Simile, Metaphor and Personification
Examine the effects of imagery, including simile, metaphor and personification, and sound devices in narratives, poetry and songs.
Read this first
Three ways to compare. Naming the device is only half a mark. Say what it does.
Words you need
- Simile
- A comparison using like or as.
- Metaphor
- Says one thing is another.
- Personification
- Gives human actions to something not human.
- Effect
- What the device makes the reader picture or feel.
Worked example
e.g. Name the device and its effect: The wind howled at the window.
- Look for like or as. There are none. So not a simile.
- Ask: does it say one thing is another? No.
- Ask: is something not human doing a human thing?
- Yes. Wind cannot howl. Only animals and people can.
- So it is personification.
- Now the important half. What is the effect?
- Howled makes the wind sound alive and threatening.
- Full answer: personification, which makes the storm feel like a living threat.
Name it, then say what it makes the reader feel. Never stop at the name.
Practice
Name it, then explain the effect.
1As quiet as a mouse. Which device?with a picture
AnswerSimile. It uses as.
2He was a lion in the ring. Which device?with a picture
AnswerMetaphor.
3The sun smiled down. Which device?with a hint
Need a hint?
Can the sun smile?
AnswerPersonification.
4Her eyes were deep pools. Name it and give the effect.with a hint
Need a hint?
What does it make you picture?
AnswerMetaphor. It makes her eyes seem dark and endless.
5Write a simile about rain.on your own
AnswerThe rain fell like handfuls of gravel on the roof.
6Why is naming the device not enough?on your own
AnswerThe mark is for explaining the effect on the reader.
Think about it
1
Why is metaphor often stronger than simile?
One good answerLike keeps a small distance. A metaphor says it outright.
2
Can a sentence hold two devices?
One good answerYes. The angry sea clawed like a beast has both personification and simile.
Common mistakes
Any comparison is a simile.
Only ones using like or as. Without those it is a metaphor.
The answer is the name of the device.
Half the answer. The effect is what earns the mark.