Este’areh is one of the most important poetic devices and of portraiture elements in carrying imagination in poetry to an extreme. History of this rhetorical topic dates back to Aristotle's Poetics and the topic of Este'areh in Arabic and Persian literature emanates from the same source. English equivalent of Este'areh is Metaphor. But, are these two exactly the same or they differ from each other? Here, pointing out the opinions of Sakkaki and Jorjani, the definition of Este'areh and its various types are given briefly first; then its difference from Metaphor is investigated. The result of the investigation is that although Metaphor, too, is a variation of metaphoric expression, its aim is not expression of beauty of simile, but transfer of meaning. Este'areh and Metaphor differ from each other because the former is based on simile and similarity, but the latter is based on "free association."
