I am looking for literature dealing with similies as figurative/metaphoric elements. Can research on similies be beneficial for metaphor research? If yes, how?
While a distinction is made between similes and metaphors, similes are part of the metaphoric use of language and, as such, sometimes figure in research into metaphor. There are some studies which compare the two directly-e.g.
"An evaluation of the use of analogy, simile, and metaphor in science texts" , Gilbert (1989)
"Conceptualizing Metaphors and Similes", Hasson (2002)
"Comprehension of metaphors and Similes: A Reaction Time Study,", Johnson (2009)
Have a look at my paper "Towards a New Model for Implied Metaphor Translation: English Translations of Al Muallaqat." This paper deals, in section one, with the differences between simile and metaphor in English and Arabic. I think that metaphor in English must be redefined.
I nourish my write-ups with both rich literary devices. Similes shows their allusion to objects and things in a suggestive way while metaphors make direct allusions. They are powerful tools for spicing our write-ups with life.
Simile is a figure of speech which uses signal words such as like or as in order to compare one thing with another thing of a different kind (e.g. A room without books is like a body without a soul) . By contrast, a metaphor states that one thing is another thing without using any signal words. Although both simile and metaphor make an appeal to associations that are deeply rooted in our experiences, it is the metaphor which triggers deep thinking. As such, Robert Frost maintains that 'unless you are educated in metaphor, you are not safe to be let loose in the world.' As you have rightly pointed out familiarity with the simile is the prelude to understanding the metaphor. In point of fact, individuals most often translate metaphors into similes in order to understand them.