Title-Red Badge Of Courage The

Crane, Stephen - 1895

The young girl, with pink cheeks and shining eyes, stood like a dauntless statue.

The youth could occasionally see dark shadows that moved like monsters.

…the youth saw that the landscape was streaked with two long, thin, black columns which disappeared on the brow of a hill in front and rearward vanished in a wood. They were like two serpents crawling from the cavern of the night.

They call the reg'ment 'Fresh fish' and everything; but the boys come of good stock, and most of 'em 'll fight like sin after they oncet git shootin'," he added, with a mighty emphasis on the last four words.

The sound of monotonous axe blows rang through the forest, and the insects, nodding upon their perches, crooned like old women.

Tents sprang up like strange plants. Camp fires, like red, peculiar blossoms, dotted the night.

And if I once started to run, I'd run like the devil, and no mistake.

In the eastern sky there was a yellow patch like a rug laid for the feet of the coming sun; and against it, black and patternlike, loomed the gigantic figure of the colonel on a gigantic horse.

Some talked of gray, bewhiskered hordes who were advancing with relentless curses and chewing tobacco with unspeakable valor; tremendous bodies of fierce soldiery who were sweeping along like the Huns.

A mass of wet grass, marched upon, rustled like silk.

Page last modified on October 02, 2006, at 10:56 AM

Featured Simile

The goddesses gliding in a straight line like quivering doves approached the battle to defend the Argives, but once arrived where their best spearmen fought at the flank of Diomedes, giving ground like lions or boars, like carnivores at bay, no feeble victims – Hera took her stand with a loud cry.
-- Illiad, The - Homer -