Writers often describe one thing by calling it something else. A simile says one thing is like another; a metaphor says it is the other. Personification goes a step further and gives human actions to things that aren’t human.
Apa yang akan dipelajari anak anda
- Tell a metaphor from a simile
- Explain what a metaphor really means
- Recognise personification
- Choose a fitting image for a description
Like, or is?
“The classroom was like a zoo” is a simile: it compares using like or as. “The classroom was a zoo” is a metaphor: it says one thing is another. Neither is literally true — both mean the room was noisy and wild.
When things act like people
“The wind whispered through the trees.” Wind can’t whisper; people can. Giving a human action or feeling to an object, an animal or the weather is called personification.
Contoh soalan
Berikut ialah beberapa soalan seperti dalam misi pertama. Bolehkah anda menjawabnya?
1. What does this mean? “My brother is a night owl.”
- He can fly
- He has feathers
- He sleeps in a tree
- He stays up late
Tunjuk jawapan
Jawapan: He stays up late. Owls are awake at night, so a night owl is someone who stays up late.
2. What does this mean? “Her words were music to my ears.”
- She was singing
- I was very pleased to hear them
- She played the piano
- My ears hurt
Tunjuk jawapan
Jawapan: I was very pleased to hear them. Hearing them felt as nice as listening to music.
3. A simile usually uses which words?
- and or but
- who or which
- like or as
- is or are
Tunjuk jawapan
Jawapan: like or as. Similes compare using like or as.
Tip untuk orang dewasa
- Turn similes into metaphors: “as cold as ice” becomes “her hands were ice”.
- Describe the weather as if it were a person: grumpy clouds, a shy sun.
- Collect favourite metaphors from songs and poems.