Like Charybdis (Simile)
Patroclus observes his first true battle on the field outside the walls of Troy, and he sees "a writhing mass of men and screams, sucking up rank after rank like Charybdis." This simile compares the quickly falling bodies of men on the front lines to the whirlpools created by Charybdis, a monster depicted in the Odyssey who sucks up massive amounts of water, creating vortexes and sinking ships. Comparing the battle to the sucking of Charybdis communicates the mythical power of the battle, as well as the extreme danger of being at its center.
Achilles like a racehorse (Simile)
When Achilles is allowed to truly exert himself on the battlefield, Patroclus explains that "He gloried in his own strength, like a racehorse too long penned, allowed at last to run." The simile conveys that in day-to-day life, Achilles is kept from achieving his full potential, becoming uncomfortable; comparing him to a racehorse also implies that Achilles has owners and handlers who "allow" him to run on their schedule, a perception that will contribute to Achilles' clash with Agamemnon, who would love to control him.
Achilles is a flood (Metaphor)
When Patroclus looks at Achilles as a storm comes in, he anticipates the rain that will gush down the mountains and sweep away everything in its path—animals and houses and men alike. He thinks of Achilles that "He is such a flood." The metaphor of Achilles being a destructive flood shows how Patroclus has come to think of his gift at violence: unstoppable, overpowering, and too natural to argue with.
Water drops like pearls (Simile)
Patroclus spends a lot of time with Briseis out in nature, and often "She would look up and smile, water drops hanging from her ears and hair like pearls." While Briseis is ultimately a practical woman, and a poor war prize on top of that, this simile demonstrates that Patroclus still finds her lovely, with nature's beauty decorating her like a wealthy woman's pearls.
Like damp wood (Simile)
When Patroclus tells Agamemnon about Achilles' plan to let him rape Briseis to destroy his authority over the Greek army, Achilles is furious, but only for a moment. Patroclus explains that "He doesn't know how to be angry with me, either. We are like damp wood that won't light." With this simile, Miller emphasizes the impossibility of anger between the lovers, no matter how much they might be upset with each other.
