1. Metaphor or Simile? Watch out for links to poetry from different cultures! K.Wilkes 2010

2. Simile A simile is when a thing is said to be similar to something else. He ate like a pig. (We know that he isn’t really a pig, but the way he eats is similar to a pig. This is a simile.) K.Wilkes 2010

3. Metaphor A metaphor is when a thing is described as being something that it cannot be. He is a pig. (We know that he cannot actually be a pig, so this is a metaphor.) K.Wilkes 2010

4. So… Eats like a pig = simile Is a pig = metaphor Oink! K.Wilkes 2010

5. Your Task: You have to identify the metaphors and similes hidden in the sentences. Beware – I have set some cunning traps. Extra points if you spot the links to poetry from different cultures! K.Wilkes 2010

6. Mrs. Wilkes had a face like thunder when she realised that her pen collection had gone missing. • There was a smell like rotting meat; one of the dogs had broken wind. I felt like being sick. • The hurricane was like a ship speeding across the sea. Where did it come from? • I liked the show; I was going to burst with joy. • I wanted to explain why I had forgotten about my homework but my tongue was twisted. • I looked at myself in the mirror; it was like meeting another me! • Jenny looked like a bright orange in her dress. She wondered if her friends would like it; they all wore different clothes. • “You don’t understand me!” Richard’s temper was as tight as an elastic band. “Que hablan idiomas diferentes!” Juan replied. K.Wilkes 2010

7. Did you get it right? Did you see the links to the poems from different cultures? K.Wilkes 2010