Difference between Metaphor and Simile | Metaphor vs. Simile

Metaphor vs. Simile

Difference between Metaphor and Simile: – Metaphor and simile or comparison is often confused because of their similarities. But, in fact, both involve different aspects of literary language. To begin with, we can say that a simile is a metaphor, but not all metaphors are similes.

Difference between Metaphor and Simile

Metaphor
Metaphor is often used as a powerful resource that serves to replace terms with others that literally mean something else; but which bear similarity as that which is meant. Therefore, there is a kind of “substitution” between the terms that I want to express and those that I use to express myself.

An example of a metaphor would be the phrase “The Sea of​his eyes”. This does not indicate that the sea is trapped in anyone’s eyes, but is a person with blue eyes. (As the sea is often represented in blue, when referring to “the sea of ​​your eyes” what is meant is that the eyes of that person are “blue, instead of directly using the term “blue”, it replaced by the term “sea”).

Simile
In simile, on the other hand, two things are compared to create meaning. The introduction of the word “as” is what gives comparison a characteristic that sets it apart from metaphor. So here the previous sentence would become “His eyes are like the sea.” The simile indicates similarity. It is the comparison between two unrelated things.

We can say that the simile is an approximation, whereas the metaphor is an equation in itself. So the main difference is that the simile; being an approximation cannot extend, replace or reverse. But metaphor, being an equation can be reversed, extended and replaced by other metaphors.

If the word “as” is used in the sentence to show similarity, then it is a simile. But if what is done is a substitution of one term for another, then it is a metaphor.

Other words that are used as connectors in the case of simile are: equal to, equal to, similar to, as well as.

Key Differences between Metaphor and Simile

• The simile compares two things to create meaning, while in metaphor one element is substituted for another, taking into account the similarities between them.
• The word “as” is usually used especially in simile to establish a comparison, whereas in metaphor it is assumed that two things are equal (a substitution is made).