Final answer:
A simile is a literary device that makes an indirect comparison between two unlike things, often enhancing the reader's understanding and emotional engagement. By evoking emotions of anxiety and curiosity, similes actively involve the reader in the text. Analysis of similes is common in high school English coursework, where students explore the deeper meanings conveyed by these comparisons.
Step-by-step explanation:
The use of a simile is a literary technique where an indirect comparison is made between two unlike things using words like “as” or “like.” This comparison often helps to create vivid imagery or express a particular mood or emotion in the reader.
For example, saying “school was like a constant toothache” suggests a chronic and unpleasant experience, which conveys the writer's dread and discomfort with the prospect of leaving school, as it might be associated with an undesirable or stressful situation outside.
The use of simile serves to create emotional pain and anxiety in the narrative, while simultaneously invoking curiosity and empathy from the reader, as they become invested in understanding the cause of such dread.
Schoolwork that requires analyzing similes may ask students to identify the similes within a text, as seen in the example of the poem by Laura Kasischke, where various comparisons are made—such as an infant sleeping being likened to a “milky sea.” Engaging with similes enhances the reader's sensory experience and helps them explore relationships between different concepts or feelings more deeply.