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Images and Sound

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Whether you are writing a poem, a story or non-fiction, images and sounds can bring your writing to life.

Images and sound

Steinbeck has used the visual and sound effects of language to describe the character of Lennie. Can you identify any of these effects?

His huge companion dropped his blankets and flung himself down and drank from the surface of the green pool; drank with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse. (John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, 1937)

Read this description

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Activity

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Similes

Similes rely on comparing one thing with another. This is to give us a better picture or image in our mind.

A simile uses the word like or as when making the comparison.

e.g. She was as cold as ice.

Sometimes, like the example above, similes become overused and too familiar. It might be more imaginative to say ‘She was as cold as the core of an iceberg.’

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Similes

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Metaphors and personification

A metaphor compares one thing with another, without using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’.e.g. I saw a sea of faces.

Personification is a form of metaphor in which an object or thing is given human/living qualities, e.g. the trees whispered.

These devices work to give the reader a better image in their mind.

Complete these sentences using these devices.1. The car ________ to life.2. I have a ________ of clothes to iron.3. The sun _______ down on us.

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Similes and metaphors

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Alliteration

The term alliteration refers to the repeated use of consonant sounds in words close to each other. Often the sound of the words helps the meaning of the words.

e.g. The waves push through the shingle and shell.

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Alliteration

Here are some starter lines. See if you can continue them, using alliteration in an effective way.

1. The lizard skittered across the …

2. The seal slipped into the …

3. The rain dripped dully …

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Onomatopoeia

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Onomatopoeia is a fun technique which concentrates on the use of sounds in words. It describes words which sound like their meaning, e.g. pop, sizzle, crash.

Onomatopoeia

The flames crackled.The waves crashed against the rocks.James popped the bubble wrap continually.The water spluttered out the tap before splashing against the tiles.

Examples

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Alliteration and onomatopoeia

Make a collection of spooky and scary words using alliteration and onomatopoeia. Use them to create a poem called ‘The Haunted House’.

Alliteration: black bats tottering towers stone steps.

Here are some ideas to start you off:

Onomatopoeia: creak sighscreech.

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Rhythm and rhyme

Rhythm and rhyme can also help the overall effect of a piece of writing, and are very important in poetry and songs.

Rhythm is the ‘beat’ of a verse, and rhyme refers to words which share some of the same sound.

Try and add some rhythm and rhyme to your ‘The Haunted House’ poem!

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Rhythm and rhyme

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Non-fiction writing

Techniques like alliteration and metaphor are also used in non-fiction writing. Read this review.

Harry Potter V is big and bulky, a buster of a book. It must be like a brick in the bags of schoolchildren throughout the land. But children everywhere dutifully cart the burden with them. It is a precious jewel to be pored over and it happily rewards them with a magical world of escape.

How many of the techniques we’ve studied can you spot?

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Non-fiction writing

Write a review of your favourite book or film. Try and use the techniques you have learnt.

Harry is a teenager unlike any other. He survives

another book by the skin of his teeth, battling bravely

throughout…

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Quiz