Literary Metaphors for Kids: Grade 5 Reading Examples

📚 Quick Study Guide

• 🔍 Definition: A metaphor is a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'. It suggests a similarity between them.
• 💡 Purpose: Metaphors help make writing more vivid, interesting, and engaging by creating imagery.
• 📝 How to Identify: Look for statements where something is described as being something else, even though it's not literally true.
• 🍎 Example: 'The classroom was a zoo.' This means the classroom was noisy and chaotic, like a zoo.
• 🧠 Difference from Similes: Similes use 'like' or 'as' to make comparisons (e.g., 'He is as brave as a lion'). Metaphors don't (e.g., 'He is a lion').
• 🌟 Why Use Metaphors?: Metaphors make your writing and understanding of text more creative and expressive.

Practice Quiz

1. Which of the following is the best example of a metaphor?
   1. The sun is like a giant ball of fire.
   2. Her smile was a ray of sunshine.
   3. The dog ran as fast as lightning.
   4. He eats like a pig.
2. In the sentence, "The detective's mind was a steel trap," what is being compared to a steel trap?
   1. The detective's physical strength
   2. The detective's intelligence
   3. The detective's clothing
   4. The detective's office
3. What does the metaphor "Time is a thief" mean?
   1. Time steals things that belong to you.
   2. Time passes quickly and takes away opportunities.
   3. Thieves are always on time.
   4. Time is valuable and should be locked away.
4. Identify the metaphor in the following sentence: "The world is a stage."
   1. World
   2. Is
   3. Stage
   4. The
5. What effect does using metaphors have on writing?
   1. Makes it more literal and factual
   2. Makes it more confusing
   3. Makes it more vivid and imaginative
   4. Makes it less descriptive
6. Which sentence contains a metaphor?
   1. The snow fell softly, like feathers.
   2. The baby was as quiet as a mouse.
   3. His anger was a volcano about to erupt.
   4. She sings like an angel.
7. In the sentence, "The internet is an information superhighway," what two things are being compared?
   1. The internet and roads
   2. Information and highways
   3. The internet and a way to transport information
   4. Supermarkets and roads