Figures based on similarity - Simile, Metaphor, Allegory, Parable and Fable
Do you want to understand Figures of Speech like Simile, Metaphor, Allegory, Parable and Fable in English Literature? If you are preparing exams like UPSC, UGC-NET, Teaching Exams etc., then this article is very useful for you. This post is a great resource on topics like Literature Analysis and English Learning.
Here you will not only find simple definitions of Figures of Similarity, but you will also get to know the real examples from English Literature, which will be useful in both your Writing Skills and Competitive Exam Preparation. Read this article completely and move your knowledge up one level!
(i) Simile
Definition: When a thing or a person is compared to something or someone through clear words (e.g. - like, as), it is called Simile. It has a direct comparison.
When we say - "He is brave like a lion." Here the word "like" compared.
→ Example from William Wordsworth's poem "Daffodils":
"I wandered lonely as a cloud…" (I was wandering alone like a cloud.)
Here is an explicit comparison between two dissimilar things (‘I’- a human being and ‘cloud’ – a natural object) with the word "AS".
(ii) Metaphor (metaphorical ornament)
Definition: When a person or object is directly called another object, without using the words "like" or "as", it is called Metaphor. It has a hidden comparison.
When we say - "He is a lion." Meaning he is brave. But did not compare directly here, but said that he is a lion.
→ Example from Shakespeare's "As You Like It":
"All the World's a Stage…" (The whole world is a theater.)
Here the ‘world’ has been directly called ‘theater’. There is no "like" or "as".
(iii) Allegory
Definition: When characters, events or objects in a story, poetry or drama become a symbol of a deep meaning or moral education, it is called allegory.
In Allegory, the story apparently looks simple, but hidden inside it is a deep meaning or education.
→ Example from John Bunyan’s "The Pilgrim's Progress":
This book is the story of a man’s journey named "Christian". It leads to "CELESTIAL CITY" from "CITY OF DESTRUCTION".
Actually it is a symbol of human life and spiritual journey.
(iv) Parable
Definition: Parable is a small moral story, which gives a moral, religious or life-related education. They are often in ordinary language.
→ Example from the BIBLE (New Testament):
"The parable of the Good Samaritan"
→ One person was attacked by robbers. Everyone left him and went away, but a "Good Samaritan" helps him.
Education: Others should be helped, irrespective of caste or religion.
(v) Fable
Definition: Fable is a small story in which animals, birds or lifeless things speak and behave like humans, and at the end of the story get any moral education.
In the fable, animals are shown like humans, and any learning is taught from it.
→ Example from Aesop’s Fables: "The Fox and the Grapes"
If a fox does not reach the bunch of grapes, then she says, "These grapes are sour."
Education: It is not right to call it bad.
Summary - Simile, Metaphor, Allegory, Parable and Fable
| Figure | Simple Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simile | Straightforward | "I wandered lonely as a cloud." (Wordsworth) |
| Metaphor | Hidden comparison | "All the world's a stage." (Shakespeare) |
| Allegory | allegorical story, deep meaning | "The Pilgrim's Progress" (Bunyan) |
| Parable | Moral parable | "The Good Samaritan" (Bible) |
| Fable | Moral Story, animals speak | "The fox and the grapes" (Aesop) |
Hope you have now understood the definitions of Simile, Metaphor, Allegory, Parable and Fable and Examples of English Literature. These Figures of Speech not only strengthens your literature understanding but is also very helpful in the preparation of competitive exams. Be sure to come back to the blog for such more interesting literary topics!
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