Metaphors and Similes
"Studying metaphors and similes is like being hit by a truck. These concepts are crushing my brain. I need a break from all this craziness."
Have you ever felt like this when your teacher starts talking about metaphors and similes? Well, if you ever said or thought these quotes above, then you were using metaphors and similes.
Similes
Let's start by looking at the simple differences between metaphors and similes. Similes make direct comparisons to things and are easy to notice in sentence structure. Look at sentence (1).
1. This piece of bread is as hard as a rock.
In this sentence two things are compared [a piece of bread and a rock]. It is easy to see these in your mind. You might see a piece of bread on the left side and any type of rock on the right side. This is an example of direct comparison.
Also, look at the sentence structure. There is [as ... as]. This shows we are comparing two things. Here is another example in sentence (2).
2. She sings like an angel.
Here we are comparing a person's voice with the voice of an angel. Of course you cannot see a voice, but this is still a direct comparison.
Metaphors
Now let's look at metaphors. These are more subtle than similes. You hear metaphors every day without always knowing it. Look at sentence (3).
3. Her heart is broken.
In this sentence you understand the person is sad. However, you cannot break a heart. It is a muscle. What is happening in sentence (3) is an indirect comparison. The heart is compared to something(anything) that is breakable. It does not matter what you see in your head. You might visualize a flower vase, a plate, a cup, a mirror. The important matter is breaking something destroys it. That is the meaning of sentence (3). The person feels like her heart no longer works. It is destroyed.
Here is another example. A coach is talking to his football team in the locker room before a big game. He might say something like (4).
4. "Men, I want you to go out there and kill the enemy tonight. I want to see blood on the field, and I want you to bring me the quarterback's head on a platter. Let's play ball!"
OK. Are you excited? This kind of talk is not unusual. The point is that the coach is talking metaphorically. He is indirectly comparing football to what? Right. He is comparing football to war!
Let's look at some examples of metaphors and similes from literature. Sentence (5) is from the novel "The Good Thief" by Hannah Tinti. See if you can determine whether the author is using metaphor of simile.
5. "These thoughts pinched Ren inside, over and over, until his whole body ached."
What do you think? Excellent! It is metaphor. The author is indirectly comparing Ren's thoughts to something that can pinch or irritate.
Here is another example. This is from a short story called "The Sojourner" by Carson McCullers.
6. "It was a cloudless autumn day and the pale sunlight sliced between the pastel skyscrapers."
Can you see the metaphor in sentence (6)? Sunlight is indirectly compared to something solid, like a strip of cloth or piece of wood or a cutting tool such as a knife. The important point is that the sunlight shining between the buildings is bright and seems to have solidity. This kind of description also adds a poetic interest and movement to the images.
Personification
One type of metaphor that writers use extensively is personification. This is when human qualities or abilities are used to enhance inanimate objects. Sentences (7) and (8) are examples.
7. As she walked down the moonlit path, the shadows of the tree limbs embraced her.
8. The tall buildings in New York seemed to look down upon me, threatening me.
You can see how the tree limbs in (6) are treated like a person who can hold someone, and in (8) the building not only have the ability to see but also instill fear.
Here's a short quiz
Try to strengthen your metaphorical muscles. For each bold phrase below, choose whether it is a metaphor (M) or a simile (S). When you are finished, you can look at the answers. Don't peek at the answers until you are finished.
1. He looked like two miles of bad road. M S
2. The sun was smiling when I woke up. M S
3. English is killing me. M S
4. I worked like a slave at the factory. M S
5. My friend laughed so hard he nearly burst. M S
6. My car grunted and groaned when I tried to start it this morning. M S
7. My sister slaughtered the other debater in the forensics competition. M S
8. My grammar teacher was as mean as a bear. M S
9. A good education lifts us to great heights. M S
10. The calm narrative sea of the sailing novel put my father to sleep. M S
Answers
1.S 2.M 3.M 4.S 5.M 6.M 7.M 8.S 9.M 10.M
Have you ever felt like this when your teacher starts talking about metaphors and similes? Well, if you ever said or thought these quotes above, then you were using metaphors and similes.
Similes
Let's start by looking at the simple differences between metaphors and similes. Similes make direct comparisons to things and are easy to notice in sentence structure. Look at sentence (1).
1. This piece of bread is as hard as a rock.
In this sentence two things are compared [a piece of bread and a rock]. It is easy to see these in your mind. You might see a piece of bread on the left side and any type of rock on the right side. This is an example of direct comparison.
Also, look at the sentence structure. There is [as ... as]. This shows we are comparing two things. Here is another example in sentence (2).
2. She sings like an angel.
Here we are comparing a person's voice with the voice of an angel. Of course you cannot see a voice, but this is still a direct comparison.
Metaphors
Now let's look at metaphors. These are more subtle than similes. You hear metaphors every day without always knowing it. Look at sentence (3).
3. Her heart is broken.
In this sentence you understand the person is sad. However, you cannot break a heart. It is a muscle. What is happening in sentence (3) is an indirect comparison. The heart is compared to something(anything) that is breakable. It does not matter what you see in your head. You might visualize a flower vase, a plate, a cup, a mirror. The important matter is breaking something destroys it. That is the meaning of sentence (3). The person feels like her heart no longer works. It is destroyed.
Here is another example. A coach is talking to his football team in the locker room before a big game. He might say something like (4).
4. "Men, I want you to go out there and kill the enemy tonight. I want to see blood on the field, and I want you to bring me the quarterback's head on a platter. Let's play ball!"
OK. Are you excited? This kind of talk is not unusual. The point is that the coach is talking metaphorically. He is indirectly comparing football to what? Right. He is comparing football to war!
Let's look at some examples of metaphors and similes from literature. Sentence (5) is from the novel "The Good Thief" by Hannah Tinti. See if you can determine whether the author is using metaphor of simile.
5. "These thoughts pinched Ren inside, over and over, until his whole body ached."
What do you think? Excellent! It is metaphor. The author is indirectly comparing Ren's thoughts to something that can pinch or irritate.
Here is another example. This is from a short story called "The Sojourner" by Carson McCullers.
6. "It was a cloudless autumn day and the pale sunlight sliced between the pastel skyscrapers."
Can you see the metaphor in sentence (6)? Sunlight is indirectly compared to something solid, like a strip of cloth or piece of wood or a cutting tool such as a knife. The important point is that the sunlight shining between the buildings is bright and seems to have solidity. This kind of description also adds a poetic interest and movement to the images.
Personification
One type of metaphor that writers use extensively is personification. This is when human qualities or abilities are used to enhance inanimate objects. Sentences (7) and (8) are examples.
7. As she walked down the moonlit path, the shadows of the tree limbs embraced her.
8. The tall buildings in New York seemed to look down upon me, threatening me.
You can see how the tree limbs in (6) are treated like a person who can hold someone, and in (8) the building not only have the ability to see but also instill fear.
Here's a short quiz
Try to strengthen your metaphorical muscles. For each bold phrase below, choose whether it is a metaphor (M) or a simile (S). When you are finished, you can look at the answers. Don't peek at the answers until you are finished.
1. He looked like two miles of bad road. M S
2. The sun was smiling when I woke up. M S
3. English is killing me. M S
4. I worked like a slave at the factory. M S
5. My friend laughed so hard he nearly burst. M S
6. My car grunted and groaned when I tried to start it this morning. M S
7. My sister slaughtered the other debater in the forensics competition. M S
8. My grammar teacher was as mean as a bear. M S
9. A good education lifts us to great heights. M S
10. The calm narrative sea of the sailing novel put my father to sleep. M S
Answers
1.S 2.M 3.M 4.S 5.M 6.M 7.M 8.S 9.M 10.M
