Hello. I wanted to know if the terms, “malachite (the gemstone)” and “holly”, have been used in the figurative/metaphoric use? Please let me know. Thank you.
Probably almost any common plant or gemstone has been used in a symbolic or metaphorical sense at some time or other…
In the novel “She”, Ayesha tells Ludwig Horace Holly that “Holly” is an applicable name for him because he is “prickly [referring to his whiskers] like the holly.”
(Are there holly trees in Africa?)
Do you know any other quotes? Is this quote from someone famous?
What is meant by a “Sea of malachite”?
I’ve seen malachite used attributely-does any word that’s used in this context imply that it can been used fig./metaphorically or symbolicly (or in any other literary sense)?
Thank you for responding.
In both the ‘You’ example and in this poem where ‘sea of malachite’ appears, ‘malachite’ is used as a metaphor for green color. Malachite is a bright emerald green with bands of light sea-foam green. Thus, it would make an appropriate metaphor particularly for green eyes (referring to the light and dark bands of the iris) or a green sea (referring to the dark color of the ocean with the light-colored bands representing the crests of the waves).
The ‘holly’ example is more analogy than metaphor; literal aspects of the holly plant are compared with Christian themes. This is symbolic, but not metaphorical in the same way as the malachite example. It’s old, though, so it would seem to still be acceptable as a metaphorical use of ‘holly’, and it’s certainly figurative.