A metaphor that is a dominating factor throughout an entire poem, often affecting the diction and flow of the poem. The controlling metaphor allows the author to make multiple comparisons of various traits between the two or more objects being analogized

Some examples:

• "Silos"-Rita Dove
• "Metaphors"-Sylvia Plath
• "Sorting Laundry"-Elisavietta Ritchie
• "The Flea"-John Donne
• "Landcrab"-Margret Atwood