A simile in Ovid’s Metamorphoses is an explicit comparison—you’ll see words like “like,” “as,” or Latin equivalents (similis, velut, quasi). A simile sets up a two-part image (X is like Y) to highlight a quality (e.g., a lover’s speed compared to a chased deer). That’s STYL-3.A in the CED. A metaphor (STYL-3.B) skips the explicit marker: it treats one thing as if it actually were another (X = Y) so the comparison is implied and more compressed (e.g., calling a heart “iron” without “like”). In Ovid, similes often widen a scene (ekphrasis, emotional coloring), while metaphors tighten meaning and can shift identity—useful in metamorphosis themes where things literally become something else. On the AP exam expect to identify whether a passage uses an explicit comparison (simile) or an implied one (metaphor) and explain its effect. For quick review, see the Unit 6 overview (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-latin/unit-6) and this topic study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-latin/caesar-de-bello-gallico-1-1-7-study-guide/study-guide/7704c59ec22ca151); for extra practice try the AP Latin practice set (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-latin).

Short checklist to tell metaphor vs. literal in Ovid (Metamorphoses): - Remember the CED terms: simile = explicit comparison (like/as); metaphor = implied comparison (STYL-3). The exam often asks you to describe these (STYL-3.A/B), so name which one it is and how it works. - Ask: could this literally be true? If not, it’s likely figurative. Gods, animals, plants doing human actions often signal metaphor or personification. - Look for linguistic clues: similes use “velut/sicut/talis…ut”; metaphors won’t. Metaphors often transfer a noun (“he is a fire” → heat/anger implied). - Check verbs and modifiers: a sudden image that attributes impossible properties (e.g., a river “speaks”) points to metaphor/personification. - Pay attention to scope: short image = metaphor; extended, repeated image = sustained metaphor (Ovid often does this in metamorphosis scenes). - For AP answers, identify type (metaphor vs. simile), explain the implied comparison and its effect on tone/character/theme (use specific Latin). Practice identifying in Unit 6 texts and drills (unit overview: https://library.fiveable.me/ap-latin/unit-6; practice questions: https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-latin).

Short answer: find the two things being compared by spotting the signal (tenor = what’s being described; vehicle = the image). In Ovid similes watch for markers: ut, velut, sicut, tamquam, vel (and similis + gen/dat). Match case/gender/number and grammatical role—the noun that shares syntax (subject or object) with the main clause is usually the tenor. Verbs help: if the simile has the same verb or a parallel action, that links tenor ↔ vehicle. Adjectives or participles carried over from one noun to another show transferred meaning (metaphor-ish). Also read surrounding context: Ovid often expands the vehicle with detail (ekphrasis)—follow that to see which character or emotion it explains. On the AP exam you’ll be asked to identify and explain similes as stylistic devices (STYL-3); practice by labeling tenor/vehicle and citing signal words. For more practice and topic review see the Unit 6 page (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-latin/unit-6) and the practice question bank (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-latin).

Short answer: besides sicut and velut, common Latin words/phrases that introduce similes include: tamquam (or tam…quam), velut/veluti, quasi, instar (with gen.), ceu/ceu(t), perquam (rare as simile), ut (when used as “as” or “just as”), and similis + dat./gen. or similis + (ut) + clause. Authors also use comparative adverbs (magis…quam) or ablative nouns with in + abl. to show likeness (e.g., “in vultu tamquam luna” = “in his face like the moon”). Ovid often favors vivid similes (STYL-3 in the CED), so watch for these markers when analyzing function and effect on imagery. For practice spotting/analysing similes in Metamorphoses passages, review Topic 6.9 and work through practice questions (unit overview: https://library.fiveable.me/ap-latin/unit-6; specific study guide: https://library.fiveable.me/ap-latin/caesar-de-bello-gallico-1-1-7-study-guide/study-guide/7704c59ec22ca151). Also try 1000+ practice items at (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-latin) to sharpen STYL-3 skills.

Ovid’s Daphne and Apollo (Met. 1.452–546) is about unrequited love and transformation: Apollo is struck by Cupid’s arrow and chases Daphne; she rejects him and prays to her father, the river god Peneus, who turns her into a laurel tree to escape. Tree imagery does a lot of heavy lifting as metaphor and ekphrasis: Daphne’s limbs “harden” into bark, her hair becomes leaves, and her voice/beauty persist as a living symbol. Stylistically, Ovid uses metamorphosis literally (physical change) and metaphorically (love → loss → monument). The laurel becomes a poetic emblem of Apollo’s fame—so her “refusal” is transformed into his symbol of achievement, complicating agency and violence in the myth. On the AP exam, focus on identifying similes/metaphors (STYL-3) that link body and plant, and explain how those figures shape theme and tone. For review, see Unit 6 materials (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-latin/unit-6) and the AP Latin practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-latin). Fiveable’s study guides and practice questions can help you drill these stylistic readings.

Short answer: use context, signal words, and Ovid’s genre to judge literal vs. figurative. - Look for explicit similes (velut, sicut, tamquam)—those are figurative (STYL-3.A). - Metaphors often lack those words but use an implied comparison; flag unusual word use (a human “becomes” a tree but verbs or participles might be poetic image rather than physical change) (STYL-3.B). - Because Metamorphoses is about change, ask: does the narrative voice treat the change as real (concrete verbs of transformation, physical detail, consequences) or as image/feeling (psychological verbs, abstract nouns, comparisons)? - Watch personification: emotions described as bodies/actors are figurative unless the story gives physical metamorphosis. - Grammar clues: literal transformations often use perfect/passive or participles showing completed change; figurative language often uses descriptive adjectives and similes. - Check wider context: mythic logic (Daphne literally becomes a laurel in Ovid’s myth) vs. brief ekphrastic or emotional comparisons. On the exam, name the device (simile vs. metaphor) and cite specific wording or grammar to support literal/figurative reading (per CED STYL-3). For extra practice, review Unit 6 materials (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-latin/unit-6), the Topic 6.9 focus, and try practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-latin).

Short answer: no—Ovid’s transformations work on both literal and figurative levels. Some metamorphoses are “real” within the poem (gods, magic, trees, springs), but Ovid uses them as extended metaphors, personification, and ekphrasis to comment on love, power, fate, and politics. Think Daphne (literal escape + metaphor for chastity and pursuit), Narcissus (physical change that dramatizes self-love), and Icarus (fall as both event and moral image of hubris). On the AP exam, label similes vs. metaphors (STYL-3.A vs STYL-3.B) and explain function: what idea the transformation makes concrete, how it affects tone, and how it supports theme or rhetoric. For FRQs, always quote specific lines, ID the device, and link form to meaning—that’s exactly the skill assessed under Skill Category 3 (develop an interpretation & cite evidence). Review unit 6 (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-latin/unit-6) and practice 1000+ questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-latin). For extra context see the topic study guide you were given (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-latin/caesar-de-bello-gallico-1-1-7-study-guide/study-guide/7704c59ec22ca151).

Start by knowing what the CED asks: STYL-3 wants you to describe similes (explicit “like/as”) and metaphors (implied comparison) and explain their effect on meaning. With Ovid, focus on imagery, personification, ekphrasis, and metamorphosis—how comparisons drive transformation scenes (Daphne, Narcissus, Icarus). A quick method you can use on every passage: - Spot the signal words for similes (sicut, velut, tamquam, quasi, ut) and note the tenor (what’s being described) and vehicle (what it’s compared to). - For metaphors, find words used figuratively (e.g., “cor” = heart becomes a physical object) and ask: what trait of the vehicle maps onto the tenor? - Link device → effect: explain how the comparison enhances emotion, character, or theme (e.g., Apollo’s pursuit becomes predatory by likening him to a hunter). - Always cite brief Latin, translate, name the device (simile/metaphor/personification/ekphrasis), and say how it supports your interpretation—that’s what exam rubrics want for Free-Response (esp. the poetry essay). Practice this on a short passage from Metamorphoses (pick Daphne 1.452–546). For more guided work and lots of practice questions, use the Unit 6 review (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-latin/unit-6) and the Caesar/Ovid study guide on Fiveable (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-latin/caesar-de-bello-gallico-1-1-7-study-guide/study-guide/7704c59ec22ca151). For extra drills, try the practice bank (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-latin). If you want, bring one short Ovid passage and I’ll model a 3–4 sentence analysis.

Don’t just list similes/metaphors—use them as evidence for an argument. Pick 2–3 linked devices and show how each furthers Ovid’s meaning (STYL-3): identify the device (simile or metaphor), quote the Latin briefly, translate, then explain exactly what it does (tone, character, pace, theme). Ask: does the simile enlarge or minimize the subject? Does the metaphor fuse two ideas to create surprise or continuity? Compare one simile to one metaphor to show contrast or escalation (e.g., Daphne’s flight vs. Apollo’s desire). Always tie each point back to interpretation: how does this language support your claim about, say, transformation, loss of agency, or divine violence? On the exam you must “explain how specific evidence supports an interpretation” (Free-Response Qs 3/5), so model one-paragraph analyses (claim → quote → analysis → link). For extra practice and model responses, check the Unit 6 overview (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-latin/unit-6) and the Ovid/related guides on Fiveable (study guides and 1000+ practice items at https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-latin).

Focus on metaphors that show self-reflection, desire, and transformation—those are what AP graders expect you to pick up (STYL-3, STYL-3.B). Key metaphors in Narcissus (Met. 3.402–510) - The pool as mirror: the water doesn’t just reflect Narcissus; it’s a “mirror” of self-love—links sight to identity (think: figurative “double”). - Narcissus = prey: hunter/animal imagery turns him into both hunter and hunted, a metaphor for desire turned inward. - Echo as fragmented speech/body: Echo’s voice and the pool’s image both function as metaphors for absence and the failure of communication. - Flower as outcome of self-absorption: metamorphosis into the narcissus flower = metaphor of desire becoming a static, silent sign. - Thirst/fading metaphors: water, parchedness, and fading life connect love, longing, and loss. On the exam you might be asked to “describe” or “explain how” these metaphors work (STYL-3 task verbs). For more practice and topic context, check the unit 6 overview (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-latin/unit-6), the specific topic study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-latin/caesar-de-bello-gallico-1-1-7-study-guide/study-guide/7704c59ec22ca151), and hundreds of practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-latin).

Ovid piles on nature comparisons because his whole poem is about change: similes and metaphors make human emotions visible as physical transformations and show how people and nature belong to the same world of flux. Technically (STYL-3), his similes often use “like/as” to compare—while metaphors compress that comparison into a single image—so you should practice naming which device Ovid uses and explaining its effect. Nature-images can (1) externalize inner feeling (Apollo’s pursuit = stormy hunt), (2) foreshadow literal metamorphosis (Daphne → laurel), (3) create irony or moral comment (Narcissus reflected in water), and (4) personify elements to heighten pathos. On the exam, don’t just ID a simile—explain how the comparison advances meaning, character, or theme (CED STYL-3). For more unit review and targeted practice, see the Unit 6 overview (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-latin/unit-6), the AP Latin practice problems (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-latin), and this related study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-latin/caesar-de-bello-gallico-1-1-7-study-guide/study-guide/7704c59ec22ca151).

An explicit comparison (simile) names the comparison—it uses words like velut, tamquam, qualis, similis, sic, or “like/as” to say A is like B. A line such as “corpus est tamquam flumen” is a simile: you can point to the marker and translate it literally. That’s exactly what STYL-3.A in the CED expects you to ID. An implied comparison (metaphor) doesn’t use a marker—it calls A B (or treats A as if it were B) so the comparison is implicit. If Ovid writes “flos in pectore” for a youth’s beauty, he’s using a metaphor: the person is presented as the flower. That’s STYL-3.B territory. How to spot them on the exam: look first for simile words (if present, call it a simile). If there’s no marker but the language shifts into figurative identity or transferred attributes, call it a metaphor and explain the figurative meaning and effect (tone, imagery, transformation). For more practice on Ovid and AP-style questions, check the Unit 6 overview (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-latin/unit-6) and the practice bank (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-latin).

Start by remembering the CED definition: a metaphor is an implied comparison (STYL-3.B). To ID tenor and vehicle, follow these steps: 1. Find the figurative word/phrase (no “like”/“as” = metaphor). 2. Ask: what is the line really talking about? That “what” is the tenor (the thing being described). 3. Ask: what image or object supplies the comparison? That image is the vehicle (the figurative picture). 4. Check grammar and context: look for transferred verbs/adjectives or surprising diction (Ovid often gives mortal feelings animal/plant imagery). The vehicle usually carries sensory verbs or concrete nouns; the tenor is often abstract or human. 5. Explain effect: why does Ovid choose that vehicle? Connect vehicle’s associations to tone, theme, or metamorphosis motif (e.g., Daphne’s “laurel” imagery ties to transformation and loss). On the exam, name tenor and vehicle explicitly and cite the Latin line (STYL-3 assessment). For more practice, use the Unit 6 review (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-latin/unit-6) and Fiveable’s study guides and practice questions (study guides link provided above and practice bank at https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-latin).

Use short Latin signal phrases when pointing out figurative language, plus a few analytic verbs to tie evidence to interpretation. Mix Latin labels (simile/metaphor) with linking phrases: - To name the device: “simile est” / “metaphora est” / “personificatio est” - To introduce a simile: “tamquam/velut/quasi + (nominative or clause)” (“like, as if”) - To introduce a metaphor: “per metaphoram” / “ut …” / “(nomen) = (res)”: “X … tamquam Y” - To cite evidence: “in hoc loco” / “hic/haec linea” / “versu …” - To explain effect: “hoc demonstrat” / “hoc suggerit” / “hoc significat/indicium est” - To compare reading and effect: “contrarium est” / “simul” / “denique” - To evaluate tone/meaning: “hoc amplificat/attenuat/eminet” / “lacessit affectum” (use sparingly) Remember AP STYL-3 wants you to identify and describe how similes/metaphors function (name, cite the line, explain effect). For quick practice, check Unit 6 (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-latin/unit-6) and the study guide link above; and drill with 1000+ practice items (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-latin).

Ovid’s similes make transformations feel immediate by linking human emotion/body to vivid natural or animal images. For example, in Daphne (Met. 1.452–546) Apollo’s pursuit is compared to a hunter and Daphne’s flight to a fleeing deer—the deer simile heightens her panic and prepares the reader for her becoming a laurel. In Narcissus (3.402–510) Ovid compares the boy’s fixed gaze to men stunned by beauty or sailors frozen by wind, so the simile turns psychological obsession into physical immobility before the metamorphosis into a flower. In Daedalus and Icarus (7.183–235) the soaring and fall are likened to ships and birds, which makes the loss of human control feel natural and inevitable. Notice how each simile uses concrete sensory detail (sound, motion, texture) to show change rather than tell it—that’s exactly the STYL-3 skill AP asks you to describe. For more practice on stylistic devices and AP-style questions, check Unit 6 (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-latin/unit-6) and the 1000+ practice items (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-latin).