Poetic Terms Dictionary
Figure of Speech

Simile

From Latin similis: like. Distinguished from metaphor by its explicit comparative marker. Homer's extended similes ('like a lion…') are among the most elaborate in literature.

Definition

A comparison between two unlike things using 'like' or 'as,' making the resemblance explicit.

Example

'My love is like a red, red rose / That's newly sprung in June.' (Robert Burns)

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