metaphors

[ant1234]

What is the following statement:

"When it comes down to it all that ability and craft tapers like a signal flare"

Is it an rhetorical simile or hyperbole, a metaphorical analogy?

Is poor or good in your opinion?

How does one actually determine what a good metaphor is when there seems to be so many nomenclatures they can be assigned under? Does subjectivity and taste play a big part in your opinion or are there distinct rules one must follow.

[Mike2010]

I'd say it was a simile, as an explicit comparison is made between two essentially dissimilar things. Personally, I don't think it works well. I'm not totally sure what it means as, to me, 'tapers' is ambiguous.

Subjectivity and taste plays a huge part. Creating good, original figures of speech is an art. A lot depends on whether the writer is trying to provoke laughter, a wry smile, emotional empathy, and so on.

'My love is like a red, red rose' or
'My love is like a waterlogged boot'

[ant1234]

Interesting, thanks.