|
A true simile compares two things that are different from one another to show a resemblance ie. similarity. A false (or pseudo simile) merely states an example of the first statement. Similes differ from metaphors because they explicitly present the objects and the qualities that are compared. The Iliad is famous for its epic similes which are also known as extended similes. Aristotle thought this explicitness caused similes to be digressive and superficial and therefore inferior to metaphors (Rhetoric 3.4.1406b). Scholars study similes for historical and critical information. Their research has revealed valuable knowledge about the development of oral literature. Similes also show what life was like in times about which we have no personal experience. The similes in the Book of Isaiah are a treasury of objects, attitudes and ideas that now exist only in the world of the Old Testament.
My next project is Book 1 of Spenser's Faerie Queene. |
A
|
Last Update September 1, 2004
Contact Bob King at:
libraryR*E*M*O*V*E@vaticanus.mailshell.com