What Is a Good Example of an Extended Simile?

A good example of an extended simile can be found in Homer’s “Iliad.” The poem reads, “As when the shudder of the west wind suddenly rising scatters across the water, and the water darkens beneath it, so darkening were settled the ranks of Achaians and Trojans in the plain.”

An extended simile is a detailed comparison typically used in writing to serve as decoration and intensify the heroic stature of a specific subject within epic poetry. An extended simile often spans several lines and is referred to as an “epic simile” or “Homeric simile,” as Homer often used extended similes to stress physical motion or emotional disturbance.