Comparison

Comparisons are where the author compares two ideas, objects, or topics. For example, an author might compare the moon to a dull, dirty golf ball:

The moon hung in the sky like a dull, dirty golf ball.

Think about what the moon has in common with a dull, dirty golf ball: round shape, dimples/craters in the surface, and they're an off-white grey colour. By using a comparison, the author is making us think about what the two ideas/objects have in common.

An example of a 'language analysed' comparison:

The author creates a comparison between the moon and a golf ball in the sentence, "The moon hung in the sky like a dull, dirty golf ball." By comparing the moon to a golf ball, the author is trying to make the reader picture how round the moon is and the dimples/craters on the moon. By describing the golf ball as "dull" and "dirty" he is trying to make the reader envision the moon as a dirty grey colour, rather than a bright colour. This might be setting the scene of the story in a negative way, to suggest something bad is about to happen by making a miserable atmosphere.

Making your own comparisons in your writing:

When you're creating your own comparison, you should first think about what you want to describe and then, secondly, think about what you want to say about it. For example, if you were describing snow, there are a few different things you could talk about. You could talk about: the colour of snow, how cold snow is, how soft snow is, or even how snow covers things. Next, think about a second idea/object that shares that feature e.g. something that is white or something that is cold. Look at the picture below for further guidance:

So after we've planned our comparison, we could write something like: "The snow was like a giant fridge that chilled the floor." You may have noticed though, that both white and soft led to "cotton". Sometimes you can create a stronger comparison, if the two things you are comparing have more than one thing in common: "The snow was soft, white cotton floating to the ground."

Remember to keep using adjectives and adverbs to boost the detail of your description further: "The freezing, cold snow was like soft, fluffy, white cotton floating delicately down to the damp ground." Just by adding some extra adjectives and adverbs, we have made the same comparison much more interesting and detailed.

Take your knowledge further...

Comparisons can be split into three different categories. These categories are just more precise versions of saying "comparison" and so (if used correctly) may result in more marks from the examiner. For your own creative writing, knowing the difference between them can also help you ensure that you include a mix of all three. For the following examples, we'll use the snow planning from above.

Simile:

A simile is where the comparison uses the words "as" or "like" and as a result, the comparison is more like a hint/suggestion that the two things are similar. For example:

The snow was like soft, white cotton floating to the ground.

Metaphor:

Metaphors are a more literal (direct) comparison between two ideas. A metaphor states that one thing is another thing, for the sake of comparison.

The snow was soft, white cotton floating to the ground.

Personification:

Personification compares two things, but you are comparing something human-like to something non-human. As a result, you are essentially giving an animal or an object, human characteristics. For example:

The chair sulked in the corner. (Comparing a chair in the corner to a human sulking in a corner)
The seagulls were like greedy children demanding food. (Comparing the seagulls to greedy children)
The mouth of the cave was dark. (Comparing the opening of the cave to a mouth of a human)

Zoomorphism:

Zoomorphism compares two things, but you are giving a human or object animal characteristics.

The train was a long, slithering metal snake. (Comparing the train to a slithering snake)

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