Noli Me Tangere: Metaphors 4 key examples

Ibarra and María Clara are silent when they meet, and Rizal coyly asks, "What did those two souls say to each other?" Then there is an extensive metaphor in which their eyes seem to be speaking to one another more than their lips. It is difficult to speak in moments of total infatuation, yet the couple's looks are still communicating affection for each other, as Rizal expresses through the metaphor. Their feelings are apparently very large, an "ecstasy," though they still aren't saying anything. Then, in a simile, Rizal continues to describe this effect, now comparing their muteness to thunder and lightning: speech comes later after intense emotion, as thunder follows lightning. Though the characters are silent here, the narrator fills the space with exuberant comparisons in this simile and metaphor.

The above metaphor, describing how a desperate person will chase after "just a bit of light" even if it puts them in danger, is a wrenching description of Sisa's run toward her home, hoping her boys will be there, even with the danger of the guards out at night. This is a simple metaphor of darkness and light, more abstract than many of the metaphors in the book, which generally focus on more concrete, natural images. Another important aspect of the metaphor is that it is presented with the pronoun "we": the narrator reminds the reader that anyone can reach such a point, "abandoned by all, our hopes gone." Sisa's plight as a mother with lost sons is sympathetic throughout the novel, which the narrator emphasizes here. Later, Sisa thinks, "Had the soldiers set fire to the house but let her sons go free, she would have covered them with blessings." Sisa really does see the soldiers as a hope, even though they are as dangerous as an "abyss," because she reaches out for any hope for the safety of her sons. 

Rizal describes how the betting public thrills at the underdog winning, as they will earn larger payouts on their wagers. But Rizal also makes a comparison from these chickens to "nations": "When a small one defeats a big one, they relate the tale for centuries and centuries." This explicitly stated metaphor reflects Rizal's figurative style. These chickens represent, quite simply, the Philippines and Spain, and when the smaller one eventually succeeds, it will be thrilling. Rizal also makes this metaphor as an attempt at foreshadowing how the Philippines might achieve independence from Spain. They will have to do so painfully, perhaps with the death of both "cocks" involved in that fight, bleeding out slowly. But the victory will be sweet, and they will "relate the tale for centuries and centuries." This is Rizal's grim read on the state of Filipino independence, where these chickens form a sort of oracle, foreshadowing what he thinks is to come.

The men arrive at Malapad-na-bató, a prominent cliff along the banks of the Pasig River which runs through Manila and the surrounding area. Malapad-na-bató was a Tagalog religious site, thought to be home to spirits. Rizal describes the men looking out on this site "on one of those magic nights the Philippines offers" in quite beautiful terms. The moon seems to do the talking for the men, as it "spills poetry." The shadows and silence seem to know that the men are in strife, so they "hide" their misery and quiet their voices. Indeed "nature alone speaks," a simple but elegant personification that describes how the men sit in silence and experience the natural world. 

How the narrator presents the allusion is also important. The phrase, "People who have at one time cruised the Pasig at night," pulls the focus of the figurative language to the experience of Filipino people, as only they would understand such an experience firsthand. This kind of regionally-specific figurative language is common throughout the book. In addition, the religious significance of Malapad-na-bató deepens the association with Filipino culture and society. Within the narrative, however, this moment, which captures the calming, pacifying beauty of the Philippines, contrasts with the conflict in this late part of the novel, in which both Ibarra's and Elías's relationship with their nation is fraught. Rizal's narrator seems to remind the men (and the reader) of the natural wonder in the Philippines just as they are considering leaving it.