He was a 10-ton block of steel when it came to action and getting up to get things going.
Metaphors are basically
comparisons of things that are unlike.
Metaphors are used, mainly, to give readers a sense of understanding
when there may not otherwise be one.
What this means is that authors will compare something that may not be
known to readers to something that most likely will be known in order to present
the best image understood by the most readers.
If, for instance, you had a friend who was stubborn and wanted to convey
just how stubborn this person is to readers you might say something like “He
was a 10-ton block of steel when it came to action and getting up to get things
going.” Thus, because only you would
know for certain just how stubborn your friend is in certain situations, one
way to communicate just how stubborn this person is would be to mention
something like 10 tons of steel because everybody is familiar with how heavy a
ton is—non moveable—and everyone will know what steel is. As such, metaphors
can be used to communicate something by addressing a common point of knowledge.
