In pairs, find metaphors from the story to complete the table below. Try to say what qualities are being compared. One has been done for you.
| Object | Metaphor | Quality or Feature Compared |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud | Huge mountains of clouds | The mass or ‘hugeness’ of mountains |
| Raindrops | ||
| Hailstones | ||
| Locusts | ||
| An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very rapidly and leaves many people dead | ||
| An ox of a man |
Raindrops — Metaphor and Quality or Feature Compared
Metaphor: New coins; Quality: The wealth and prosperity the rain brings to the farmer
Hailstones — Metaphor and Quality or Feature Compared
Metaphor: Silver coins; Quality: The shiny, icy appearance of the hailstones and the lost wealth
Locusts — Metaphor and Quality or Feature Compared
Metaphor: Plague; Quality: The rapid spread and devastating destruction of the crops
Object for metaphor meaning 'An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very rapidly and leaves many people dead'
Metaphor: Pestilence; Quality: A deadly, rapidly spreading disease causing massive destruction
'An ox of a man' — Object and Quality or Feature Compared
Object: Lencho; Quality: Immense physical strength, hardworking nature, and endurance
Explanation
The question requires identifying metaphors from the story 'A Letter to God' and the qualities they represent. A metaphor transfers a quality from one object to another. (i) Raindrops are called 'new coins' because they bring wealth and good crops. (ii) Hailstones are compared to 'silver coins' to highlight their shiny, icy appearance, which ironically contrasts with the financial ruin they bring. (iii) Locusts are compared to a 'plague' due to their rapid spread and devastating effect on crops. (iv) The metaphor for a rapidly spreading, deadly epidemic is 'pestilence', used in the story to describe the destructive hailstorm. (v) 'An ox of a man' refers to Lencho, transferring the qualities of an ox—immense strength, endurance, and hard work—to the farmer.