That, like dumb mouths, do ope their ruby lips
To beg the voice and utterance of my tongue
is this a simile? how?
Yes. It's a simile. It compares whatever "That" refers to to mouths. It also uses the word "like," making it a simile, not a metaphor.
An easy way to remember simile vs. metaphor:
A simile is SIMILAR (like).
An example is:
He fought LIKE a lion (simile).
He was a lion in battle (metaphor -- no LIKE)
If he roared and swung his sword, he acted LIKE a lion. If he turned into a real animal, he WAS a lion.
To determine whether a statement is a simile or not, look for words such as "like" or "as" that indicate a comparison. In the given line, the word "like" is used to compare the action of "That" to mouths. The phrase "dumb mouths" is being compared to the action of opening their lips to beg for the voice and utterance of the speaker's tongue. This comparison makes it a simile.
Remember, a simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two different things using words such as "like" or "as." It helps create vivid imagery and enhance the reader's understanding of the subject being described.