What the exam asks
On the AP English Literature exam, questions about similes and metaphors (Skills 6.A and 6.B) focus entirely on function:
- Section I (Multiple Choice): Stems typically ask, “The comparison in lines 12–14 primarily serves to...” or “In comparing the speaker’s memory to an anchor (line 8), the poet emphasizes its...”
- Section II (Free Response): To score 3 or 4 points in Row B (Evidence and Commentary), your essay must move past naming the device (“The poet uses a simile in line 4”) to explaining how the comparison characterizes the speaker, establishes tone, or develops a complex theme.
Core ideas
Main subject vs. comparison subject
Every figurative comparison links two distinct things from different categories:
- Main subject: The literal person, object, feeling, or idea actually being discussed in the text.
- Comparison subject: The figurative image brought in from outside the literal scene to describe the main subject.
| Device | Definition | Grammatical Marker | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simile (FIG-1.E) | Explicitly compares two distinct things. | Uses connecting words such as like or as. | “My thoughts scattered like startled sparrows.” |
| Metaphor (FIG-1.H) | Implicitly compares two distinct things by equating them or substituting one for the other. | No like or as; uses a linking verb (is, was) or direct action/attribute. | “Grief is an uninvited winter.” / “The news poisoned the room.” |