regarding commas and the word "like"

[angelicSTRIFE]

I have a question about this specific sentence:
She is like a mother, a sweetheart, and an ally in battle.

I was wondering which way was the correct way to read this sentence. Is this a list of three things she is like: She is LIKE a mother, she is LIKE a sweetheart, and she is LIKE an ally in battle.

...or would one read this sentence as: She is LIKE a mother, she IS a sweetheart, and she IS an ally in battle?

Does the word "like" distribute throughout to each of the words after the commas?

[Coffa]

It is the former - "like" distributes to each element. It would be better though to write it as "She is like a mother, sweetheart, and ally in battle."

[rewboss]

Actually, I think the variation with the indefinite articles has a much more pleasing rhythm to it. It would be very appropriate in literary English, which is where I suspect it came from.

[angelicSTRIFE]

Thanks for replying, Coffa and rewboss.

She is like a mother, a sweetheart, and an ally in battle.
She is like a mother, sweetheart, and ally in battle.

So, either one would be correct then?
I guess my main concern was whether "like" would distribute to each element when reading the sentence, and I think Coffa already answered that for me. Thanks a bunch!

[Casiopea]

Omitting the article/determiner sounds odd (to me) - but that's just me.

Additionally, 'sweatheart', if spoken sounds like an appositive. Here's a fellow talkin' about his senior colleague to his wife:

She is like a mother, Sweetheart, and ally in battle.

[angelicSTRIFE]

^What's an 'appositive', Casiopea? Do you mean it sounds like the fellow is telling his wife that his senior colleague is his lover?

Would it sound better if I leave the article/determiner on then?

[Coffa]

It's personal preference, I think. I can't really agree with Casiopea on this - I think she means a vocative, not an appositive (ie addressing your 'Sweetheart'), and the tonal inflection would make it very clear if a vocative was intended. An appositive meaning would be indicated by a sentence like "She was like a mother, nurturer to my children, and ally in battle." That is, the appositive clause modifies 'mother'.

[Casiopea]

Right. Vocative, not appositive. Thanks Coffa.

Angelic, leaving the article out sounds rather ungrammatical to me. (I speak a North American dialect of English.)