In chapter seven of Deeper Reading, Kelly Gallagher discusses the importance of using metaphor to deepen comprehension. Gallagher argues that getting students to think metaphorically provides them with two benefits: 1) "students are more readily able to reach deeper levels of comprehension," and 2) "repeated practice recognizing and analyzing metaphor enables students to generate their own metaphorical connections to the text and the world, thus sharpening their higher-level thinking skills" (Gallagher, 2004, 125).
I agree with Gallagher's position.
Imagine, if you would, that you lack the capacity to recognize figurative language. How does that change how you view your world? Do things suddenly became more bland? Does your world suddenly possess a serious dramatic tone? A basic understanding of sarcasm requires a basic understanding / awareness of metaphor (even if you don't quite know the term for it).
Of course, on some level, everyone is aware of figurative language. These levels vary. As such, our understanding of particular texts are directly limited by our understanding of how metaphors are used. Maybe we can recognize that a metaphor is being used, but do we know what it means?
The English language, like all communication, is an elaborate code. As teachers, it is our responsibility to provide our students with the tools necessary to decrypt this code. The greater our comprehension of the code, the greater our ability is to find deeper meaning.
The following is a clip from Pink Floyd's The Wall. What are the metaphors? What do they mean?
Obviously it is important for students to recognize metaphors in the written word, but metaphors obviously transcend the page.
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