Figure of Speech
Metaphor
From Greek metapherein: to carry across. Aristotle (Poetics) called the ability to perceive metaphor the sign of genius. The fundamental trope of all figurative language.
Definition
A direct comparison between two unlike things, asserting identity rather than resemblance, without using 'like' or 'as'.
Example
'All the world's a stage, / And all the men and women merely players.' (Shakespeare, As You Like It)