Simile explicitly compares one thing with another, as when a poet says that snow falls “like ash” or that a voice is “as thin as winter light.” The comparison invites readers to transfer sensory, emotional, or symbolic qualities from the familiar image to the subject being described. Similes can be brief and decorative, but they may also unfold across many lines. In poetry, they often slow perception, making readers consider the exact shape, mood, or consequence of an experience.

A simile makes its comparison explicit through like, as, than, or a similar phrase: “her voice rose like smoke.” Effective similes clarify an unfamiliar feeling or perception through a vivid image. Unlike metaphor, a simile keeps the two compared things grammatically distinct.