ABSTRACT
NLP uses the term ‘metaphor’ to include similes, analogies, allegories, stories, parables, jokes and so on. You can describe them as either simple or complex. A simple metaphor may consist of a word or two, like ‘Val's an open book’, or a simple simile such as ‘It's like ice’. Complex metaphors extend to parables, analogies, anecdotes and whole stories. This spans a wide range of literary structures and devices. The singular term ‘metaphor’ often embraces all this.
