Useful Discussion on 'Simile' ~ All About English Literature

Etymological Meaning

The word simile is from Latin origin (‘similis’) meaning ‘likeness’.

Definition

A Simile is a figure of speech in which an explicit comparison is made between two unallied or different things or ideas.

Some Salient Features of Simile

1) A comparison is made.

2) The comparison is made between two unlike or dissimilar objects.

3)The point of comparison is expressed or stated clearly.

4)There must have the use of word of comparison, ‘like’, ‘as’.

Some Common Examples

Use of ‘As’

as blind as a bat	completely blind
as cold as ice	very cold
as flat as a pancake	completely flat
as gentle as a lamb	very gentle
as light as a feather	very light
as old as the hills	very old
as sharp as a knife	very sharp
as strong as a bull	very strong
as white as snow	pure white
as wise as an owl	very wise

as slow as a snail

as cool as cucumber

Use of ‘Like’

like a rose	beautiful
like a volcano	explosive
like garbage	disgusting
like an animal	inhuman
like spaghetti	entangled
like dewdrops	sweet and pure
like gold dust	precious
like a tip	very untidy (tip = garbage dump

Literary Examples

1) Life is as tedious as a twice-told-tale. - Shakespeare

Explanation

This is an example of figure based on similarity more specifically simile in which an open and explicit comparison is made between two unallied elements- ‘life’ and ‘tale’. The point of comparison is clear- ‘tediousness’. This is clearly shown by ‘as’.

2) “Glory is like a circle in water,

Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself,

Till by broad spreading , it disperses to nought.” - Shakespeare

3) “Drive my dead thoughts over the universe like withered leaves to quicken a new birth.” - Shelley

4) “O my love’s like a red, red rose.” - Burns

5) “The soul is like a star that dwelt apart.” - Wordsworth

Popular songs, too, make use of simile

A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle - U2
Cheaper than a hot dog with no mustard - Beastie Boys
I must do what's right, as sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti - Toto
It's been a hard day's night, and I've been working like a dog - The Beatles
Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan
Like a bat outta [out of] hell - Meat Loaf
My heart is like an open highway - Jon Bon Jovi
These are the seasons of emotion and like the winds they rise and fall - Led Zeppelin
Thick as a Brick - Jethro Tull
You are as subtle as a brick to the small of my back - Taking Back Sunday