Similes and Metaphors A figure of speech

Figure of speech An expression that has deeper meaning Not literal in meaning There are several types; a few are: – Similes – Metaphors – Hyperbole – Irony Found in poetry, prose, speech, movies

Simile and Metaphor Simile An explicit comparison that uses the words like or as A comparison between two things that are unlike, but the author wishes to make a correlation between them Metaphor A comparison that does not use like or as. A comparison of likeness States that something is something else

Examples Simile Her hair is as red as a flame. The grass grew like a weed. Her arms spread like an eagle’s wings. Martha’s pillows appeared as marshmallows in her newly decorated bedroom. Metaphor Her hair is a flame that scorches those who look upon it. The grass is a weed taking over the yard. Her arms are wings flapping to take her higher. Martha’s pillows became marshmallows that softened the appearance of her room.

Examples in Literature Simile As still as a brooding dove - from Percy B. Shelley’s “The Cloud” The Chair she sat in, like a burnished throne - from T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land Metaphor Life's but a walking shadow; a poor player - from Shakespeare’s Macbeth Those are pearls that were his eyes - from T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land