Figure 3 illustrates the
crucial significance of difference in a metaphor. If the two
subjects brought together are perceived to be completely
unalike, e.g., boxer and saucepan (Figure 3a), or are seen as
almost identical, e.g., boxer and man (Figure 3c), the
metaphorical process produces either nonsensical or weak
imagery. The most powerful use of metaphor arises in instances
typified in Figure 3b, in which the differences between the two phenomena are perceived to be significant
but not total. Effective metaphor is a form of creative expression
which relies upon constructive falsehood as a
means of liberating the imagination.