As you may already know, a simile is the comparison between two apparently different things with some common elements, with the use of 'as' or 'like'. An extended simile is when a writer introduces a simile and then drags it on over several lines, sometimes over a full sestet or octave, drawing a parallel between the subject and the object it is compared to. It is a digression from the main action of a narrative. It is also known as an epic simile or Homeric simile, since it was first used by the Green epic poet Homer in his epics. Unlike a simile, here the comparison is often drawn between two complex actions rather than simple objects. For instance, a simile may be drawn between an approaching army and the onset of a storm. It is basically the extended use of a simile, which is perhaps the very reason it is called an extended smile.
