Similes & Comparisons

The Assignment: Students responded individually to a list inviting them to construct similes and other sorts of comparisons. Every student in class has contributed at least one line here. The results are some wonderful group poems on various topics (such as color, heat and fear). Note: Because these similes and comparisons were constructed in response to a list exercise, I’ve made a few adjustments to punctuation, and removed some of the repeating structures. In some places, line breaks were also added.

The pieces below represent work compiled from the three different classes.

Room 206

on THE MOTION OF AN AIRPLANE…

the airplane rose like a bee
or blue jay. The airplane rose
like a child in a swing. A wild chicken.
The airplane took off like a mighty eagle,
like water evaporating.



On LONELINESS

As lonely as a rose
in a garden of daisies.
As lonely as my dog,
a kid in a time out,
or the dark shadows themselves.

As lonely as a spider
or an old tree with no leaves.



on HEAT

hot as a summer day,
the flames in a campfire
hot as electricity
or a day at the beach.
hot as a flashlight,
a pig’s breath



on FEAR

Fear is like a dark dark room
or darkness itself.
Fear is like not having
a chocolate cookie with milk.



This Week’s Spotlight: Room 205

on WHITE


As white as the snowflakes falling from the sky,
white as a lily, as paper, a wedding dress, white
as a polar bear, mushroom or glacier.
White as the wall, a ship sailing.



on FEAR


Fear is like hot flames rising from the underground,
like a cat scared of a dog. Fear is like the airplane,
high above the ground. Your heart beating fast,
like it’s getting burned. Fear is like a ghost right behind me,
a chicken running without a head.
Fear is like a killer rabbit attacking.



on HEAT


hot as a sun, as the stove making pancakes
hot as fireworks, like a melting ice cream cone
as hot as boiling water, a light bulb, motor car.
hot as a kid with a fever, a desert.

hot as popcorn out of the microwave



on LONELINESS


As lonely as a school with no one in it,
an abandoned house, a stray dog.

As lonely as a dead bird
as lonely as a fly
as lonely as Britney Spears,
a ghost, an owl. A rock by itself
or an empty cell.
As lonely as the Ugly Duckling


on BEING EAGER OR IMPATIENT

as eager as an anteater
impatient as the sun is to rise
as eager as a dog to go outside
impatient as a little kid at a toy store


on FATIGUE (BEING TIRED!)

tired as buffalo, a fat man,
a grandma.

tired as a donkey.



on NERVOUSNESS


as nervous as a president
or a new kid,

as nervous as a new dater
like a patient at the hospital
nervous like a person getting a shot with a needle



on “LOUD”


as loud as thousands of radios
as loud as an elephant
or a baby


on JOY

Joy is like the holidays gathering.
like getting out from school…

like us about to open our Christmas presents!



on the MOTION OF AN AIRPLANE

the airplane rose like a whale jumping,
a hunting bird
a kite, slowly and then fast

the airplane rose like a cheetah catching its prey
like a falcon through wind.
the airplane rose like a witch, a rocking boat, a wave.


TOUCH


as rough as an alligator’s back
as rough as stepping on a seashell
rough as shark skin
rough as the Rocky Mountains
as smooth as a table



GREEN AS SHREK


As blue as the sea when it’s night

blue as sapphires
or Cookie Monster

green as broccoli
as green as a crayon


OTHER FAVORITES


as blue as the night sky
as rough as a bumpy road
as eager as a jumping monkey
as pretty as a watermelon
as smooth as a butter spread
nervous like a shy cat
as green as a venus fly trap

as rough as a tortoise’s back
as quick as a hamster running away
as green as a little leprechaun’s suit

as smooth as ice cream
as blue as the earth
as pretty as Christmas day

The apple is red as the inferno.
Cupcakes are like soft pillows rising in the sky.