A metaphor is a figure of speech: one thing described as another within a phrase or sentence — "time is a thief". An allegory is a whole work in which the entire story consistently stands for something else — Animal Farm is an allegory of the Russian revolution. Scale is the difference: a metaphor is local, an allegory is structural.
The core difference
Both say one thing to mean another. They differ in how much of the work is doing it.
- metaphor — a phrase: drowning in paperwork, a blanket of snow.
- allegory — an entire narrative with a sustained second meaning, character by character and event by event.
The related terms
A simile is a metaphor that announces itself with like or as. An extended metaphor runs a comparison through several lines or a passage — sitting between the two in scale. A parable is a short allegory with a moral or spiritual lesson attached.
The test
Ask whether the second meaning is carried by a phrase or by the structure of the whole. If removing one sentence removes the comparison, it is a metaphor. If every element maps onto something else, it is an allegory.
Frequently asked questions
Is Animal Farm an allegory or a metaphor?
An allegory. The whole narrative maps onto the Russian revolution, character by character, rather than a single phrase carrying the comparison.
What is an extended metaphor?
A metaphor sustained across several lines or a passage. It sits between a single metaphor and a full allegory in scale.
What is the difference between a parable and an allegory?
A parable is a short allegory told to convey a moral or spiritual lesson.