Which excerpt from The Crisis, Number I contains a simile? - "These are the times that try men's souls." - "Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered." - "What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly." - "It is dearness only that gives everything its value."

The excerpt from "The Crisis, Number I" that contains a simile is "Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered." In this phrase, the word "like" is used to establish a comparison between "tyranny" and "hell," suggesting that tyranny is as difficult to overcome as hell would be. This comparison using "like" or "as" is what defines a simile.

Extra: Similes and metaphors are both figures of speech used to make comparisons, but they do so in slightly different ways. A simile uses the words "like" or "as" to directly compare one thing to another, as seen in the example above. It's a way for the writer to create a vivid image or to make an idea clearer or more relatable to the reader. In contrast, a metaphor makes a comparison by stating one thing is another, without using "like" or "as" (for example, "Time is a thief"). In both metaphors and similes, the comparisons usually draw on shared characteristics or common experiences to convey a deeper meaning or understanding. Thomas Paine's use of a simile in "The Crisis, Number I" serves to emphasize his point about the resilience needed to combat tyranny, by equating it with something universally recognized as formidable and dreadful.