Figurative language: similes and metaphors
From Smile and Learn
4 min4th5thReading & Writing (ELA)
Summary
Explains similes (using like or as) and metaphors (calling one thing another) with vivid examples. Deepens reading and writing of poetry and prose.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Talk about it
Figurative language paints pictures. A simile compares with 'like' or 'as'; a metaphor says one thing IS another.
- Is 'brave as a lion' a simile or a metaphor? How do you know?
- What does the metaphor 'the classroom was a zoo' really mean?
- Why do writers use comparisons instead of saying it plainly?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: simile, metaphor, compare, figurative.
Try it: Write one simile and one metaphor about the weather today.