1. "The Mab, / That on the banks of the Avon strides / And sings" (lines 53-54)
* Metaphor: This compares Queen Mab to a person who walks along the river Avon and sings.
* Meaning: It establishes Queen Mab as a powerful and active force, personifying dreams and fantasies.
2. "She comes / In shape no bigger than an agate-stone / On the forefinger of an alderman" (lines 56-58)
* Metaphor: Queen Mab is compared to a tiny agate stone on a man's finger.
* Meaning: This emphasizes her diminutive size and suggests she is a fleeting and insignificant figure.
3. "And with a voice more shrill than the wren's, / She cries your name" (lines 61-62)
* Metaphor: Queen Mab's voice is compared to the shrill call of a wren.
* Meaning: This reinforces her ephemeral nature, making her appear delicate and ethereal.
4. "She is the fairies' midwife" (line 70)
* Metaphor: Queen Mab is compared to a midwife.
* Meaning: This connects her to childbirth and the creation of new life, suggesting she brings dreams and fantasies into being.
5. "And in this state she gallops night by night / Through lovers' brains, and then they dream of love" (lines 75-76)
* Metaphor: Queen Mab's journey through lovers' brains is compared to a gallop.
* Meaning: This emphasizes her speed and power to influence thoughts and emotions, particularly regarding love.