"What is a Simile?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

What does the literary term "simile" mean? What is the difference between a metaphor and a simile? What are some examples of similes? Professor Peter Betjemann answers these questions using examples from everyday life and Stephen Crane's short story "The Open Boat." The short video is designed to help high school and college English students properly identify similes and to analyze their purposes in literary analysis.

This video now contains Spanish as well as English subtitles. To switch between languages, please click on the "settings" button in the video.

The video is sponsored by the School of Writing, Literature, and Film at Oregon State University. For more discussions of literary topics and essay writing tips, please subscribe to the free SWLF YouTube Channel or visit https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/oregon-state-guide-english-literary-terms

Timestamps
0:00 Simile Definition
0:49 Simile Literary Examples
1:33 Why Use Similes?

In the comments section below, please feel free to add your favorite examples of similes. Liking, sharing, and commenting on these videos will help us to build a rich digital learning environment around these topics.

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