CONNECT WITH YOUR GRANDCHILDREN - LESSON #2: SOME MORE ABOUT THE SEEMINGLY SIMPLE SIMILE

CONNECT WITH YOUR GRANDCHILDREN  - LESSON #2: SOME MORE ABOUT THE SEEMINGLY SIMPLE SIMILE

 

Lesson #1 introduced similes and asked you to write some great sentences that involved all of our senses and similes. Similes make your writing more colourful. Famous writers use them all the time.

 

One of grandpa Mike’s favourite poets is William Wordsworth. In his poem called “Daffodils,” he wrote, “I wandered lonely as a cloud that floats on high o’er vales and hills.” Lonely as a cloud. Now, that is extremely lonely. Isn’t that neat?  And what makes it cool is that you don’t usually associate loneliness with clouds, but if you look up, sure enough, there are some that look quite forlorn. Guess what “forlorn” means.

 

Some writers even use similes for the titles of their books such as “My Heart is Like a Zoo,” by Michael Hall and “My Best Friend is Sharp as a Pencil,” by Hanoch Pavin.

 

William, please make up titles for five books that you would like to read, and use a simile in each title. I will give you an example. I would like to read: “Peanut-butter and Chocolate Taste Like Heaven.” Another book I would like to read is: “Listening To Music Smooth as Butter.”

 

Now, it’s your turn. Five titles please. Have fun. Their your books.

 

Wow. If I was at a bookstore and saw those amazing titles, I would purchase them all. Well done.

 

1: A History of War as Dark as the Night  (my favourite)

2: My Brain is as Cluttered as My Desk (i FEEL YOUR PAIN)

3: The Day that My Life Inflated like a Balloon (This is neat.)

4: A History of Humans as complex as the Universe (YES)

5: A History of Space as Infinite as the Penrose (What is a penrose?)

 

CONNECT WITH YOUR GRANDCHILDREN  - LESSON #2: SOME MORE ABOUT THE SEEMINGLY SIMPLE SIMILE CONTINUED

 

Similes improve your writing by painting vivid images in a few words. Compare these two sentences:

1.     Looking determined, Grandpa Mike walked out to the pitcher’s mound.

2.     Grandpa Mike strode towards the pitcher’s mound like a battleship ready to launch its deadly missiles.

 

You might say that the first sentence sucks. It is boring. But the simile in the second sentence invites the reader to imagine grandpa Mike as a powerful warship - big, strong, dominant and ready to go to battle with his deadly weapons - fastballs, curves and change-ups. It makes grandpa Mike sound dangerous and suggests that all of the batters that he faces are going to strike out.

 

Here are five bland sentences. Take each and improve them with a great simile. You can change as many words as you want.

1.     When Sally sat at the seashore playing with silly sea shells, her pale skin colour started to change.

2.     Knowing the answer, Tim raised his hand.

3.     Approaching the opposition goalie, Betty passed the puck to teammate Debbie. 

4.     With a ball in its mouth, the dog happily approached its owner.

5.     Looking hungry, grandpa Mike sat at the table.

 

1. As Sally sat at the seashore, playing with sea shells, her skin began to boil like a lobster, so red that she immediately went inside. Great!

2. Knowing the answer, Tim flung his hand into the air like a rocket Superb!

3. ?????? I'm stuck. Yuck! 3. Approaching the opposition goalie, skating as fast as a cheetah, Betty passed the puck like a card dealer to teammate Debbie also skating like a whirlwind.

4. The dog, holding a ball in its mouth, sprinted to its owner like a cheetah on steroids. Incredible!

5. Grandpa Mike sat at the table, looking as ravenous as a polar bear after its hibernation. WOW!

I’m loving your answers William. Nice work.