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Mixed Metaphors Can Lead To Confusing Writing

By: Jane Sumerset

We’ve learned about metaphors way back in our high school years and even in college. As we learn how to write each sentences including metaphors, simile and so as the rest. It can be good if you use metaphors in your writing process since it can bring life and draws interest towards your readers. However, there are still rules on when to use these metaphors and why it should be limit when we are writing articles, essays and other forms of writing.

Metaphors are like a cold knife in your side as you keep on writing for more articles or contents. It simply limits you from picking up any necessary ideas while you are in the middle of writing. if you don’t know how to properly use these metaphors, you can’t seem to create a better content that signifies what your idea about the topic is and is a danger in losing your readers interest. Metaphors are very tough. It may lead your reader’s in confusion if you had used it in an improper way. just like mixing them in your content.

Mixed metaphors seem to be a recurring problem for some writers. While there is great value in using metaphors to add color to a piece, some people tend to rely on them too much. The result is sentences laden with multiple metaphors, some of which end up conflicting with each other.

If you’re not familiar with mixed metaphors, they’re essentially two or more metaphors used in the same breath, both of which refer to a single concept. The following is an example of a mixed metaphor:

“If we keep going down this road, we’ll end up closing the doors.”

In the above sentence, both “going down this road” and “closing the doors” are metaphors that obviously refer to something else. However, the use of two metaphors that paint individual images (as opposed to a single picture) just confuses the message.

Although metaphors can add spice in your content, be sure to use them well, which is to avoid you’re your content in a funny and distracting situation. Instead, draw your ideas together and make it a reliable statement than those that are very far-fetched. It is not a good thing to use mixed metaphors if you are on formal writing. Just try to avoid mixed metaphors as if you are drawing the same concept in a single statement.

While mixed metaphors can be acceptable, it is generally dissuaded as most of them end up reducing the writing’s overall clarity. One metaphor is usually enough to draw the reader in with a colorful reference, so why bother with the risk? Make sure to check for accidental uses during your editing phase, as even the best writing software find them difficult to catch.

Once readers chance upon a mixed metaphor, the instant reaction is almost always to pause. Even if it makes sense, the two images thrust upon them under the same utterance just requires additional thought that, for the most part, destroys the flow as they’re reading your piece.

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