The question is asking you to choose the language feature and explain how it adds to the meaning of the poem.
Let's practise
A rainbow is a painted smile
turned upside down.
It's a multi-coloured bridge
spanning the streets of town.
A rainbow is a brilliant band
across my sister's hair.
It's a fluorescent mountain
Piercing the morning air.
Moira Andrew: 'Rainbows' from The Works, ed. John Foster (Macmillan, 2014)
a) Which language feature is used in the poem?
Tick one.
simile
alliteration
metaphor
onomatopoeia
1 mark
b) Explain how this is effective.
1 mark
- Read the question. Read it again. What is it asking?
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- Remind yourself of each of the features.
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A simile compares one thing with another, usually using like or as; alliteration is when the same sound is repeated at the beginning of words; onomatopoeia mimics sounds of objects of actions; metaphors compare one object to another.
- Can you find an example of these in the text?
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There is only evidence of a metaphor so I will eliminate the other choices.
- Tick the metaphor box and for part b) explain how the use of metaphor is effective.
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The writer is comparing the rainbow to a smile and a colourful mountain. The effect is to help the reader to build an image of the rainbow by making a connection between the rainbow, the shape of a smile and the colour of a coloured mountain, etc.
- Check your answer.