Garth Boomer's thinking influenced many of those working in school English during the time he was alive. The ripple effects of his legacy continue to be felt. For the author, it is Boomer's interests in metaphor and meaning that resonate most. The use of tropes and figure is a distinctive feature of his writing and offers a rich allegorical resource for current reflections on curriculum. In this paper, the author explores the potential of metaphor for thinking in new ways about the relationship of grammar to key issues facing school English. Drawing on key figures in Shakespeare's play "The Tempest", the paper makes use of an old association between the word "grammar" and the practice of magic.