simile are like spice forwriting : Used in the proper proportion , they can contribute zest and verve to your prose . Once you ’re intimate with them , you ’ll likely find thatsimile examplesabound ineveryday speech , writing , song lyrics and even advertising slogans .
Here , we ’ll take a look at some simile examples , as well as how they dissent from other character of figurative speech such as metaphors .
What Is a Simile?
A simile is a type of figurative speech communication that draws a direct compare between two different thing . Thisfigurative languagecan be used for accent , surprise , irony or any issue of consequence . A simile uses the words " like " or " as " to make an explicit comparison between the two things .
Similes have been used throughout history , both in everyday speech and as literary twist in poetry , novel and bid . Similes can create brilliant effigy in a art object of writing , or they can add coloring material and clearness to conversation .
13 Common Simile Examples
It ’s probable that you ’ve heard , or used , the abide by common examples of simile . They ’re often get in contemporaneous American English , although as with all thing in voice communication , they change over clock time in popularity .
5 Similes in Classic Literature
The use of simile as a literary gimmick goes right smart back in Earth lit , being found inpoetry , dramatic play and prose . The English language has plenty of examples of similes from antiquity to the present day , illustrating just how effective they are at creating a pictorial image in the thinker of the referee .
1. From the Robert Burns poem ‘A Red, Red Rose’
You ’ve in all probability heard this one before , as it ’s been recur to the pointedness of parody ( but you might not have understand that the poem is previous enough to include spell from an archaic Scottish accent ) .
Here , the poet compare his love to the newly sprung ( or freshly sprouted ) , bright - cerise rose of springtime . In the second couplet , the poet relates his sexual love to a sweetly melodious song .
2. From the William Wordsworth poem ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’
Here , both the title of the verse form and its first prison term uses the same simile . In this as in other lit examples , the simile use a mental persona to create a mood and illustrate an estimate .
3. From the play ‘Macbeth’
The works of William Shakespeare have a great many examples of similes and metaphor . In this example , the simile helps illustrate that Macbeth knows the risk he would be take on by following through with his programme to pop King Duncan .
4. From ‘Romeo and Juliet’
This instance of aShakespeareansimile makes a comparison between love and the painful prick of a thorn , foreground the aroused nuisance that can fall out when things do n’t go well .
5. From ‘A Christmas Carol’
In this Charles Dickens classic , the comparison between two apparently unlike things crap for a powerful figure of speech . In Dickens ' Clarence Day , door - nail , unlike other nails , were bent in such a elbow room that control they could not be re - used .
What Is the Difference Between a Simile and a Metaphor?
Unlike similes , metaphor do not practice the words " like " or " as " to draw a comparison between two or morenouns . Instead , they merely express that one thing is another . Metaphors are therefore a bit harder to spot , but once you get used to it , you ’ll see they are also very common . In fact , some are plainly variations on the simile examples outlined before .
How to Teach Similes
Whether working with students , or seeking to improve your own writing , it helps to set forth by examine other writers . The literature examples above are good to know about , both to inspire your own and to nullify using common simile that are overly familiar .
It can be helpful to go back to a simple simile definition : a part of speech comparing two manifestly dissimilar thing . Often , it ’s a soul and an animal . What ’s being drawn out is a particular quality that connect them , such as in " She is as knowing as an bird of night . "
The person ’s wisdom is being compared to that of anowl , an animal classically associated with wisdom ( in part , due to its linkup to theGreek goddessAthena ) .
From here , you’re able to get originative and see if you’re able to come up with your own owl simile lesson , such as " as silent as an owl in flight " or " as watchful as an owl . " This can be a terrific way to get more originality into your writing .
