Frank J. Wilstach, comp. A Dictionary of Similes. 1916.

Dinah Maria Mulock

Beamed like the rising sun.

Bright, like common things, glorified in love’s light.

Brighten, like a meadow when the sun comes out.

Burst, like an enfranchised dove.

Calm as an angel from the blessed land.

Calm as a spent day of peace ideal.

Calm as a summer evening before the dark begins.

Calm as under ground.

Climax like a breaking wave.

Cold as a dead maid’s cheek.

Cosy as a nest of wood-pigeons.

All decay, like the glories of the Spring.

Disappeared like a shot.

Dropped like a stone down through the deep sea.

Eyes as soft as doves.

Fair as an angel from the unknown land.

Held her fast, mercilessly, as a snake holds a little bird.

Flashing like thought.

Gallantly as a good ship meets a heavy sea.

Happy as a poor man with a bag of gold.

Haunt … like an avenging fiend.

Mean as falsehood.

Fond duties melt away like April snows.

Merry as it were June.

Soldiers … as mute as on parade.

Proud as an emperor.

Pure as the pure in heart that shall see God.

Quiet as if the finger of God’s will had bade the human mechanism “be still.”

Roar like mad waves upon the shore.

Scared look, like a bird’s driven right into the fowler’s nest.

A secret at home is like a rock under tide.

Sharp as a ferret at a field-rat’s hole.

Soar like white-winged sea-birds into the Infinite Deep.

Soundless as light.

Start and quiver, as when some ignorant hand touches the barb hid in a long healed wound.

Steady as clock-work.

Sure as earth lives under snows, and Love lives under pain.

Fly swifter than light.

Vanish like gossamers of autumn eve.

White as a sinner’s shroud.

White as virgin’s pall.