Simile vs Metaphor

When reading a novel, poetry or lyrics to a song, many people become completely
enchanted by the descriptions in the prose. Simile and Metaphor are just two
examples of figurative language found in many types of literature. They add
descriptive words that can enhance the overall meaning of the piece and may provide
emotional significance to the plot in a story, the meaning of a poem or the lyrics in a
song.

Simile
A Simile is another figure of speech that compares two people, places or things using
the word "like" or "as" when comparing them. Much like metaphors, writers use them
in many forms of creative writing to enhance the telling of the story for their
audience. An example of a simile is, "Her hair was like the golden sun." It's similar to
the metaphor example but becomes a simile because the sentence uses the word "as"
when comparing her hair to the golden sun.

Metaphor
A Metaphor is a figure of speech that directly compares two nouns. A figure of speech
is a phrase used in a non-literal sense to create a more dramatic effect. Writers
commonly use metaphors in poetry, literature, and song lyrics to help make their
writing more descriptive, persuasive or poetic. For example, you could say, "She had
blonde hair." If your goal was to be more detailed, you could change it to, "Her hair
was the golden sun, flowing down her back." In the second example, her hair is being
compared directly to the golden sun, which can give the reader a more dramatic
visual.

Differences: Similes & Metaphors

The key differences between a Metaphor and a Simile are that a Simile compares
two things by saying that something is "like" something else; while a Metaphor says
that something "is" something else, making the comparison more direct.

Purpose
Similes and metaphors have a similar purpose since they are both used for dramatic
effect in writing, but the difference in their purpose is:
• Simile: The purpose of a simile is like a metaphor, but it also gives a specific
example. When the writer says something is like something else, they are giving
you a specific instance.
Example, "Her hair was like the golden sun" specifically explains what her hair was
like.
• Metaphor: The purpose of a metaphor is to provide more details for the reader so
that it becomes more visually engaging when they imagine it.

Definition
• Simile: A simile is a comparison of two people, places or things using the words
"like" or "as."
• Metaphor: A metaphor is a direct comparison between two objects, places, or
things.

Keywords
• Simile - Similes use the keywords "like" or "as." Not every sentence that has the
word "like" or "as" is a simile. For it to qualify, two things need to be compared. For
example, "She was walking on the sidewalk as the sun was setting" is not an
example of a simile. Although it has the word "as," nothing is being compared.
• Metaphor - Metaphors use the keywords "is" or "are" if they are comparing two
nouns in the present tense or "was" or "were" when comparing them in the past
tense.

Connectives
A connective is a word or phrase that joins thoughts or speech together. The
examples below explain connectives used in metaphors and similes:
• Simile: A simile uses the connectives "like" or "as" to join two separate ideas
together to make the comparison.
Example:
"His eyes were as blue as the Cerulean Ocean." The writer compared his eyes to the
color of the ocean using the connective "as."
• Metaphor: A metaphor doesn't use connectives when comparing nouns. Although
it uses the keywords "is," "are," "was" and "were, " those words do not join separate
thoughts together.
Example:
“His eyes were the blue Cerulean Ocean" compares the subject's eyes to the color of
the ocean without using words to connect the two. It was a direct comparison.

Examples of Simile vs. Metaphor

1. Example: The dog sat at the front door waiting for his owner to come home.
 Simile: The dog was like a statue at the door, never looking away from the street
in anticipation of when his owner would return from work.
 Metaphor: The dog was a statue at the door, never looking away from the street
in anticipation of when his owner would return from work.
Explanation: The Simile and Metaphor compare the dog to a statue, implying
that he didn't plan on moving from that spot until he saw his owner again. The
difference between the synonym and metaphor is that the synonym used the
connective "like" to compare the dog to the statue while the metaphor made the
comparison directly.

2. Example: The boy was so tired that he slept all night without waking up.
 Simile: The boy was as sleepy as a bear in hibernation that night; he didn't wake
once.
 Metaphor: The boy was a bear in hibernation that night; he didn't wake once.
Explanation: In both the Simile and Metaphor example, they compare the boy to
a bear in hibernation. Most bears sleep through the winter while they hibernate
 without waking up, so the reference to "a bear in hibernation" explains that the boy
slept soundly all night and didn't wake until morning.

3. Example: The fighter pilot was scanning the horizon for targets.
 Simile: The fighter pilot in the sky was like a hawk looking for prey.
 Metaphor: The fighter pilot in the sky was a hawk looking for prey.
Explanation: The Simile and Metaphor compare the fighter pilot to a hawk. Just
as hawks target and hunt down their food, the fighter pilot looked for a target to
strike. The description of the hawk may add more imagery for the reader to
visualize than the normal sentence alone.

4. Example: The kids were angry when their mom told them to clean their rooms.
 Simile: The children were as angry as volcanoes about to erupt after their mother
insisted, they clean their filthy rooms.
 Metaphor: The children were volcanoes just moments from erupting hot, molten
lava when their mother insisted, they clean their filthy rooms.
Explanation: In the normal sentence, the audience understands the children were
not happy that they had to clean their room. In Simile and Metaphor examples,
the description of their anger may become more vivid for the reader. The writer
compared the children to volcanoes about to erupt, and this can show the readers
through context that they were angry about cleaning their rooms.