A simile is a figure of speech used in poetry to compare two unlike things using the words "like" or "as". It is a common poetic device that helps to create vivid imagery and make abstract concepts more concrete. For example, in Robert Burns poem "A Red, Red Rose," he compares his love to a red rose thats newly sprung in June, using the simile "O my Luve is like a red, red rose". Similarly, in Langston Hughes poem "Harlem," he uses similes to describe what happens to a deferred dream, asking "Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore— And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over— like a syrupy sweet?".

Similes are often used to make larger connections and help readers understand what the poet was thinking about when they wrote a particular poem or line. They can also be used to create humor or surprise the reader. Some of the best examples of similes in poetry include Robert Burns "A Red, Red Rose," William Wordsworths "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud," and Sharon Olds "Sex Without Love".