I.

DEFINITION OF SIMILE

- (pronounced sim–uh-lee) is a literary term where you use “like” or “as” to compare two different

things and show a common quality between them.

- a simile is different from a simple comparison in that it usually compares two unrelated things.

- is an expression which describes a person or thing as being similar to someone or something

else.

- a figure of speech that expresses the resemblance of one thing to another of a different category,

usually introduced by as or like.

- use the noun simile when describing a comparison between two fundamentally different things.

- a simile is different from a metaphor, in which the comparison is less explicit.

- the technique of simile is known as a rhetorical analogy, as it is a device used for comparison.

- similes give the reader a more vivid experience of the story, calling powerful images to mind.

- simile introduces vividness into what we say.

- authors and poets utilize simile to convey their sentiments and thoughts through vivid word

pictures.

II. THE IMPORTANCE OF USING SIMILES

Similes are an important tool that make language more creative, descriptive, and entertaining.

The mind thinks in images and associations, so similes are used to make stronger and more

effective descriptions than if only adjectives or literal descriptions were used; they can stir up

associated emotions, create new connections in the mind, and emphasize certain characteristics.

Similes are almost essential to creative expression from everyday speech to poetry.

Similes are a powerful and creative form of description that uses comparison to evoke images

or symbols of whatever you are trying to describe. The simile can make a woman’s smile beautiful

by comparing it to a rose, or it can make her sly by comparing her to a fox. Similes use comparison

to create connections between very different things, creating strong feelings and images.
 III. SHORT EXAMPLES OF SIMILE IN A SENTENCE

1. The glow of the tube-light was as bright as the sunshine.

2. In winter, when it rained, he climbed into bed and felt as snug as a bug in a rug.

3. At exam time, the high school student was as busy as a bee.

4. The beggar on the road looked as blind as a bat.

5. When the examination finished, the candidate felt as light as a feather.

6. When the teacher entered the class, the 6th-grade students were fighting like cats and

dogs.

7. The diplomat said the friendship of the two countries was as deep as an ocean.

8. The desert traveler’s hopes were dashed, as when at last he reached a well, it was as dry

as a bone.

9. His opponent was trying to infuriate him, but he remained as cool as cucumber.

10. The laborer remained busy at work all day long and slept like a log that night.

11. The audience listened to his spellbinding speech as quietly as mice.

12. The young athlete looked as strong as an ox.

13. The student moved as fast as lightning after getting permission from the teacher for an

early release.

14. The history paper was as tricky as a labyrinth.

15. The boys in the playing field were feeling as happy as dogs with two tails.

16. This contract is as solid as the ground we stand on.

17. That guy is as nutty as a fruitcake.

18. Don't just sit there like a bump on a log.

19. Well, that went over like a lead balloon.

20. They are as different as night and day.

21. Last night, I slept like a log.

22. This dress is perfect because it fits like a glove.

23. They wore jeans, which made me stand out like a sore thumb.

24. My love for you is as deep as the ocean.

25. I am so thirsty that my throat is as dry as a bone.

- a metaphor is a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn’t literally

true, but helps explain an idea or make a comparison.

- a metaphor states that one thing is another thing

- it equates those two things not because they actually are the same, but for the sake of

comparison or symbolism

- metaphors are used in poetry, literature, and anytime someone wants to add some color to

their language.

- a word or phrase for one thing that is used to refer to another thing in order to show or suggest

that they are similar

- an object, activity, or idea that is used as a symbol of something else

- metaphors are a form of figurative language, which refers to words or expressions that mean

something different from their literal definition. In the case of metaphors, the literal interpretation

would often be pretty silly.

II. DIFFERENT TYPES OF METAPHORS

Implied Metaphor

- implied metaphor departs from the “thing A is thing B” formula and allows you to make
a more sophisticated and subtle type of comparison through implication.

Example:

Jordan got his courtship cues from the peacock. In a room full of ladies, Jordan simply
fans his feathers.

- In both sentences, we are comparing Jordan to a peacock. In the first sentence,

the comparison is overt: the peacock is mentioned directly. But in the second
sentence, we imply that Jordan is the peacock by comparing his behavior

(fanning his feathers) to something peacocks are known for doing. That isn’t
 meant to suggest that Jordan actually has feathers, but that he is behaving in a

showy and flirty way to catch the attention of the ladies.

Sustained Metaphor

- a sustained metaphor is carried through multiple sentences or even paragraphs.

Example:

‘’But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!

Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief.’’

- In a famous example from Shakespeare, Romeo compares Juliet to the sun over

several lines.

Dead Metaphor

- a dead metaphor is a cliché that has become so commonplace that the imagery has
lost its power.

Examples:

“raining cats and dogs”

“throw the baby out with the bathwater”

“heart of gold”

- With a good, living metaphor, you get that fun moment of thinking about what it
would look like if Elvis were actually singing to a hound dog (for example). But

with a dead metaphor, the original image has already receded into the

background. Using too many dead metaphors will cause your reader to lose

interest. Reach a little further for an original image, or think about ways to use a

familiar metaphor in an unconventional way.

1. The detective listened to her tales with a wooden face.

2. She was fairly certain that life was a fashion show.

3. The typical teenage boy’s room is a disaster area.

4. What storms then shook the ocean of my sleep.

5. The children were roses grown in concrete gardens, beautiful and forlorn.

6. Kisses are the flowers of love in bloom.

7. His cotton candy words did not appeal to her taste.

8. Kathy arrived at the grocery store with an army of children.

9. Her eyes were fireflies.

10. He wanted to set sail on the ocean of love but he just wasted away in the desert.

11. I was lost in a sea of nameless faces.

12. John’s answer to the problem was just a Band-Aid, not a solution.

13. The cast on Michael’s broken leg was a plaster shackle.

14. Cameron always had a taste for the fruit of knowledge.

15. The promise between us was a delicate flower.

16. He’s a rolling stone, and it’s bred in the bone.

17. He pleaded for her forgiveness but Janet’s heart was cold iron.

18. She was just a trophy to Ricardo, another object to possess.

19. The path of resentment is easier to travel than the road to forgiveness.

20. Katie’s plan to get into college was a house of cards on a crooked table.

21. The wheels of justice turn slowly.

22. Hope shines–a pebble in the gloom.

23. She cut him down with her words.

24. The job interview was a rope ladder dropped from heaven.

25. Her hair was a flowing golden river streaming down her shoulders.