This paper posits that metaphor, in addition to embellishing language, promotes a comprehensive understanding of complex concepts and phenomena and provides teachers with a powerful way to talk about their work. The main body of this document, which includes an extensive review of the literature, considers the use of metaphors for mentoring in the preparation of mentors and in research on mentoring. Interviews and surveys were conducted with experienced teacher mentors (N=137) who were asked to provide metaphors, comparisons, or analogies for mentoring. The study revealed that the most common metaphors used to describe mentoring focused on interpersonal relationships such as the relationship between parent and child; that many subjects compared mentoring to teaching; that several subjects compared mentoring to problem prevention or providing emergency services; that some subjects viewed the role of the mentor as one of providing direction; and that several subjects referred to growth and development in their metaphors (e.g. like watching a flower bloom). Based on informants' suggestions, it was concluded that metaphors are useful in elucidating the complexities of mentoring and the mentoring relationship. (Contains 40 references.) (LL)