What is a Simile?
A simile is defined as figurative language involving the comparison of two unrelated things. It is called a simile because it originates from the Latin word “similis.” It has often been used in novels, poems, and even songs. The usage of a simile makes an average sentence more interesting to a reader.
Here is an example of a sentence with a simile:
- A cheetah runs like the wind.
In this sentence, the cheetah’s running speed is compared to the wind; hence, a reader can infer that a cheetah runs very fast since the wind also has a high speed. This is called a simple simile where the likeness is described in brief lines.
Similes are usually expressed by words such as “like” or “as.” But that doesn’t mean every sentence that includes these words is a simile.
- His bike is like mine.
- They are as good as their ancestors.
Despite the usage of the words “as” and “like,” the comparison is made between similar kinds. The whole point of a simile is to compare objects that are not usually associated with each other.
Simile Examples in Literature
Similes are commonplace in English literature. Homer’s epics The Iliad and The Odyssey as well as some of Shakespeare’s works feature several of them. They are used to describe moments of high emotion: chaotic events like wars and battles and characters going through emotional turbulence. They involve graphic details that intensify the ongoing drama between the characters or the characters and the setting.
Below are some well-known examples of similes used in literature.
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
As a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear.
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Romeo makes a comparison of Juliet’s beauty in the night to a jewel shining against the dark skin of an Ethiopian person.
Epic similes are quite popular in Homer’s works, which is why they are also called Homeric. These similes are detailed comparisons of two dissimilar things, expressed in a lengthy format.
I drove my weight on it from above and bored it home like a shipwright bores his beam with a shipwright’s drill that men below, whipping the strap back and forth, whirl and the drill keeps twisting, never stopping. So we seized our stake with its fiery tip and bored it round and round in the giant’s eye.
Homer’s The Odyssey
Here, Odyssey talks about the battle with Polyphemus; it gives readers a vivid glimpse of the action in the battle.
Poets also use similes (both simple and epic) to create rich imagery. The following poem describes life without one’s only love through similes:
Me without you
is like a leafless fall,
a snowless winter,
and a flowerless spring.
Me without you
is like a colorless rainbow,
a sunless day,
and a starless night.
Life Without You by Nikki Wilfong
The descriptions help readers understand how lonely and sad life becomes when a person’s only love is missing.
Metaphors versus Simile versus Analogy
Metaphors are often confused with similes, but the two are different. A metaphor, like a simile, is also a figure of speech used to compare two dissimilar things, but it uses one thing to mean another. It also doesn’t use words like “as,” “like,” or “just as.” For example, “He has become a shell of a man” is a metaphor, whereas “He is like a shell of a man” is a simile. Both things indicate the loss of the man’s internal substance. But in the metaphor, the man is a shell, whereas, in the simile, he is like a shell.
An analogy, like a metaphor and a simile, also shows how two unlikely things are related but in the form of a logical argument. It explains the point of the comparison and is more complex than the other two. It identifies the figurative similarity between the two physically different things. Here is an example of a simple analogy:
- Just as a sword is the weapon of a warrior, a pen is the weapon of a writer.
Here, a writer’s pen is compared to a sword; the point made is that a writer’s words are no less than a weapon.
One can use similes and metaphors to create an analogy. Therefore, the analogy is like an umbrella term for comparative figures of speech.
The Purpose of a Simile
A simile primarily sparks the imagination of readers. Writers, poets, and songwriters use them to paint impressive images, evoke emotions or memories in readers, and clarify ideas through comparison. This way, similes give readers a better and complete understanding of the subject and help them connect to the piece of text. Using them in ordinary sentences makes reading exciting. Sentences with similes make intangible concepts more accessible to readers.
