“Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street” is one of Herman Melville’s best known works. The story, which first appeared in 1853, tells the story of a Wall Street lawyer who hires an enigmatic copyist named Bartleby. When Bartleby grows increasingly withdrawn and inert, replying to all requests with “I would prefer not to,” the lawyer finds himself completely mystified. In his typically exuberant style, Melville uses an eclectic range of metaphors to render his surreal story of Wall Street.

Skills: analysis, drawing inferences from text, close reading, identifying the relationship between words

About This Document

The Owl Eyes Analyzing Metaphor activity gives students an opportunity to practice examining and analyzing metaphors. Students will engage with specific selections of the text and work collaboratively to identify the vehicle, tenor, and implications of each metaphor. The main components include the following:

• A brief introduction to the text
• A detailed handout on metaphor types
• A step-by-step guide to activity procedure
• A detailed answer key for teachers

In completing this worksheet, students will learn to classify and analyze different kinds of metaphors in order to develop close reading skills and draw deeper inferences from the text.