He was always cold, but the land of gold seemed to hold him like a spell;

Though he'd often say in his homely way

that he'd "sooner live in hell."

In this passage from “The Cremation of Sam McGee,” the poet’s use of simile suggests that

Sam like cold weather better than gold.

Sam would look for gold only in good weather.

even though it was cold, Sam couldn’t help being drawn to the land of gold.

gold never mattered to Sam.