Difference between simile and metaphor | Literary Term - Definition, Characteristic and Examples | Learning The Easy Way

Difference between simile and metaphor:

Metaphor and simile are very important figure of speeches in English literature. Metaphor means an implicit comparison between two different things on the other hand, simile means an explicit comparison between two different things. Simile usually formed with "like" or "as" between two dissimilar things but in metaphor, we never find these types of word.

For example: 
                      Oyajiha  is a rose.

Here, Oyajiha is indirectly compared to a rose.

We know that a rose is the example of beauty, color, and softness. So, in the above example, there is an implied comparison between the beauty, colour, softness of the rose and those of Oyajiha. So, it is an implicit comparison between two different things. This is the example of metaphor.

On the other hand,

Oyajiha  is like a rose

Here, Oyajiha and rose are different things.  Oyajiha is directly compared to a rose. Here we also find the word "like". This is the example of simile.