Simile

Definition

A simile is another technique writers use to compare an object or idea to something else that shares a common quality or characteristic. This literary device will often use words such as “like” or “as” to connect the two images.

For example, a mathematics teacher’s explanation of linear equations could be as clear as mud. This sarcastic comparison is effective because both images lack clarity – you have no idea how x could ever equal y in the same way you cannot see through muddy water.

A young pupil might run as fast as lightning to class while an older student might be as slow as a snail. These similes offer the reader a good point of comparison because we already know that lightning flashing across the sky is energetic and sudden and that a snail’s movement is the complete opposite.

Describing Shakespeare’s sonnets as easy as ABC reduces the complexity of Shakespeare’s work to a child learning their alphabet.

Similes are an effective way to convey the meaning of something that is unfamiliar to the reader through a comparison that engages their own experiences and understanding.