Similes use “like” or “as” to compare two things, while metaphors make a direct comparison. Metaphors can be symbolic and don’t have to refer to the object being compared. Both are common in everyday language and literature.
The differences between a metaphor and a simile can easily confuse people. It is helpful to understand how these two figures of speech differ, so that you can easily recognize one or the other when you encounter them in common speech, in any type of writing and especially in literature. It can be said that the simile is much simpler than the metaphor. Actually metaphor has numerous types, while simile is a very direct comparison.
When you think of the word similitude, think of the concept of “similar to” when making a comparison. You will almost always notice that this type of comparison is preceded by the words like or as. Here are a couple of similarities:
He sat away from the ships with his face dark as night.
Homer
Old Marley was dead as a nail.
Charles Dickens
Once you’re aware of the similarities, you’ll find them pretty much everywhere. Things like “easy as pie,” “or blind as a bat” stand out. Even a child’s lullaby like “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” states that the star is “like a diamond in the sky.
Metaphor is also frequently used, but unlike simile the comparison is direct. The metaphor is not “how” or “like” the thing it is compared to, it is the thing. Consider these following examples:
Books are bearers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature is mute, science paralysed, thought and speculation stopped.
Barbara Tuchman
Reading is a vital tool for living a good life.
Mortimer Adler
Tuchman’s quote uses numerous metaphors. In his words, books are not like the bearers of civilization, they are the bearers. He extends his metaphor further by comparing history with rumors, literature with thought, and science with physical progress. Each of these things is hampered, she believes, without books.
Sometimes metaphors aren’t so direct. Authors may use metaphors extended symbolically without ever referring specifically to the thing the metaphor is meant to symbolize. In CS Lewis’ Narnia series, Aslan is an extended metaphor for Christ, although this is never specifically stated. The symbol is there, and Aslan is very clearly Christ.
Simpler examples of the metaphor are in common everyday usage. You might state that your heart hurts if you break up with a guy or a girl. This is symbolic of your sadness, but it’s not really a heartache. You can alternately turn it into a simile by saying, “My heart hurts.”
Essentially the main points to remember about metaphor and simile are as follows:
Similarities always compare using works like “like” and “like”
Metaphors are direct comparisons between two objects
Metaphors don’t even have to refer to the object they are being compared to, but can be used symbolically and extensively
Both are common in everyday language, literature, and music
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