TNPSC English Study Material- Figure of Speech "Simile and Metaphor"

Figure of Speech

Simile:

Simile is a comparison made between two objects of different kinds which have some resemblance, using by a word of comparison like – “like”, “so”, “As”, “as…so”.

Example From Poem(syllabus):

Like a king in exile

And lifted his head, dreamily, as one who has drunken.

As humble plants by country hedgerows growing.

Flickered his tongue like a forked night on the air

How glad I was he had come like a quest in quiet, to drink at my water -trough

In the above sentences, the words “Like”, “as”, are comparing two different kinds of objects. So it is called Simile.

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Metaphor

Metaphor is called as Condensed or implied Simile. It compares two things which are not actually the same, but for the sake of comparison or symbolism.

In Simple,  it is a word or phrase for one thing that is used to refer to another thing in order to show or suggest that both are similar

Example:

"Laugh till the game is played"

If you check the above example, life is compared to a game here so it is called Metaphor

"Life is like a game"

If you check the above example, here we are saying life is like a game so it is Simile. If we say life is a game then it is Metaphore.

Example for Metaphore:

1. A thread the length of a span
2. The strong red wine of this mirth
3. Deep blue cup of the sky.