A conceit in literature is a type of figurative language in which the writer establishes a comparison between two very different concepts or objects. Conceit is a specific use of extended metaphor. Conceits in literature often use multiple metaphors, juxtapositions, or similes to create and enhance the comparison.
Conceit is a literary device that compares things that are not usually compared. Here are some examples of conceit in literature:
A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning By John Donne, this poem compares lovers to the two points of a compass.
Because I could not stop for Death By Emily Dickinson, this poem compares dying to a carriage ride.
- Sonnet 130 By William Shakespeare, this poem compares his lover to nature, but in a way that contradicts the usual favorable descriptions.
The Flea By John Donne, this poem uses a flea as a metaphor to propose to his beloved.
Diving into the Wreck By Adrienne Rich, this poem uses the conceit of exploring a shipwreck to reflect on the speaker’s past understanding of the world.
Conceit can also be found in idioms, such as: “It’s the best thing since sliced bread, “Life is a bowl of cherries, “Dead as a doornail, and “The apple of discord.
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