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Similes – how to understand them

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Definition

A simile is a figure of speech in which one thing is directly compared with another.

The comparison is usually signalled by the terms ‘as’ or ‘like’ or ‘such’.

Examples

He was as strong as a lion
It shot out like a bullet
“Music is such sweet thunder”

Use

Similes are part of everyday speech. They may be used consciously or unconsciously.

They are often used in imaginative writing such as fiction and poetry to clarify and enhance an image.

NB! To say that a girl looks like Marilyn Monroe is not a simile, but to say that ‘My heart is like a singing bird’ is a simile.

A simile requires less of an imaginative leap than does a metaphor. A simile states that A is like B, whereas a metaphor suggests that A actually is B.

The simile is one component of imagery. This is the process of evoking ideas, people, places, feelings and various other connections in a vivid and effective way.

Imagery is used in both written and spoken communication in many varieties of form, from advertising to poetry and from chatting to speech-making.

Simile, metaphor, and symbol are the main types of imagery, and the result is that communication acquires a creative and vital quality which somehow springs from the essential act of comparison.

So, a raindrop can become a crystal, fear can become an abyss, and jealousy a monster.

By employing imagery, we interpret the material world and use language to transmit our vision.

Self-assessment quiz follows …

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