What is the difference between an analogy and a metaphor?

[Lomax_UK]

I was just wondering if there was a difference between an analogy and a metaphor since they appear to mean the same thing. If there is a difference, what is it?

[Quizmonster]

There is certainly a similarity between the two terms, but they are not synonyms. The main difference is that an analogy is not actually a figure of speech, but rather an example or illustration of the situation under discussion.
For example, discussing a situation where one 'force' would vastly overwhelm another - let's say a football match between Chelsea and Bury St Edmunds - someone might say: "An analogy would be all-out war between the USA and Cuba."

A metaphor is a figure of speech in which two things are compared because of some similarity though they are very different in other respects. "The moon was a ghostly galleon" is an example. Clearly, the moon isn't a galleon of any sort, never mind a ghostly one, but the image created in the reader's mind is effective. In other words, the moon does appear to 'sail' across the sky, especially if it is partly clouded over. Also, the fact that it is sometimes hidden before reappearing might make it appear mysterious. So, that is an effective metaphor.

[Peter Pedant]

and thirdly if it has like in it then it is a simile

as in "She had a hard, hard heart, like a stone...."

[Peter Pedant]

I have found this link useful:

http://www.sil.org/linguistics/GlossaryOfLinguisticTerms /

[Simon_States]

Spot on. Just for your interest the football team in Bury St. Edmunds are known as "Bury Town FC" and play in the Ridgeons League.

[Quizmonster]

I just knew someone would make a point about the Bury St Edmunds' football team, Simon! I chose them rather than Goole, say, or Chalfont St Giles, because the word 'bury' seemed particularly appropriate in the circumstances and also because I'd never heard of such a team-name. Cheers