A historical example of figurative language in making a scientific argument
"Under the commonly accepted principles of astronomy, it could be seen that all the celestial phenomena conform to the mean motion of the sun and that the entire harmony of the celestial motions is established and preserved under its control. Hence the sun was called by the ancients leader, governor of nature, and king. But whether it carries on this administration as God rules the entire universe, a rule excellently described by Aristotle in the De mundo, or whether, traversing the entire heaven so often and resting nowhere, it acts as God's administrator in nature, seems not yet altogether explained and settled. Which of these assumptions is preferable, I leave to be determined by geometers and philosophers (who are mathematically equipped). For in the trial and decision of such controversies, a verdict must be reached in accordance with not plausible opinions but mathematical laws (the court in which this case is heard). The former manner of rule has been set aside, the latter adopted. My teacher [Copernicus] is convinced, however, that the rejected method of the sun's rule in the realm of nature must be revived, but in such a way that the received and accepted method retains its place. For he is aware that in human affairs the emperor need not himself hurry from city to city in order to perform the duty imposed on him by God; and that the heart does not move to the head or feet or other parts of the body to sustain a living creature, but fulfills its function through other organs designed by God for that purpose.
Now my teacher concluded that the mean motion of the sun must be the sort of motion that is not only established by the imagination, as in the case of the other planets, but is self-caused, since it appears to be truly 'both choral dancer and choral leader'. He then showed that his opinion was sound and not inconsistent with the truth, for he saw that by his hypotheses the efficient cause of the uniform motion of the sun could be geometrically deduced and proved."
Rheticus (1959) The Narratio Prima (1539, Translated by. E. Rosen), in Three Copernican Treatises (Ed. E. Rosen) Dover Publications (pp.107-196).
Rheticus is here arguing for Copernicus's claim that the Earth moves around the Sun rather than (as appearances might suggest) the Sun moving around the Earth. Rheticus adopts the traditional metaphors (or perhaps it was seen as more than that at one time) as ther Sun as a 'leader', 'governor', and 'king', but develops the idea that an administrator (a shift that sees the Sun not as supreme leader, but an agent of God?) can either move around to visit sites or control form a central location (an analogy for the Sun moving or being located at the centre of the system). The Sun can remain still, just as the emperor can remain at home and still rule, and (another analogy) just as the heart does not need to visit the rest of the body to fulfill its function (today we would see this as supplying blood to all the tissues).
Read about analogy in science
Read examples of scientific analogies
Many examples of science analogies are listed in 'Creative comparisons: Making science familiar through language. An illustrative catalogue of figurative comparisons and analogies for science concepts'. Free Download.
The idea of the Sun being 'both choral dancer and choral leader' (a choreographer can be part of the dance group following her choreography) can be seen as a simile.
Read about similes in science
Read about examples of science similes
Many examples of science similes are listed in 'Creative Comparisons: Making Science Familiar through Language. An illustrative catalogue of figurative comparisons and analogies for science concepts'. Free Download.