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Extended simile

Device
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A simile developed at length across multiple lines or stanzas for heightened effect

Detailed Definition
An extended simile, or epic simile, elaborates a comparison over several lines with vivid detail and narrative digression; common in Homeric poetry, it deepens imagery by drawing parallels between heroic action and natural or domestic scenes, enriching thematic resonance through sustained analogy.
Example
Example in poetry:
Homer’s simile comparing warriors to leaves falling in autumn is an extended simile; In “Paradise Lost,” Milton compares Satan’s shield to the moon seen through a telescope—an extended simile; Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 uses an extended simile to subvert Petrarchan ideals; Tennyson’s “The Princess” includes an extended simile comparing love to a river’s course.
Additional Notes
An extended simile (or Homeric simile) elaborates a comparison over several lines, often drawing from nature or daily life; enhances vividness and thematic depth; common in epic poetry but also used lyrically by Milton and Tennyson.
Also Known As
Epic simile Homeric comparison Extended metaphor Amplified likeness Lengthened comparison
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