Similes and Metaphors

Similes and metaphors are poetic devices. What does this mean?

• Every poem includes at least one simile or metaphor

• They are literary techniques commonly found in poetry

• They are rarely used in prose, or any form of non-poetic writing

• They are tricks that poets use to fool their readers

What is a simile?

• A comparison that uses the words "like" or "as"

• A comparison that does not use the words "like" or "as"

• An adverbial phrase that compares one thing to another

• A type of poem in which two things are compared

Which of the following sentences contains a simile?

• The mouse was quiet

• he mouse was whisper-quiet

• The mouse was quiet as a whisper

• The mouse's footsteps sounded whispery

In the sentence, "When the cat stalks his prey, he is a shadow," what two things are being compared?

• The cat and its prey

• The cat and its shadow

• The cat and a shadow

• The prey and its shadow

What is a metaphor?

• A comparison that uses the words "like" or "as"

• A comparison that does not use the words "like" or "as"

• An adverbial phrase that compares one thing to another

• A type of poem in which two things are compared

Which of the following could be added to the phrase, "My cat is black" to form a simile?

• And furry

• All over

• In color

• As ink

Which of the following is a metaphor?

• His hair is flame red

• Like a flame, his hair is red

• In the sunlight, his hair is flame

• His hair is red as a flame

Which of the following sentences contains a metaphor?

• The house was a carnival

• The house was noisy like a carnival

• The house had a carnival-like atmosphere

• The carnival moved into the house

Sometimes, metaphors can be difficult to decipher. What's the best synonym for "decipher?"

• Compare

• Read

• Focus on

• Figure out

Which of the following sentences contains a simile?

• She was a gazelle

• She ran faster than a gazelle

• A gazelle couldn't run faster than she did

• She was as graceful as a gazelle