1.9 Literary Devices

Similes are a way to compare two things using the words like or as. Similes help add sparkle to a sentence and provide the reader with stronger visuals.

Example: Alima swims well. (This works, but it’s plain.)

Try a simile...

Example: Alima swims like a fish.

We know fish live in the water and are excellent swimmers. By comparing Alima to a fish, we are saying she swims well. The reader can also easily visualize a fish and connect with this simile.

You can make this sentence even more descriptive by adding more details to your simile description.

Example: She swims like a fish with the fastest fins in the sea.

Example: She swims like a fish in a rocket-powered submarine.

Example: She swims like a fish escaping a shiver of sharks.

                            Fish Cartoon by ArtsyBee via Pixaby