I thought we'd take a break from the usual prose and take a little time to discuss the technique of similes and metaphors. For those who do not know, a simile is the use of "like" or "as" to describe something. For example, "His eyes were as blue as the sea" or "His eyes were like the sea." Metaphors on the other hand, describe things a tad more intimate and without the use of "like" or "as." For example, "His eyes were the sea." This is stronger than using "like" or "as." Furthermore, it could imply that his eyes are as deep, mysterious, or captivating as the sea. This level of conviction is usually not found in a simile.
Now, for the young poet just begining to write the simile is like bread and butter. They are easy to use, provide many views on an object, and serve to adequetly describe whatever needs description. Take this poem for example.
Hapenstance
When you appeared it was as if
magnets cleared the air.
I had never seen that smile before
or your hair, flying silver. Someone
waving goodbye, she was silver too.
Of course you didnt see me.
i called softly so you could choose
not to answer-then called again.
You turned in the light, your eyes
seeking your name.
~Rita Dove~
The first sentence is obviously the simile. "When you appeared it was as if magnets cleared the air." A very good piece of work. This seems to say that seeing the person in question (i've never been sure if its a man or woman the narrator sees) has cleared their vision from clutter or has made them see only the person they see. Most young writers will be able to manufacture something similar to this, however they will not see the ambiguity of what they write. It is important to know what you mean, but also to leave it open to interpretation for the reader, much like an ink blot.
The metaphor often presents a challenge. With a simile a writer simply used "like" or "as" which gives relative freedom. Now when trying to write the metaphor, stripped of those old reliable words you feel restrained. Here is a good example of a metaphor.
The Look
Strephon kissed me in the spring,
Robin in the fall,
But Colin only looked at me
And never kissed at all.
Strephon's kiss was lost in jest,
Robin's lost in play,
But the kiss in Colin's eyes
Haunts me night and day.
~Sara Teasdale~
"But the kiss in Colin's eyes haunts me night and day." What a chilling line. It says that Colin was literaly (literaly here meaning as used in literature) kissing her with his eyes, his love for her was in his eyes. If she had said his look was like a kiss or some such nonsense it would lose the power and leverage, for it would be a comparasion instead of something concrete.
Well, thats all I have to say on this particular matter. Similes and Metaphors are tried and true methods of poetry, and usually work when used properly. That said there is such a thing as overkill. Notice that these two works used only one Simile/Metaphor. Of course it depends on what you write, but one will usually suffice.
