Simile are figures of speech that are used to make a link between two things. Here are some simile examples.
Rimlee Bhuyan
A simile is a phrase where two things that are dissimilar are compared by using words like "as", "than" and/or "like". A simile is different from a metaphor because in a simile the two ideas that are compared remain distinct from one another.
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It is a very good way to link two dissimilar phrases together to make a cohesive phrase. They help to brighten and liven up one's writing and many popular songs and jingles make use of similes. Here we present to you some simile examples, which will help you understand this figure of speech.
Simile Examples in Poetry
Poetry is a piece of literature that uses techniques like repetition, rhyme and meter for expressing emotions, ideas and thoughts. To create a powerful visual image, poets use similes and metaphors which enhances the composition of the poem. Here are some examples of similes in poetry.
Flint
An emerald is as green as grass, A ruby red as blood; A sapphire shines as blue as heaven; A flint lies in the mud.
A diamond is a brilliant stone, To catch the world's desire; An opal holds a fiery spark; But a flint holds a fire.
By Christina Rossetti
My Mistress' Eyes are Nothing Like the Sun
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red: If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damask'd, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound. I grant I never saw a goddess go: My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground. And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare.
By William Shakespeare (Sonnets CXXX)
A Dream Deferred
What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore. And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over. like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode?
By Langston Hughes
Simile Examples for Kids
Here is a list of simile for kids. Teach them about similes by reminding them that a simile is used for comparing to dissimilar ideas by using "like", "as" or "than". If they have a problem understanding the examples given below, ask them to think carefully what the author is trying to convey.
As brave as a lion
As busy as a bee
As cool as a cucumber
As dead as the dodo
As fit as a fiddle
As blind as a bat
As sticky as jam
As innocent as a lamb
As pale as a ghost
As pleased as punch
As poor as a church mouse
As quick as lightning
As silent as the grave
As sharp as a needle
As snug as a bug in a rug
As sweet as honey
As tough as nails
As wise as an owl
As white as snow
As sweet as honey
As smooth as silk
As sly as a fox
As proud as a peacock
As mad as a hatter
As hot as hell
As fresh as a daisy
As cute as a button
As lowly as a worm
As nutty as a fruit cake
As right as rain
Simile Examples in Literature
As we have already discussed, many writers like to use similes to make their work more creative and interesting. It gives a fresh perspective to a piece of literature. But using the same old and often used similes can make the piece seem clichéd and boring. So, it is best to exercise restraint while using them.
Given below are some examples of similes in literature.
"She dealt with moral problems as a cleaver deals with meat."(James Joyce, The Boarding House)
"Human speech is like a cracked cauldron on which we bang out tunes that make bears dance, when we want to move the stars to pity."(Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary)
"He was like a cock who thought the sun had risen to hear him crow." (George Eliot, Adam Bede)
"He looked about as inconspicuous as a tarantula on a slice of angel food."(Raymond Chandler)
"The stooped forms inched in an uneven line, like a wave, across the onion field." (Leonard Gardner, Fat City)
"Over my head the clouds thicken, then crack and split like a roar of cannonballs tumbling down a marble staircase; their bellies open--too late to run now!--and suddenly the rain comes down."(Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire)
"We walk through volumes of the unexpressed and like snails leave behind a faint thread excreted out of ourselves."(John Updike, The Blessed Man of Boston)
"The day passed away thus: Edmond felt a species of stupor creeping over him; the gnawing pain at his stomach had ceased; his thirst had abated; when he closed his eyes he saw myriads of lights dancing before them, like the meteors that play about the marshes."(Alexandre Dumas, The Count Of Monte Cristo)
"She was a pale blonde with a skin like clean and polished bone."(John Steinbeck, East Of Eden)
Similes can be used to enhance the quality of a piece of writing and it is one of the best ways to describe sights and sounds so that it leaves a lasting image on the reader's mind. If you are writing a piece of fiction or any other literary work, always remember that you should use similes sparingly and in context to your writing.