Simile+and+Metaphor

**Simile **
  Similes use the words “as” or “like” to make the connection between the two things that are being compared. 
 * Similes are comparisons** that show how two things that are not alike in most ways are similar in one important way. Similes are a way to describe something. Authors use them to make their writing more interesting or entertaining.

Examples: 1. Playing chess with Ashley is **like** trying to outsmart a computer. The activity “playing chess with Ashley” is being compared to “trying to outsmart a computer.” The point is that Ashley can think in a powerful manner that resembles the way a computer operates, not that she is like a computer in any other way. 2. His temper was **as** explosive **as** a volcano. His temper is being compared to a volcano in that it can be sudden and violent.

//Underline the word or phrase that is being described by each simile. Put parentheses around the word or phrase it is being compared to. The first three have been done for you.// 1. Mary frowned and said, “I believe that __taking drugs__ is like (playing with fire).” 2. I walked along the beach and listened to the ocean. My __sadness__ was as unending as the (waves). 3. Don’t tell Mother that her __cookies__ taste like (lumps of sand). 4. Sam waited impatiently for his older brother to calm down. “__Bill__, I think you are acting like a (baby),” he said. 5. __Karen__ was offended when I said that she was as flaky as a (snowstorm). 6. Be careful when you go out. The __sidewalk__ is as slippery as (greased glass). 7. I’m not comfortable about this situation. I feel like a __bug__ sitting under a (magnifying glass). 8. I hoped our __play__ would be a success and last for many performances. However, I guess it will last as long as a (balloon in a roomful of kittens). 9. I really like __Patty__. Her heart is as soft as a(feather pillow). 10. __Cheryl’s smile__ is as sweet as a (lullaby).

**Metaphors**
**Metaphors are comparisons** that show how two things that are not alike in most ways are similar in one important way. Metaphors are a way to describe something. Authors use them to make their writing more interesting or entertaining. Unlike similes that use the words “as” or “like” to make a comparison, **metaphors state that something //is// something else.**  //Read the statements that contain metaphors in italics. Then complete the statements that explain the metaphors.//

1. //Brian was a wall//, bouncing every tennis ball back over the net. This metaphor compares Brian to a wall because: He kept returning the balls. a. He was very strong. b. He was very tall. c. He kept returning the balls. d. His body was made of cells.

2. We would have had more pizza to eat if //Tammy hadn’t been such a hog//. Tammy was being compared to a hog because she: Ate like a hog. a. looked like a hog b. ate like a hog c. smelled like a hog d. was as smart as a hog

3. //Cindy was such a mule//. We couldn’t get her to change her mind. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The metaphor compares Cindy to a mule because she was: Very stubborn. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">a. always eating oats b. able to do hard work c. raised on a farm d. very stubborn

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">4. The poor rat didn’t have a chance. Our old //cat, a bolt of lightning//, caught his prey. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The cat was compared to a bolt of lightning because he was: Very fast. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">a. very fast b. very bright c. not fond of fleas d. very old

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">5. Even a child could carry my dog, Dogface, around for hours. //He’s such a feather//. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This metaphor implies that Dogface: Is not very heavy. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">a. is not cute b. looks like a bird c. is not heavy d. can fly