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Definition of Simile
A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. To make the comparison, similes most often use the connecting words "like" or "as," but can also... read full definition
A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. To make the comparison, similes most often use the connecting words "like... read full definition
A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things. To make the comparison, similes most often... read full definition
Similes
Explanation and Analysis—Like a Little Candle:
After wandering barefoot through the snowy city streets, the little match girl sits down to try to warm herself with her matches. The narrator uses imagery and a simile in this moment, as seen in the following passage:
Her little hands were numb from cold. If only she dared strike a match, she could warm them a little. She took one and struck it against the brick wall of the house; it lighted! Oh, how warm it was and how clearly it burned like a little candle. She held her hand around it.
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Explanation and Analysis—Transparent as a Veil:
After realizing that lighting her matches offers her both warmth and magical visions into other realities, the little match girl strikes them one by one. Describing the second time the little girl lights a match, Andersen uses a simile, as seen in the following passage:
Unlock with LitCharts A+She struck another match. Its flame illuminated the wall and it became as transparent as a veil: she could see right into the house. She saw the table spread with a damask cloth and set with the finest porcelain. In the center, on a dish, lay a roasted goose stuffed with apples and prunes!
Related Themes:
