In Mrs Tilscher's Class

“glowed like a sweetshop”

Simile: compares the classroom to a sweetshop. Associates the classroom with excitement and a variety of good things to choose from

“Reports were handed out.”

Short sentence: shows that primary school is coming to an end and that this is just the start of the difficulties they will face in life

“As the sky split open into a thunderstorm”

Metaphor: the speaker shows how dramatic and difficult adolescence will be disrupting normality forever.

“jumping and croaking”

Word Choice: ‘croaking’ actions of children mimic those of the frogs showing they are also grown up. ‘croaking’ also describes the sound of the boys voices breaking

“Better than home”

Word Choice: ‘home’ just as children are comfortable and loved at home so too are they in Mrs Tilcher’s class

“the inky tadpoles changed from commas into exclamation marks”

Metaphor: represents the children growing up just like how tadpoles change into frogs and commas turn into something more bold and loud, exclamation marks

“A rough buy told you how you were born”

Word Choice: shows that the children are starting to learn the complexities of adulthood

“window opened with a long pole”

Word choice of ‘long pole’ symbolises that the outside is kept at a distance- cocooned in their safe environment, the world is taught not experienced

“That feverish July, the air tasted of electricity”

metaphor of ‘air tasted of electricity’ suggests danger, warnings and excitement. But it also suggests the threat of lightning and storms, suggesting the difficult time of adolescence

“Mrs Tilscher smiled and turned away”

Word Choice: Mrs Tilscher realises the children are growing up which is upsetting to her

“the inky tadpoles changed from commas to exclamation marks”

Metaphor: presents children growing up. And the shift between children to teenagers

“chalky Pyramids rubbed into dust”

Suggests magical passing of time, something ending and being lost