Similes and
Metaphors
Poetry Devices
Simile

A comparison using like or
as
 His feet were as big as
boats.
Metaphor

A metaphor states
that one thing is
something else. It is a
comparison, but it
does NOT use like or
as to make the
comparison.
 Her hair is silk.
Simile or Metaphor????
 The
baby was like an octopus, grabbing at
all the cans on the grocery store shelves.
 As the teacher entered the room she
muttered under her breath, "This class is
like a three-ring circus!"
 The giant’s steps were thunder as he ran
toward Jack.
 The pillow was a cloud when I put my
head upon it after a long day.
Simile or Metaphor????
I
feel like a limp dishrag.
 Those girls are like two peas in a pod.
 The fluorescent light was the sun during our
test.
 No one invites Harold to parties because
he’s a wet blanket.
 The bar of soap was a slippery eel during
the dog’s bath.
 Ted was as nervous as a cat with a long tail
in a room full of rocking chairs.
Willow and Ginkgo (pg 215 textbook)
Eve Merriam
The willow is like an etching,
Fine-lined against the sky.
The ginkgo is like a crude sketch,
Hardly worthy to be signed.
The willow’s music is like a soprano,
Delicate and thin.
The ginkgo’s tune is like a chorus
With everyone joining in.
The willow is sleek as a velvet-nosed calf;
The ginkgo is leathery as an old bull.
The willow’s branches are like silken thread;
The ginkgo’s like stubby rough wool.
Respond to Reading

Read the rest of the poem on your own.
 On a piece of paper, write a sentence or two about the
speaker’s opinions of the willow and the ginkgo.
 Which sensory details in this poem do you respond to
the most strongly? To which senses do they appeal?
 What did you picture in your mind as you read this
poem? You may choose to sketch your visual.
 List a simile from the poem that you thought had the best
description or comparison.
A Loaf Of Poetry
by Naoshi Koriyama (pg 217)
you mix
the dough
of experience
With
the yeast
of inspiration
and knead it well
with love
and pound it
with all your might
and then
leave it
until
it puffs out big
with its own inner force
and then
knead it again
and
shape it
into a round form
and bake it
in the oven
of your heart
Respond to Reading





What are the ingredients of “a loaf of poetry”?
What is the heart compared to in the poem?
Why do you think the speaker of “A Loaf of
Poetry” compares writing a poem to baking a
loaf of bread?
Do you think the speaker enjoys the writing
process? Which words and phrases in the poem
support your opinion?
What is the central metaphor in this poem? Can
you list specific metaphors from the poem?
Simile and Metaphor Game
 Find
a partner
 You have 15 minutes to come up with as
many similes and metaphors for the word I
give you
 You will get 1 point for each simile and 2
points for each metaphor
 They must be written so that I can read
them
Chocolate
 Make
as many similes and
metaphors as you can for this word.