A metaphor is a poetic device that deals with comparison. It compares similar qualities of two dissimilar objects. With a simple metaphor, one object becomes the other: Love is a rose. Although this does not sound like a particularly rich image, a metaphor can communicate so much about a particular image that poets use them more than any other type of figurative language. The reason for this is that poets compose their poetry to express what they are experiencing emotionally at that moment. Consequently, what the poet imagines love to be may or may not be our understanding of love. Therefore, the poet’s job is to enable us to experience it, to feel it the same way as the poet does.

Let’s analyze this remarkably simple metaphor concerning love and the rose to see what it offers. Because the poet uses a comparison with a rose, first we must examine the characteristics of that flower. A rose is impressive in its beauty, its petals (花瓣) are nicely soft, and its smell is pleasing. It’s possible to say that a rose is actually a feast to the senses of sight, touch, and smell.   The rose’s appearance seems to border on perfection, each petal seemingly equal in form. Isn’t this the way one’s love should be? A loved one should be a delight to one’s senses and seem perfect.

However, there is another dimension added to the comparison by using a rose. Roses have thorns. The poet wants to covey the idea that roses can be tricky. So can love the metaphor tells us. When one reaches out with absolute trust to touch the object of his or her affection, ouch, a thorn can cause great harm! “Be careful,” the metaphor warns, “Love is a feast to the senses, but it can overwhelm us, and it can also hurt us and cause acute suffering.” This is the poet’s understanding of love—an admonition (劝诫). What is the point？Just this: It took almost 14 sentences to clarify what a simple metaphor communicates in only four words! That is the artistry and the joy of the simple metaphor.

Michael saw the trouble coming from all the way at the end of the school hallway. There standing by the stairs was Tom, the school bully, who enjoyed taunting (嘲讽) anyone he felt like at any moment. He was tall and strong, so few of the students who were picked on were willing to stand up to him and defend themselves. Michael was one of them.

When they met in the middle of the hallway, Tom walked directly toward Michael, stopped abruptly and snapped at Michael, “Hey, let me see those books!” A group of students watched as Michael held out the books he was carrying, trying not to tremble to show how nervous he was. Tom grabbed a math book, looked inside for a second, and then pushed the book at Michael, who dropped all the books he held. “Hey, those books are school belongings,” Tom barked, “so don’t let them fall to the floor!” Then he walked away, laughing loudly.

Michael’s cheeks turned red. Suddenly a hand appeared beside Michael and picked up a book as it slid away. Michael turned around and saw that it was Ramon, the school’s star baseball player. He couldn’t believe that Ramon was stopping to help him, as they had hardly spoken to each other.

“Thanks,” Michael sighed with relief. “It’s so confusing. I don’t know what his problem is,” Ramon said. “You need to find a way to end this conflict with Tom.” Ramon continued, “My grandmother used to tell me whenever I had a problem with someone, ‘You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.’”

Looking puzzled, Michael asked what it meant. “It means that being kind to your enemies may be more effective than being angry at them,” Ramon explained.

That night, Michael thought about the advice that Ramon had given him. It sounded like a good plan, but deep down Michael wasn’t very confident that it would actually work with Tom.

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The next day in school brought Michael’s usual trouble.

Have You Got Success Amnesia?

Have you heard yourself say “it was nothing really” when someone congratulates you on a job well done? Or have you drawn a blank when you are asked to make a list of what you have achieved? If so, you have suffered success amnesia. Failing to acknowledge your hard work is often a sign of success amnesia. It signals that there might be a gap between how others view your achievements and how you see them.

People who have success amnesia often have a strong track record at work or get it sorted for family members. They are people who others would describe as successful and yet they find it difficult to acknowledge and own their results. They don’t hold their achievements in their memory bank.

This particular type of memory loss robs them of the satisfaction and pleasure that can follow in achieving a goal. And, perhaps more importantly, it robs them of confidence. Confidence does not guarantee success, but it does increase the chance of success. Why not try some practical methods?     

Ask for feedback about the impact you’ve had and then listen carefully. Watch out for anything that you begin to tell yourself “It wasn’t that big a deal.” Try to absorb what you hear. You can also look back over the past 6 or12 months, capture every success you can think of, whether large or small, and write them down clearly. Purposefully acknowledging and admitting your achievements can help to bring them into more realistic focus. Besides, be mindful that you have a tendency to forget or minimize your achievements. A sticky note on your laptop screen might help: my strengths and achievements are bigger than they appear to me.

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