FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE: SIMILES AND METAPHORS

Often in books and other creative literary works, people, events, and items may not be
described in the most common terms. Describing an object or person by comparing its features
to other things makes use of similes and metaphors to add more depth to the topic being
discussed.

These comparisons can also help communicate to the reader certain aspects of what is
being described that simply cannot be explained literally. Much in the same way that we relate a
place to a landmark, or describe one item by comparing it to a similar item through similes and
metaphors which can make the comparison easier. When something is compared or related to a
more common object with a distinct feature, the reader automatically applies the comparison to
understand what the writer is trying to say. Two of the most commonly used figures of speech
are similes and metaphors.

Similes are identified by the use of "like," "as," "similar to," and the like. They compare
dissimilar objects that share certain key traits.
Example:
"When he walked into the room, the entire audience looked up, like flowers turning towards the
sun."

Metaphors, on the other hand, directly refer to the object being described as being or
previously being the object it is compared or connected to
Example:
"The boom of his voice, all thunder and lightning, echoed through the entire hall."

Similes and metaphors can also add to the context of the ongoing text. Depending on
what the item is compared to the trait being described could be a negative or a positive one.
Using figures of speech in the study of literature can make the text more meaningful and colorful
for both the readers and the writers.