The Jungle Book: Similes 5 key examples

The imagery here is sharp and powerful. Mother Wolf’s eyes glow "like two green moons" as she springs in front of her cubs. In contrast, Shere Khan’s eyes “blaze” ferociously, as if lit by fire. Shere Khan is motivated by greed and hatred and Mother Wolf by unconditional love, which is reflected in the way Kipling describes their eyes. Shere Khan’s eyes “blaze” with manic energy, while Mother Wolf’s “glow” with steady light. This difference is also emphasized by the simile Kipling uses to describe Mother Wolf’s eyes. They are peaceful, like “two green moons” in the darkness of the den, unshaken by Shere Khan’s “blazing” presence.

The metaphor of Shere Khan’s roar “filling the cave with thunder” makes the scene’s auditory imagery match its feverish visual action. This scene takes place in the wolves’ home, typically a safe haven. The “thunder” of the roar shatters this sense of safety, prompting Mother Wolf to jump into the fray.

Just prior to this, Baloo and Bagheera have had a conversation about the difficulties of disciplining Mowgli, who is so small compared to them. Even if Baloo tries to be gentle when he hits Mowgli to punish him, he's still doing it hard enough to make the child's "head ring."

A "bee-tree," typically buzzing with the relentless activity of insects, conjures up a picture of a hive of industry and ceaseless movement. Baloo has been teaching Mowgli the “Law of the Jungle,” but Mowgli is finding it hard to take it all in. Because of all the new information and these repeated blows, Mowgli feels his head is full of scrambled, chaotic, buzzing noises that he can't sort through. His head is "ringing" both from trying to learn the "Law of the Jungle" and from Baloo's beatings.

This detailed description of the Cold Lairs, with their ornate walls and underground passages, is a typical British colonialist vision of India. Mowgli finds himself in a fantastical, untouched place full of treasures, in much the same way the British treated the resources of India itself. Everything is seen as rich and exotic, even if it is crumbling.

The narrator describes the walls as being made of "screens of marble tracery" that are embedded with precious stones. The mention of "milk-white fretwork" alongside gems like "agates and cornelians and jasper and lapis lazuli" conjures an image of glowing, jewel-like colors and sharp white lines. These contrast with the soft darkness of the simile Kipling then uses to depict the palace’s shadows.

This simile compares the patterns cast by the moonlight shining through the open-work of the screens to "black velvet embroidery." The reader can almost see the stark contrast between white stone and black shadow and feel the softness and richness of velvet. Here, even the gloom of parts of the palace not touched by moonlight feels luxurious and exciting.

In this quotation, Kotick does something impossible, but in a way that makes his actions very clear to the reader. The "White Seal" is absolutely not expecting to encounter any Sea-Cows on this part of his journey. Even when he realizes what they are, he is initially quite disgusted by them, as they go about their days "schlooping and grazing and chomping" in the seaweed. When he first sees them, however, he's shocked and petrified.

When cats are startled, they “jump” swiftly and sharply, their hair standing on end and their backs arched. Kotick is very startled by the Sea-Cows, but he can’t actually “jump” anywhere, as he is underwater. Rather than being literal, this simile points to the fact that Kotick jumps exceptionally hard and remains startled. His demeanor changes from being smooth and calm to spiky and highly alert. This “jump” also suggests a degree of agility and the quick reflexes of a cat. Thinking of a seal having these reflexes is both a funny image and an effective way to demonstrate the intensity of his reaction to the manatees.

As she and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi battle, Kipling compares Nagaina's bodily tension to a "watch-spring." Although Nagaina is a snake and not made of metal, this "spring" conjures images of coiled strength and the menacing sharpness of its pointed end for the reader. Like a spring bouncing, Nagaina strikes “again and again and again” at Riki-Tikki-Tavi. Even though the mongoose is strong, Nagaina is a formidable, almost mechanically efficient opponent.

The author also uses auditory imagery to bring the clash between mongoose and snake to life. They liken Nagaina's tail rustling on the matting to "dry leaves blown along by the wind." Although Nagaina is not a large animal, her sinuous body is dangerous and agile, lightly skating over the matting. This choice of sound imagery makes readers feel the scene’s tension, allowing them to almost hear the snake as Rikki-Tikki-Tavi does.