English · Stage 5

Similes & Metaphors

Reading — a simile compares with like or as; a metaphor says one thing IS another; both paint a picture or feeling in a poem

✦ English📘 Stage 5 · S5⏱ ~10 min🧒 Ages 9–10★ Free to start

I can interpret similes and metaphors in a poem.

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Kavi the Owl, Word Painter

Kavi the owl opens a book of poems and his eyes go wide. "Poets paint pictures with words!" he hoots. "When they say one thing is like or as another — 'as quiet as a mouse' — that is a simile. When they say one thing simply is another — 'the night is a blanket' — that is a metaphor. To read a poem like a word painter, I ask one thing: what two things are compared, and what do they share?"

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What your child will learn

1A simile says LIKE or AS — a metaphor says ISA SIMILE compares two things using the little words like or as. A METAPHOR is bolder — it says one thing simply IS another. Both paint a picture or feeling. To interpret one, find the two things being compared and what they share.

2Simile or metaphor?They do a similar job in different ways. Tap each card to hear the difference.

3Is each line a SIMILE or a METAPHOR?

4Hear the pictures in a poemTap each line to hear it. Every line paints a picture with a simile or a metaphor — listen for what each one is comparing.

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A peek inside

A poem says: "The snow was like a soft white blanket." This is a simile. What does it mean?

like → compares the snow to a blanket · what do they share? both cover softly and warmly

Try this at home: A simile compares two things using which two little words?

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Start the free interactive lesson, or print the handout for screen-free play.

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Part of English · Stage 5 · S5 on KAVI Academy — a secular, whole-child learning platform for ages 5–12.