The bubbling of quiet laughter
The imagery of quiet laughter is enhanced through the use of a simile. The writer notes that: “…quiet laughter seems to bubble up like water from a fountain.” The direct comparison of the bubbling of this laughter to that of water from a fountain makes the imagery prominent while enhancing the appeal of the comparison and the evoked visual image.
"Like a stone"
The writer emphasizes how difficult it is to overcome a massive and gigantic yak through the use of a simile. The comparison of its stature to a stone makes its strength all the more explicit: “…a huge yak is not easily caught or overcome. It stands like a stone or a cloud in the sky.”
"Like a riddle"
The difficulty associated with comprehending the words 'Tao does not do, but nothing is not done,’ by Pooh is brought out through the use of a simile. The complexity and the intricacy involved in understanding the words is compared to that associated with cracking a riddle. Pooh says: “That sounds like a Riddle.”
The mind of Wu Wei
The mind of Wu Wei is explained using vivid descriptions as well as similes. As perceived by Chuang-Tse, “the mind of Wu Wei flows like water, reflects like a mirror, and responds like an echo." The use of the similes thus enhances imagery and a more profound understanding of Wu Wei’s mind.
The aftermath of cultivation
The products of the soil that is not allowed to relax are brought out through the use of similes. For instance, apples from such soil are blunt and their taste is compared to that of cardboard whereas oranges, on the other hand, are said to test like tennis balls: “…we have apples that taste like cardboard, oranges that taste like tennis balls, and pears that taste like sweetened Styrofoam, all products of the soil that is not allowed to relax.” The use of the similes thus enhances visualization of the taste of the products borne of over-cultivation.
