Comparisons and Descriptions/Choosing when to use Similes and Metaphors

Choosing When to Use Similes and Metaphors

It is very important to gauge your audience when using comparisons and descriptions; a simile or metaphor might be technically great, but if it means nothing to the people reading your article, it will only confuse and frustrate. For example, there is no point in telling the general public in Canada that: Students trudging to their 9:00 am lectures are “as sleepy as brown bats.” It is true that brown bats are among the sleepiest creatures in the animal kingdom, but it is highly unlikely that most people know this.