How do I recognise techniques and analyse them?

When given a piece of writing, always look for 'like' or 'as'. If an object, for example, a car is described to be 'like' a snail or 'as' slow as a snail, this is a simile. A simile compares something, to something else. This can help with understanding a description and making it a relatable experience for the reader, immersing the reader in the words of the writing. A metaphor is a more intense comparison between two objects or people. If a person is like a bulldog, they seem aggressive and unapproachable. If a person IS a bulldog, they instantly become a character of more violent intention, as they are embodying that which they are being compared to. Similies and metaphors take a simple adjective, like "my aggressive neighbour", and make it an immersive, vivid display of a person's character: "my next door neighbour is a viscious bulldog".