Language
Simile, metaphor and personification
Tell a simile, a metaphor and personification apart, and explain what each one means.
Writers say untrue things on purpose. The wind does not whisper and time does not steal, but those sentences land harder than the plain ones. Figurative language is language that means something other than what it literally says.
Simile — compares with like or as
It holds the two things side by side and admits they are different: the hall was as quiet as a library, she swam like a fish. Look for the word like or as.
Metaphor — says one thing IS the other
No like, no as, no hedging: the city was an oven, her promise was a rope. A metaphor claims the thing outright, which is what makes it stronger than a simile.
Personification — gives a thing human behavior
The kettle grumbled. The shutters argued all night. The clock scolded us from the wall. Something that cannot possibly do a human action is described as doing one.
Worked example
Name the figure of speech in "The camera loved her."
Ask whether it uses like or as. It does not.
That rules out a simile straight away.
Have a go
"The stars are diamonds scattered on velvet." Which figure of speech is this?
Ready to practice?
Eight questions on what you have just read. Nothing is timed, and you can play as many times as you like.