Similes and metaphors

A simile compares two different things openly, using like or as:

• He ran as fast as a cheetah.
• He sang like an angel.
• The night was as dark as coal.
• The baby slept like a log.

A metaphor makes the comparison without like or as. It says one thing is another, to show what they share:

• The world is a stage. (People play parts.)
• The classroom was a zoo.
• The lake was a mirror, reflecting the sky.

The test is simple: like or as there? Simile. Not there? Metaphor.

Now the poem. The spider's climbing is compared to King Bruce's own struggle. Just as the spider keeps trying to reach its web, Bruce keeps trying to do a great deed for his people. The poem never says "Bruce was like the spider"; it puts the two side by side and lets you see it. That's why the spider works as a metaphor, and it makes the message stronger: keep trying till you succeed.

You can turn one into the other. Simile: "Knowledge spreads like the branches of a mighty tree." Remove like and say it directly: "Knowledge is a spreading branch of a mighty tree." Now it's a metaphor!

And back again. Metaphor: "His courage was a beacon, guiding us through the storm." Simile: "His courage was like a beacon guiding us through the storm." Same comparison, different strength: the metaphor claims it, the simile suggests it.