing.

Scholarships Format/Location

Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.

For more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.

This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. About 15 minutes before your class is scheduled to begin, you'll receive an email from your instructor with a link to join the class meeting!

Zoom Participation:

Students are not required to turn their camera on, but are encouraged to participate any way they feel comfortable through functions such as the live chat, emoji reactions, and unmuting the microphone. Learn more about using Zoom here.

Zoom Accessibility:

We ask that instructors enable closed captioning and send a transcript of the session after class. You can also enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting. If your instructor forgets to send the transcript, just send ’em an email!