Similes and metaphors are used to make comparisons that can help the reader have a better image of what the writer is saying. In the poem "The Black Snake," the author writes: "rolled like a rubber tire" and "limp as a licorice whip" to talk about a snake. The words rolled and limp can easily be associated with a snake, and the rest of the fragment adds deeper meaning. The use of similes and metaphors help Mrs. Hubbell to describe the snake with more detail in a colorful, fun way.