Split Desire (Simile)
At the beginning of canto IV, Dante uses a simile that is notable both for its length (9 lines) and for its complexity. The simile actually combines three distinct similes: first, that of a man who starves, unable to decide between foods; second, that of a lamb unable to run, stuck between two wolves; and third, that of a hound, paralyzed and unable to choose between two does. This complex simile makes Dante at once predator and prey, human and animal, but the constant is his paralysis; thus it remains dynamic while also conveying concrete information about his emotional state.
Nobility's Cloak (Metaphor)
After meeting his ancestor Cacciaguida, Dante opens the next canto (XVI) by addressing nobility itself: "You are indeed a cloak that quick shrinks,/so that, if we do not add to it day by day,/time trims the edges with its shears." The "cloak" becomes a metaphor for nobility, figuring it as a fabric that needs constant upkeep; otherwise, it will become smaller, frayed, and tattered.
Like the Lady (Simile)
In canto XVI, Dante describes how “Beatrice, who stood somewhat apart,/smiled, like the lady who discreetly coughed/at the first fault inscribed by Guinevere.” This simile contains an allusion to the medieval French poem the Roman de la Rose and is significant in that it points to the literary context in which Dante was writing; he was working not only with classical texts but also with contemporary poetry from multiple linguistic and cultural contexts.
A Multitude of Lights (Simile)
The beginning of canto XX contains a type of simile that is rare in general, but Dante uses it multiple times in the Paradiso. This is what is called an "implicit simile," which uses the long structure of an epic simile but forgoes the "like" or "as" connecting one thing to another. Dante describes what he sees as being like when "the sky, lit up before by him alone,/suddenly sparkles with a multitude of lights/which all reflect a single one." But instead of showing this connection directly, he has the reader supply the implicit "like" between two sentences.
Ignorant Flocks (Metaphor)
In criticizing those priests who fail to properly teach their congregations, Peter describes how "the ignorant flocks return from feeding / fed on wind." In this metaphor, the flocks are the congregation, and the sermons and teachings of the priests are literally insubstantial; they become nothing but hot air.
