Sensational Similes
Similes
Similes comparisons between two things to create
images in the reader’s mind.
• Similes compare two things with the use of the word “like” or “as.”
• “Standing stiff as a stork” is a simile that compares someone
standing still just as a stork does, and one can imagine a stork,
one let up behind it.
Sensational Similes
Kimberly Willis Holt uses a great deal of language. As
you read My Louisiana Sky, you can picture the
characters, their feelings, and their actions in your
mind’s eye.
• One method on which relies heavily is figurative language in
the form of similes.
• By making this comparison to something with which we are
all familiar, the writer helps the reader to better understand
and imagine what is being described.
Similes
In describing Aunt Dorie Kay, Tiger says, “Her voice was smooth like a
deep, calm lake.” This creates a mental picture for anyone who has
ever seen or sat beside a still, quiet lake.
When Tiger says about Aunt Dorie Kay, “It must be so exciting to
live in a big city,” she describes Granny’s reaction in this way:
“Granny’s nose pinched up like she had taken a bite of her
famous sour pickles.”
Similes
When Tiger explains how much she loves Saitter, she says
“I loved the longleaf pines that grew thick around us like a
fort.”