In the line "What if the laughing legend of the November afternoon finds you?" the phrase "laughing legend" is an example of a metaphor. It compares laughter to a myth or story that is known and celebrated.
"My daughter's laughter is sunshine to my heart" is an example of a metaphor.
The water laughed as it flowed over the rocks.
The phrase "an onion is a rose of water" is an example of metaphor, where an onion is being compared to a rose through the symbol of water. It suggests that the layers of an onion hold a beauty and depth similar to that of a rose.
A directly stated metaphor is when a comparison between two unlike things is explicitly made in a sentence without using "like" or "as." For example, "Her laughter was music to my ears."
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two unrelated things without using "like" or "as." For example, "He drowned in a sea of grief."
One example of metaphor from "Great Expectations" is in Chapter 59, where Pip describes his heart as a "disease." This metaphor highlights the emotional turmoil and suffering that Pip is experiencing.
laughter - humor as tears - sadness
The sentence contains a metaphor. The comparison of the regiment to a machine conveys the idea that it is worn out and inefficient.
There is no specific collective noun for laughter. Appropriate nouns that suit the context can be used; for example a roar of laughter, a swell of laughter, a crackle of laughter, etc.
metaphor
"Roared with laughter" is an example of personification, attributing human qualities (in this case, the act of roaring) to non-human entities (laughter).
No, that is not a simile. See Related Links below for more information on a simile.