(Simple) Similes
Epic Similes
What is being compared to what in the
following examples?
Unpacking epic similes: Look for 3 points
of comparison in each example.
Book 1
From Book 5
"… What if his great father came from the
unknown world and drove these men like dead
leaves through the place, recovering honor
and lordship in his own domains?"
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Book 5
An octopus, when you drag one from his
chamber, comes up with suckers full of tiney
stones: Odysseus left the skin of his great
hands torn on that rock-ledge and the wave
submerged him.
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"Skheria then came slowly into view like a
rough shield of bull's hide on the sea." Later in
Book 5 [Ino] broke the surface, like a diving
bird… After she had bestowed her veil, the
Nereid dove like a gull to windward where a
dark waveside closed over her whiteness."
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Book 6
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“Never have I laid eyes on equal beauty in
man or woman. I am hushed indeed. So fair,
one time, I thought a young palm tree at Delos
near the altar of Apollo--”
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Book 10
"Quick as a cat she opened her bright doors
and sighed a welcome…"
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Book 11
"…It was Aigisthos who designed my death, he
and my heartless wife, and killed me, after
feeding me, like a ox felled at the trough…."'
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Later in Book 11
“But, in my vision, all the dead around him
cried like affrighted birds …."
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A man in a distant field, no hearthfires near,
will hide a fresh brand in his bed of embers to
keep a spark alive for the next day; so in the
leaves Odysseus hid himself …
From Book 6
So Artemis goes flying after her arrows flown
down some tremendous valley-side--…
chasing the mountain goats or ghosting deer,
with nymphs of the wild places flanking her;
and Leto's heart delights to see them running,
for, taller by a head than nymphs an be, the
goddess shows more stately, all being
beautiful. So one could tell the princess from
the maids.
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Athena lent a hand, making him seem taller,
and massive too, with crisping hair in curls like
petals of wild hyacinth, but all red-golden.
Think of gold infused on silver by a craftsman,
whose fine art Hephaistos taught him or
Athena: one whose work moves to delight: just
so she lavished beauty over Odysseus' head
and shoulders.
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Why use similes? What patterns do you
notice in the examples above?
Why use epic similes? How are they different
from simple similes? What are the patterns?
Write Your Own Epic Similes!
Write an epic simile about what the crowd
of students look like and sound like as they
leave the classroom when the school-bell
rings at the end of the day.
Write an epic simile about an exciting /
peaceful / scary place (you choose). How
does it sound like, smell like and make you
feel?
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Write an epic simile about how you feel
when you finally finish writing a really
difficult test.
Write an epic simile about ANYTHING!
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