Name the literary device in 'like a terrible fish'.
Simile
Marking Scheme
- 11 mark for correctly identifying the device as 'Simile'.
Hint
Look for the word 'like' in the phrase. Which literary device always uses 'like' or 'as' for comparison?
Quick Oral Answer
The literary device used in 'like a terrible fish' is a simile. It uses the word 'like' to compare the old woman's face rising in the mirror to a frightening fish emerging from the depths of a lake.
Analysis & Explanation
This is a straightforward 1-mark question testing the student's ability to identify literary devices. The phrase 'like a terrible fish' is a simile because it uses the comparison word 'like' to compare the old woman rising in the mirror to a fish emerging from water. The identification is simple: the presence of 'like' or 'as' in a comparison always signals a simile, while a direct comparison without these words is a metaphor. In context, the simile is devastatingly effective. The mirror has been described as a lake in the second stanza, so a fish rising from a lake is a natural extension of this imagery. The old woman's face appearing in the mirror is compared to a terrible fish surfacing from dark water, conveying horror, ugliness, and something primordial emerging from the depths. The word 'terrible' intensifies the comparison, suggesting the woman is frightened by her own aged appearance. For the exam, simply writing 'Simile' is sufficient for the full mark. However, if the question asks you to explain the device, you would add that it compares the aging woman to a fish using 'like'. The most common mistake is confusing simile with metaphor. Remember: 'like' or 'as' equals simile; direct comparison equals metaphor. Earlier in the same poem, 'I am a lake' is a metaphor because there is no 'like' or 'as'.
Common Mistakes
- 1Calling it a metaphor instead of a simile. The clear giveaway is the word 'like' in the phrase. If 'like' or 'as' is present in a comparison, it is always a simile, never a metaphor.
- 2Writing 'personification' because a fish is mentioned, confusing the comparison of a human to an animal (simile) with giving human qualities to a non-human thing (personification).
- 3Providing an elaborate explanation when the question only asks to 'name' the device. For a 1-mark identification question, the single word 'Simile' is the complete answer.
Interesting Facts
The word 'simile' comes from the Latin word 'similis' meaning 'similar' or 'like'. It entered the English language around the 14th century and has been a fundamental literary device in poetry since Homer's Iliad, which contains over 200 similes.
Plath's comparison of the aging woman to a 'terrible fish' has been analysed by scholars as possibly referencing the coelacanth, a prehistoric fish thought to be extinct until one was caught alive in 1938, symbolising something ancient and unsettling rising from the depths.
CBSE board exams have tested the identification of literary devices in every English literature paper since 2015, making it one of the most predictable 1-mark questions. Simile and metaphor are the two most frequently tested devices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a simile and a metaphor?
A simile uses comparison words like 'like' or 'as' to compare two things (e.g., 'like a terrible fish'), while a metaphor directly states one thing IS another without using 'like' or 'as' (e.g., 'I am a lake'). Both are figures of comparison.
Why does Plath compare the old woman to a 'terrible fish'?
The fish rising from the lake connects to the mirror-as-lake metaphor. A fish emerging from dark water is unexpected and frightening, just as the old woman's aging face rising in the mirror shocks and terrifies the woman each morning.
What other literary devices are used in the poem Mirror?
The poem uses personification (the mirror speaks in first person), metaphor ('I am a lake'), imagery (visual descriptions of reflection), and symbolism (candles and moon as liars representing flattery) along with the simile 'like a terrible fish'.