TLGA 105: Methaporical Modes in Grammatical Analysis

Definition

A metaphor, as defined as a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between two unlike things that actually have something important in common. The word metaphor itself is a metaphor, coming from a Greek word meaning to "transfer" or "carry across.“ Metaphors "carry" meaning from one word, image, or idea to another.

Examples of Conventional Metaphor

When Dr. Gregory House (in the TV series House, M.D.) says, "I'm a night owl, Wilson's an early bird. We're different species," he's speaking metaphorically. When Dr. Cuddy replies, "Then move him into his own cage," she's extending House's bird metaphor which he caps off with the remark, "Who'll clean the droppings from mine?“

I'm full of metaphor

Calling a person a "night owl" or an "early bird" is an example of a common (or conventional) metaphor that most native speakers will readily understand.

Simile
Simile  is, a comparison (usually introduced by like or as) between two things that are generally not alike. 
Examples:
Hungry like a horse
Sleep like a baby
NOTE
The man is a lion’ is a (lexical) metaphor, while ‘The man is like a lion’ is a simile. 

Lexical Metaphor 
Lexical metaphor  can be seen as a sub-category of grammatical metaphor. For instance, “Why are you feeling blue today?”

Grammatical Metaphor 
“The substitution of one grammatical class or structure for another.” (Thompson)
Grammatical metaphor: Meaning construed in a different way by means of a different grammatical construction.
“The expression of a meaning through as lexico-grammatical form which originally evolved to express a different kind of meaning.” (Thompson, pg. 165)

Example:
Clause [process with participant + circumstance] coded as phrase
He drove the bus rapidly downhill. Then the brakes failed. 
His rapid downhill driving of the bus... 
The brakes failed. 
A brake failure 
Thus: His rapid downhill driving of the bus caused brake failure.

More about metaphorical examples: Click Here For the Source