Simile to describe the movement of the trees
The narrator describes the movement of trees using a simile as follows, 'The branches of the cedar or fir move against each other and groan like a cello.' In the description, the narrator has directly compared the sound produced by the trees to that produced like a cello.
Description of Lyra's hair
Ama described Lyra's hair as follows, ' She had hair of a color that Ama had never seen before-a tawny fairness like a lion's.' Ama has likened the hair color of Lyra to that of a lion by use of a simile. It has the effect of creating imagery as the reader can now imagine the Lyra's hair given the color of a lion's.
Will's description of cutting between worlds.
Will tried to explain how it felt like to cut between worlds using a simile so as to create a familiarity that others can compare to. He describes it as, 'it was like tracing a row of stitched while pressing so softly that none of them was harmed.'
The destruction of the Authority as a metaphor
The destruction of the Authority by the forces of Lord Asriel is a metaphor of today while people try to take down corrupt governments. The Authority had built a dictatorship that prevented the people from achieving their best. In turn, the people rebelled in that alternate universe.
Description of Lyra's thoughts.
The narrator uses a simile to describe Lyra's thoughts as follows, 'Her thoughts were spreading out and wandering like sheep in a field.' The narrator has therefore likened the disappearing thoughts of Lyra to the wandering of sheep in a field.