This is totally incorrect, by the way.
- Darren, when people talk about a computing cloud, in that context, what is a cloud?
- Darren, I read a book where the author said, ‘a cloud passed over her face.’ What is ‘a cloud’ in that sentence?
- Darren, someone said that they cut their hike short because of the ‘cloud of mosquitos.’ What did they mean?
- Darren, after your last post, your statements about objective facts are under a cloud of suspicion. Is there a floating clump of water droplets around your statements now?
It turns out that in different contexts, “cloud” has different meanings. If you’re determined to stick to the idea that “anything that contradicts [objective facts] is objectively wrong,” you’ll end up misunderstanding the great bulk of human communication.
Humans use metaphor all the freakin’ time. Teaching kids how to recognize and how to create metaphors is vital work, and litcrit is a great place to do that.