Metaphor vs Simile
How to tell metaphors and similes apart, with examples and how to write about their effect.
Metaphors and similes are both figures of speech that compare one thing with another. They differ in how the comparison is made.
Simile
A simile states a comparison directly, using like or as.
- Her voice was as smooth as silk.
- He ran like the wind.
Metaphor
A metaphor says one thing is another, without like or as.
- Time is a thief.
- The classroom was a zoo.
The writer does not mean the classroom literally contained animals. The metaphor suggests noise, disorder and energy.
A quick test
Look for like or as making a comparison. If you find one, it is a simile. If the sentence states or implies that one thing is another, it is a metaphor.
Be careful: like and as are not always comparisons. In "I like pizza" or "As the sun set, we left", they do not create similes.
Related devices
- Personification: giving human qualities to something that is not human. The wind whispered.
- Extended metaphor: a metaphor developed over several lines or paragraphs.
- Hyperbole: deliberate exaggeration. I have told you a million times.
Writing about their effect
Naming the device earns few marks on its own. Explain what the comparison makes the reader imagine or feel.
Example. In "The classroom was a zoo", the metaphor suggests that the students were loud and out of control. It creates a vivid image and a slightly humorous tone.
A simple structure: identify the device, quote the words briefly, explain the effect, link to the writer's purpose.
Common mistakes
- Calling every comparison a simile.
- Naming the device without explaining its effect.
- Treating the comparison as literally true.
Quick recap
A simile compares with like or as. A metaphor says one thing is another. In analysis, always explain the effect.