As with similes, writers use metaphors to make their writing more interesting and descriptive. Metaphors also compare things that are not alike but do have some similar qualities. However they do not use the words “like” or “as”. Instead, a metaphor describes something as if it were something else, for example, “Our neighbour, Mr Ndude is a snake in the grass.” This is written like a fact but it is not a fact it is a comparison.The writer does not mean that Mr Ndude is actually a snake. What the writer means is that, like a snake hiding in the grass, Mr Ndude is not a person you can trust, and he may suddenly hurt you in some way with no warning (just like a snake).