Watching Cully Like A Cat (Simile)
In an early scene, Wart looks up at Cully, Kay's hawk, as he is flying: “Then he sat down under the tree and looked up at Cully like a cat watching a sparrow, but with his heart beating fast.” This simile highlights the focus with which Wart is watching Cully, while still emphasizing that he is nervous. It also emphasizes the fact that Wart is watching Cully closely while Kay, Cully's actual owner, is not.
Trees Like Seaweed (Simile)
When Wart meets Athene towards the novel's end, she shows him how trees are capable of breathing and talking: “He saw all that forest, like seaweed on the ocean's floor, how the branches rose and groped about and waved, how they panted forth their leaves like breathing (and indeed they were breathing) and, what is still more extraordinary, how they talked.” This comparison to "seaweed on the ocean's floor" gives a strong visual image of how the trees sway as they breathe and gives the reader an impression of them being more movable than one might assume.
The Pigeon is a Quaker (Metaphor)
In the same chapter, Archimedes offers a curious description of pigeons: “The pigeon," said Archimedes, "is a kind of Quaker.” He goes on to say that they are even-tempered, kind, and plain in their appearance. This metaphor serves to suggest all of the ways in which the pigeon is a docile and mild-mannered bird, in contrast to some of the birds of prey he has been describing.
Mussels Like Ice Cream (Simile)
In the chapter where Wart becomes a fish, the narrator describes the flesh of some mussels: “Their flesh was salmon pink, like a very good strawberry cream ice. ” This comparison to strawberry ice cream suggests their desirability as a meal while also using a very unlikely choice of sweet flavor.
Plover is an Aeronaut (Metaphor)
In another description, Archimedes notes the daredevil flight of the plover: “He told how, although the swift was so fine a flyer that he could sleep on the wing all night, and although the Wart himself had claimed to admire the way in which rooks enjoyed their flights, the real aeronaut of the lower strata (which cut out the swift) was the plover.” The metaphorical comparison to an "aeronaut," or pilot, suggests that their flight is characterized by a great deal of flashiness.
