C. INTENSIFICATION OF A CERTAIN FEATURE OF A THING OR PHENOMENON. In the third group of stylistic devices, which we now come to, we find that one of the qualities of the object in question is made to sound essential

The intensification of some feature of the concept in question is realized in a device called simile. Ordinary comparison and simile must not be confused. They represent two diverse processes. Comparison means weighing two objects belonging to one class of things with the purpose of establishing the degree of their sameness or difference. To use a simile is to characterize one object by bringing it into contact with another object belonging to an entirely different class of things. Comparison takes into consideration all the properties of the two objects, stressing the one that is compared. Simile excludes all the properties of the two objects except one which is made common to them. For example, ' Theboy seems to be ascleverashismother ' is ordinary comparison. 'Boy' and 'mother' belong to the same class of objects — human beings — and only one quality is being stressed to find the resemblance. But in the sentence:

" Maidens, likemoths, are ever caught by glare," (Byron), we have a simile. 'Maidens' and 'moths' belong to heterogeneous classes of objects and Byron has found the concept moth to indicate one of the secondary features of the concept maiden, i.e., to be easily lured. Of the two concepts brought together in the simile — one characterized ( maidens ), and the other characterizing ( moths ) — the feature intensified will be more inherent in the latter than in the former. Moreover the object characterized is seen in quite a new and unexpected light, because the writer, as it were, imposes this feature on it.

Similes forcibly set one object against another regardless of the fact that they may be completely alien to each other. And without our being aware of it, the simile gives rise to a new understanding of the object characterizing as well as of the object characterized.

The properties of an object may be viewed from different angles, for example, its state, its actions, manners, etc. Accordingly, similes may be based on adjective-attributes, adverb-modifiers, verb-predicates, etc.

Similes have formal elements in their structure: connective words such as like, as, suchas, asif, seem. Here are some examples of similes taken from various sources and illustrating the variety of structural designs of this stylistic device.

"His mind was restless, but it worked perversely and thoughtsjerked through his brain likethemisfiringsofadefectivecarburettor ." (Maugham)

The structure of this simile is interesting, for it is sustained. Let us analyse it. The word 'jerked' in the microcontext, i.e., in combination with 'thoughts' is a metaphor, which led to the simile 'like the misfirings of a defective carburettor' where the verb tojerk carries its direct logical meaning. So the linking notion is the movement jerking which brings to the author's mind a resemblance between the working of the man's brain and the badly working, i.e., misfiring carburettor. In other words, it is action that is described by means of a simile. Another example:

"It was that moment of the year when thecountrysideseemstofaint from its own loveliness, from the intoxication of its scents and sounds." (J. Galsworthy)

This is an example of a simile which is half a metaphor. If not for the structural word 'seems', we would call it a metaphor. Indeed, if we drop the word 'seems' and say, "the countryside faints from...," the clue-word 'faint' becomes a metaphor. But the word 'seems' keeps apart the notions of stillness and fainting. It is a simile where the second member — the human being — is only suggested by the word faint.

The semantic nature of the simile-forming elements seem and asif is such that they only remotely suggest resemblance. Quite different are the connectives like and as. These are more categorical and establish quite straightforwardly the analogy between the two objects in questions

Sometimes the simile-forming like is placed at the end of the phrase almost merging with it and becoming half suffix, for example:

"Emily Barton was very pink, very Dresden - china - shepherdesslike ."

In simple non-figurative language, it will assume the following form:

"Emily Barton was very pink, and lookedlikeaDresden-china - shepherdess.,"

Similes may suggest analogies in the character of actions performed. Inthiscasethe two members of the structural design of the simile will resemble each other through the actions they perform. Thus:

"The Liberals have plunged for entry without considering its effects, while the Labour leaders likecautiousbathers have put a timoroustoeintothewaterandpromptlywithdrawnit ."

The simile in this passage from a newspaper article 'like cautious bathers' is based on the simultaneous realization of the two meanings of the word 'plunged'. The primary meaning 'to throw oneself into the water'— prompted the figurative periphrasis 'have put a timorous toe into the water and promptly withdrawn it' standing for 'have abstained from taking action.'

In the English language there is a long list of hackneyed similes pointing out the analogy between the various qualities, states or actions of a human being and the animals supposed to be the bearers of the given quality, etc., for example: