A Letter to God
Language: storms, hope, clauses and metaphors
Use storm words, 'hope', relative clauses, emphatic negatives and metaphors.
Names for storms.
- cyclone: winds that move in a circle;
- gale: a very strong wind;
- typhoon: a violent tropical storm with very strong winds;
- tornado: a spinning, funnel-shaped cloud;
- hurricane: a violent storm, usually in the western Atlantic;
- whirlwind: air spinning round and round.
Uses of 'hope'. 'Hope' can be a verb (I hope it rains) or a noun (a hope of rain). Useful phrases: hoping against hope (hoping when there is little chance) and gave up hope.
Extra information with commas. A non-defining relative clause adds extra facts about someone we already know. It sits between commas and begins with who, whom, whose or which:
- 'The postmaster, who was a fat, amiable fellow, decided to reply.'
- 'This man, whom I trusted, cheated me.'
Take the clause out and the sentence still makes sense.
Negatives for emphasis. A 'not' or 'never' can make a sentence stronger:
- 'Not a leaf remained on the trees.' (stronger than 'All the leaves fell.')
- 'Nothing less than a letter to God.'
- 'Never in his career as a postman had he known that address.'
Metaphors in the story. A metaphor gives one thing the quality of another, without 'like' or 'as':
- clouds: huge mountains of clouds;
- raindrops: new coins;
- hailstones: frozen pearls;
- locusts: a plague;
- Lencho: an ox of a man.
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