Name the literary device in 'like a terrible fish'.
Name the literary device in 'like a terrible fish'.
Official answer
Simile — the comparison uses 'like' to liken the old woman's face rising in the mirror to a terrible fish.
Marking scheme
- 1.1 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.
Common mistakes
- 1.Calling 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.
- 2.Writing '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).
- 3.Providing 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.
Analysis and explanation
Tests identification of a simile in the poem's imagery of an aging face rising in a mirror.
Concept
- 'like a terrible fish' compares the old woman's face rising in the mirror to a fish surfacing from water, using the comparison word 'like'.
- Any comparison using 'like' or 'as' is a simile; a direct comparison without these words (e.g., 'I am a lake') is a metaphor.
Context link
- The mirror was earlier called a lake ('I am a lake'), so a fish rising from it is a natural extension of that imagery, conveying horror and something primordial surfacing from the depths.
- 'Terrible' intensifies the comparison, suggesting the woman is frightened by her own aged appearance.
Common mistakes
- Confusing simile with metaphor — remember: 'like'/'as' = simile; no linking word = metaphor.
- For 1 mark, simply writing 'Simile' is sufficient; only elaborate if the question asks for explanation.
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.
Question details
Q31 of 47 questions
- Board
- CBSE
- Class
- Class 10
- Subject
- English (Communicative)
- Year
- 2025
- Section
- Section D
- Marks
- 1
- Type
- Short Answer
- Chapter
- Literature
- Topic
- Literary Devices
- Syllabus topic
- Poetry - Literary Devices (Simile, Metaphor, Personification in Poetry)
- Updated
- 2026-02-19
- Author
- Padhantu
- Reviewed by
- Padhantu
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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'.