In the excerpt below from Mississippi Solo, Eddy Harris uses similes to help readers visualize his experience of rafting on a river at the beginning of a dramatic storm. A simile compares one object or idea to another using “like” or “as”.

Question

Read the text. As you read, look out for similes. Here’s one: “Clouds rolled overhead in wild swirls like batter in a bowl.”

List two new similes you found in the text. Taken together, what do these comparisons help readers understand about the weather?
Think of a time in your life when you experienced serious weather conditions, such as a rainstorm, snow, or extreme heat. Explain what you would want readers to understand about the experience.
Finally, write a paragraph describing that weather, using at least three similes to help readers visualize your experience. 5 grade words

Answer 1

Since I don't have access to the specific text of "Mississippi Solo," I can't extract new similes directly from it. However, I can certainly help you think about how similes might work in this context and how to express your own weather experience!

Two New Similes

1. "The wind howled like a pack of wolves."
2. "Rain fell in sheets like heavy curtains."

Understanding the Weather

Taken together, these comparisons help readers understand that the weather is incredibly intense and chaotic, similar to how wild animals act or how heavy materials are used. The use of similes gives readers a vivid picture of the storm’s ferocity and unpredictability.

Personal Weather Experience

I remember one summer when a thunderstorm hit my town. The skies darkened so quickly it felt like the sun had vanished behind a giant blanket. The wind kicked up, swirling leaves around like a dance party in the street. I watched as raindrops fell from the sky like little pebbles, splashing into puddles and forming ripples that spread out like waves across a tiny ocean. It was as if nature was putting on a show, wild and untamed, and all I could do was sit back and watch with wide eyes.

Let me know if you need more help or specific examples!

Answer 2

here is the text The day turned gray and strange. Clouds rolled overhead in wild swirls like batter in a bowl. I could see the rainstorm forming off in the distance but swirling rapidly toward me like a dark gray avalanche. I felt the river dip down and up—a shallow dale in the water. I passed from the cool moisture surrounding me and into a pocket of thin air hot and dry. It was as though a gap had opened in the clouds and the sun streamed through to boil the water and heat up this isolated patch of river a scant thirty yards long. My first thought was to shed a shirt and stay cool, but when I passed through the far curtain of the insulated air, I knew I had better do just the opposite. I drifted and donned my yellow rain suit and hood. The sky above grew serious and advanced in my direction with the speed of a hurricane. Looking for a place to land, I scanned the shore. . . . I looked across to the other side of the river half a mile away. No way could I have made it over there. Halfway across and the wind would have kicked up and trapped me in the middle. The leading edge of the storm came, and the first sprinkles passed over like army scouts. The wooded area lasted only another hundred yards or so, and I thought I could easily get there before the rains arrived. I could then turn left and find ground to pull out and wait out the storm.

Answer 3

Thank you for sharing the excerpt! Here are two new similes from the text you provided:

Two New Similes:

1. "Swirling rapidly toward me like a dark gray avalanche."
2. "The first sprinkles passed over like army scouts."

Understanding the Weather

Together, these similes help readers visualize the approaching storm's power and intensity. The comparison to a "dark gray avalanche" suggests that the storm is overwhelming and unstoppable, while "like army scouts" implies a cautious, preliminary approach, indicating that the storm is not just a quick downpour but the beginning of something much larger and more serious.

Personal Weather Experience

One summer, I experienced a fierce thunderstorm that seemed to roll in from nowhere. The sky turned a deep shade of green, like a giant emerald hanging above, warning us of the chaos to come. Lightning cracked across the sky like fireworks exploding, illuminating everything around me for a brief moment. As the rain poured down, it hit the ground like a thousand drummers playing a loud, steady beat. The wind whipped through the trees, making them bend and sway like dancers caught in a furious whirlwind. I felt both amazed and scared, watching nature’s powerful display right before my eyes.

Let me know if you need further assistance or additional examples!

Answer 4

5 grade words

Answer 5

Sure! Here’s a revised version of the paragraph describing the weather, using simpler, fifth-grade vocabulary and including three similes:

Personal Weather Experience

One summer, I saw a strong thunderstorm come out of nowhere. The sky turned dark green, like a huge monster waiting to roar. Lightning flashed across the sky like a giant camera taking pictures, lighting up everything for a second. As the rain fell, it poured down like a big bucket of water being dumped. The wind blew through the trees, making them sway back and forth like they were dancing. I felt both excited and a little scared, watching the powerful storm all around me.

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