Simile
Simile
Similes
are a specific and formulaic form of allegory. A simile is a juxtaposed
comparison of two or more objects to draw attention to their similarities. In
English, similes are typically marked by use of like or as or than or resembles
Common Examples of Simile
- Our soldiers are as brave as
lions.
- Her cheeks are red like a rose.
- He is as funny as a monkey.
- The water well was as dry as a
bone.
- He is as cunning as a fox.
Why Do We Use Similes and Metaphors?
Sometimes, it can be
difficult to get a certain point across. Often, we find ourselves
struggling with the proper way to describe something so
that the reader (or listener) can picture it in the same way you do. In
these cases, it is often helpful to draw a comparison.
Let’s imagine that you have
lived in an area which has no access to the water, and you are given the
opportunity to travel and see the ocean for the very first time. This is
sure to be a moving, and breathtaking experience, and one you will definitely
want to relay to your fiends back home. It just doesn’t seem like enough
to say “It was big”, or “It was really cool”. There needs to be more of a
descriptive element to your story to help paint the picture for your friends.
This is where similes and metaphors come in.
Let’s look at some simile examples first:
“The ocean was as big and wide as the sky.”
“It was like looking over the edge of the world!”
“Parts of it were calm and clear as a mirror, while other parts were as rough and turbulent as storm clouds.”
“Seeing the ocean for the first time was like walking out into the sunlight after being kept in the dark.”
“It was like looking over the edge of the world!”
“Parts of it were calm and clear as a mirror, while other parts were as rough and turbulent as storm clouds.”
“Seeing the ocean for the first time was like walking out into the sunlight after being kept in the dark.”
In each of those examples,
you are asking your readers and listeners to recall other objects, and apply
the properties of those objects (like the sky, a mirror, and sunlight), to the
ocean to help them experience it in the way you did. Thesefigures of speech are
meant to be evocative and direct. It should put your audience in a
position to imagine the specific feelings and images you experienced, even
without being there.
Looking at the same ocean
experience from the standpoint of metaphors, you will see that these
comparisons are perhaps a little more subtle, but also full of potent imagery:
“Seeing the ocean for the first time was an eye
opening experience.”
“The ocean was a boiling cauldron of water and life.”
“It was a thunderstorm turned upside-down, hammering on the shore.”
“The ocean was a boiling cauldron of water and life.”
“It was a thunderstorm turned upside-down, hammering on the shore.”
When Are Similes and Metaphors
Used?
If you are in an English or
literature class, it is possible that your first introduction to similes and
metaphors will happen when you learn about either poetry or narrative
writing. It is true that the images created by using these figures of
speech can be very striking, and therefore are often used in these types of
writing.
For Business Writing
It can also be valuable and
beneficial to use similes and metaphors in your everyday speaking and
writing. Let’s look at a few examples which would be appropriate in a
business setting. Imagine you are trying to arrange a meeting atwork via email, and you want to convey how
important the issue at hand is. You might try using some of the following
similes:
“Our client is as anxious as a kid on Christmas
morning. It’s imperative that we get him some plans today!”
“This issue is as complicated as a Rubik’s cube. It’s going to take everyone’s involvement to solve it right.”
“If we can close this sale today, the higher ups will be happy as clams. Let’s move on this now.”
“This issue is as complicated as a Rubik’s cube. It’s going to take everyone’s involvement to solve it right.”
“If we can close this sale today, the higher ups will be happy as clams. Let’s move on this now.”
Sticking with the same situation, you could just as
easily use metaphors to convey the urgency of a pressing issue to your
coworkers:
“This issue is a hot potato that has been passed
around to much. We need to address it once and for all.”
“We are sitting ducks if we don’t get on this soon. We want to look good in front of our clients, and the boss.”
“If we can solve this today, and come in under budget, the client will be putty in our hands.”
“We are sitting ducks if we don’t get on this soon. We want to look good in front of our clients, and the boss.”
“If we can solve this today, and come in under budget, the client will be putty in our hands.”
Each example is comparing one aspect of the issue
to an evocative image. Even though this is a business environment, and
not a poetry class, similes and metaphors can be quite useful.
For Educational and School Related Writing:
They can also be used in an
educational environment. Obviously, any writing assignment could always
benefit from more description, and more examples to help your reading audience
understand your point. Let’s assume you are working on an essay regarding
a political topic, and you are trying to convey why this issue is so important
to those involved. In this case, using similes and metaphors will give
your readers something concrete to tie these ideas to, even if they are
unfamiliar with the issue itself.
“Appointing this candidate to office will be like
putting a fox in charge of a hen house.”
“Addressing the issue with a budget so small will be like trying to cure a severed limb with a band-aid.”
“Merely sitting in the White House makes you a good president about as much as sitting in your garage makes you a car.”
“Addressing the issue with a budget so small will be like trying to cure a severed limb with a band-aid.”
“Merely sitting in the White House makes you a good president about as much as sitting in your garage makes you a car.”
For metaphor examples, let’s switch over to English
class. Here, you are likely to be called upon for some more descriptive
and poetic writing. At some point in your writing career, you will
probably have to come up with a few metaphors in apoetry lesson. Some examples may include:
“Her eyes were twin pools of deep, blue serenity.”
“His anger was a freight train, loud and dangerous.”
“An unopened book is your next big adventure, waiting to happen.”
“His anger was a freight train, loud and dangerous.”
“An unopened book is your next big adventure, waiting to happen.”
These are perhaps more flowery examples of ways to
get your readers to picture things a certain way, but a frequently used device
in English and literature classes.
What Are Some Well Known Similes
and Metaphors?
Believe it or not, you probably already know dozens
of examples of similes and metaphors – you just may not realize that’s what
they are. Many well known sayings are, in fact, great examples of these
figures of speech. Let’s consider some of the following:
“My love is like a red, red rose.”
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”
“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”
“This is yesterday’s news.”
“Shaking like a leaf on a tree.”
“Sick as a dog.”
“That rubbed me the wrong way.”
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”
“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”
“This is yesterday’s news.”
“Shaking like a leaf on a tree.”
“Sick as a dog.”
“That rubbed me the wrong way.”
Similes and metaphors are a great and easy way to
help make your written and spoken language more descriptive, and perhaps easier
for your audience to connect with. These examples do not have to exist
only in poems, you can use them every day. To learn more about poetry,
check out Poetry: What it is and How to
Understand it for
more help.
References :
Is simile just use "like" or "as" ?
BalasHapusHahaha.. Thanks to gendut to answer my question, that right ,In English, similes are typically marked by use of like or as or than or resembles
HapusGreat blog, can you give me example taufik hidayat poetry? Thanks
BalasHapusAnak daddy, what do you mean Taufik Hidayat Poetry, i think Taufik Hidayat is Badminton Players :3
HapusSorry dady, I mean can you give me example chairil anwar poetry? Thanks dady
HapusNice blog. Can simile use for advertising?? What do u think about it.give me some example. Thank u
BalasHapusexample, if you want y\to sell a car, you can write like this, " The Truck Like a rock "
HapusNice blog. Can simile use for advertising?? What do u think about it.give me some example. Thank u
BalasHapusIn semantic, we learn about what we say dapat dimengerti oleh orang lain.. And you say, we can use simile to express what we say to others.. So my question, what the characteristic of simile from all the branch of semantic?? Karena semua cabang yg ada di semantic secara keseluruhan learn about how we can express what we say with simile and others..
BalasHapusThank you dayu..
http://pluto.huji.ac.il/~fishelov/shallicomparethee.pdf, it can be answer your question
Hapusnice blog dayu:) can you give me explanation why we should study simile in our life? thankyou:)
BalasHapusTo make outlife wonderful cuit..
Hapusnice blog. but how to aplicated simile in semantics?
BalasHapusThanks, to aplly simile in semantic is with poetry.
HapusFor Indah Shary : I think he write before, "English, similes are typically marked by use of like or as or than or resembles", so maybe that can answer your question, sorry, thank you...
BalasHapusFor Mr. Rich Man : Can you give a example of Simile in Academic Project? Thank you...
In academic projem, we can used simile in advertising, to tell people about out faculty it can be.
HapusNice blog, dayu. Whether the accuration of word be a problem when we used simile? Give me a reason. Tq..
BalasHapusYes of course, if your word is not accurate, your air will not recieve to reader or listener
HapusWowwwwwwwwwwww it's very wonderful explanation, aaaam but in circumtances much less we can use other than in poem or bullshit someone ? hahaha, thank yu :)
BalasHapushahaha.. Nice advice ti hahaha
HapusNice explanation dayu, But I want ask, is simile can be used in formal conversation?
BalasHapusThanks Chella, it can be used in formal conversation, why? because it can make out conversation more convertable
Hapusnice blog akhun^^
BalasHapusis simile useful for our life?thanks
sukron kasiron ukhti ^^ , simile is useful for ourlife ukhti because simile is some great word have greatful meaning
Hapusnice paraphrase dayu
BalasHapusFor Business Writing, which one the most useful, is simile or metaphor? and why?
both of them is important silvia, because it can be make your conversation be comfortable.
Hapushello dayu, What is the simile for dust? thanks
BalasHapusNice blog. I have a question why simile and metaphore have divid and why them include in brances of semantics? Thankyou
BalasHapus