Which sentence is an example of a metaphor?

• A. Her voice was music to his ears.
• B. Her voice sounded like music to his ears.
• C. Her voice danced across the room.
• D. The room was a sanctuary.

Answer: (A)

Metaphor is a direct comparison that says one thing is another, without using like or as. In this sentence, her voice is described as music itself, making an identity claim that the voice and music are the same thing in effect. That vivid, straightforward substitution is the essence of a metaphor.

The other options show different figures of speech: using like creates a simile, as in comparing the voice to music rather than saying it is music; giving the voice human action is personification; and saying the room is a sanctuary is another metaphor, but the statement about the voice being music is the clearest, most direct example of a metaphor here.