Introduction

Figurative Language: Similes and Metaphors

Consider the following well-known phrases:

sharp as a tack
eats like a bird an icy stare
raining cats and dogs

Each one of these sayings creates a vivid word picture that deepens the reader’s understanding of the author’s meaning. To understand how an author creates and uses vivid word pictures, you need to know about literal and figurative language.

Literal language uses the exact meaning of a word or phrase.
Figurative language uses a word or phrase to mean something different from its literal definition; also known as “figures of speech.”

Literal language expresses the exact meaning of a word or phrase. For example, if you were out hiking with a friend and told him to “go jump in a lake,” he could take your words literally and immerse himself in a nearby body of water. However, if you were having an argument and said, “Go jump in a lake,” your friend would understand that you were using figurative language and were saying something like “go away.” Hundreds of figures of speech exist, but understanding two commonly used types will make you a more skilled reader. The two types are simile and metaphor.

Simile is an indirect comparison between two ideas that uses like, as, as if, or as though.
Metaphor is a direct comparison between two ideas that does not use like, as, as if, or as though.

Distinguishing Between Similes and Metaphors

Practice 3

Review Test 1: Simile

Review Test 2: Similes and Metaphors