A Mini Lesson on Metaphor and Simile
Learning the Difference between Cliche and Fresh Comparisons
Feb 20, 2009
Oral language allows worn out words and cliches to express what one might be feeling, such as, "I feel as old as dirt" or "You are as slow as molasses" and the threadbare, "She was as white as a ghost".
In writing, worn out words won't bring fresh meaning to the reader. Reading a tired cliche can't give the reader a fresh sensory detail. The mind dulls when reading a tired, ineffective comparison and skims over the words without "seeing" or "sensing" something with a fresh clarity.
Cliches to Avoid
- cute as a button
- old as dirt
- white as a ghost
- mad as a wet hen
- fresh as a daisy
- sweet as candy
- hard as a rock
Trendy Opinion Words to Avoid
- awesome
- rad
- bad
- sweet
- cool
- phat
- epic
Replace Opinion Words with Fact Words
- Notice how opinion words simply tell what the writer thinks about a subject while fact words show by supplying examples or sensory details. Ex. Her coat was "amazing" versus her coat was "rich velvet".
- Write down as many tired cliches as possible and then create fresh comparisons using either similes or metaphors.
- Practice writing letters or notes and replace tired language with fresh, unusual comparisons to describe events, places, ideas or people.
Metaphors and Similes
Metaphors are comparisons between two unlike objects. A metaphor is an intense comparison used most often in poetry. For example, "the wind is a song" is a metaphor, while "the wind is like a song" is the more usual and most-often used simile (comparison using the word, "like" or "as" to compare).
Work on New Ways to Compare Unlike Images
A few fresh comparisons can really brighten up a letter, a short story, an essay, novel or poem. Metaphors and similes should be used whenever a writer needs to conjure up a fresh image to keep the reader thinking and participating in the writing.
Some fun ways to create new comparisons are to take two unlike items and place them in a sentence together, finding a way to compare them. This can be started as early as third grade and used to playfully encourage the students to experiment with language.
Some examples:
- The wind outside sounds like a bullet train. (simile)
- The wind outside is a bullet train. (metaphor)
- Little brothers are like a band of noisy drummers. (simile)
- Little brothers are a band of noisy drummers. (metaphor)
- Her hair was as soft as a warm breeze. (simile)
- Her hair was a warm breeze. (metaphor)
The teacher can use prompts to initiate comparisons and the students can finish the sentences with their own ideas.
Tip: Using antonyms (opposites) in a sentence strengthens the writer's ability to connect unlike objects or ideas to create a fresh visual impact.
Comparisons work when a writer compares two completely unlike things in a unique way which makes sense to the reader. This is creative writing at its best. It takes practice to allow the mind to experiment with unusual images but this is a necessary literary tool to learn how to use.
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