Just a brief introduction to what similes and metaphors are.

1. Poetic Devices Similes & Metaphors

4. Like a simile, a metaphor makes a comparison between one thing and another. However, rather than saying that something is like another, a metaphor says it actually is that thing. Some metaphors are easy to identify, while others are so subtle that you will need to analyse the text carefully to find them. Metaphors can create a far more powerful effect than similes, because they are so definite in their comparison. As we try to picture the image in our minds, a good metaphor makes a connection that allows us to see something in a new way.

7. A simile is a type of imagery that makes a comparison between one thing and another, to strengthen the ‘word picture’ in the reader’s mind. There are two types of simile: 1. Where one thing is said to be like another, for instance: “ The sun looked like a golden coin in the sky.” In this example, the sun is being compared to something that looks similar, i.e. the golden coin.

8. 2. Where one thing is said to be as … as a …, for instance: “ The moon shone as brightly as the stars.” This type of simile gives a slightly more definite feeling. Here, the light of the moon is being compared to that of the stars.

11. The following slides contain materials you are to use in order to answer the questions for Task Two.