A 10-minute writing task - SNOW METAPHOR EMOTIONS
09.01.26
Week Fifteen Writing Challenge!
It’s winter, and we might have had a little bit of snow, and it got me thinking about a book I read years ago.
The novel is set partly in icy, northern landscapes. In it, I remember being struck by the idea — often said, though debated — that Inuit languages have many different words for snow. The idea stayed with me: when something matters deeply, we notice its differences. Snow isn’t just snow. And emotions aren’t just happy, sad, or angry either.
That led me to think about how we can help our children use metaphors and abstract nouns to give depth to feelings. Snow can be sharp, soft, blinding, heavy, drifting, crunchy, or melting. In the same way, emotions can take many forms — and writing gets richer when we explore them.
This week, we’re using snow as a metaphor for emotion.
Snow isn’t just white, cold, wet!
Snow isn’t just white, cold, wet!
Think about:
• How does this ‘snow’ move — drifting, falling hard, swirling?
• What does it feel like — biting, numb, soft, heavy?
• What emotion could it represent — calm, fear, joy, worry, hope?
• What does it feel like — biting, numb, soft, heavy?
• What emotion could it represent — calm, fear, joy, worry, hope?
Figurative Language You Might Use:
Metaphor
• Foreboding: Worry was a thick snowstorm, blocking the path ahead.
• Upbeat: Joy was fresh snow, brightening everything it touched.
• Foreboding: Worry was a thick snowstorm, blocking the path ahead.
• Upbeat: Joy was fresh snow, brightening everything it touched.
Simile
• Foreboding: Fear stuck to me like icy snow on my gloves.
• Upbeat: Calm spread like soft snow falling quietly at night.
• Foreboding: Fear stuck to me like icy snow on my gloves.
• Upbeat: Calm spread like soft snow falling quietly at night.
Personification
• Foreboding: The snow crept closer, tapping at my boots.
• Upbeat: Snow danced through the air, eager to land on my sleeve.
• Foreboding: The snow crept closer, tapping at my boots.
• Upbeat: Snow danced through the air, eager to land on my sleeve.
Alliteration
• Foreboding: Silent, sneaky snow slid across the street.
• Upbeat: Sparkly, soft snow swirled in the sunshine.
• Foreboding: Silent, sneaky snow slid across the street.
• Upbeat: Sparkly, soft snow swirled in the sunshine.
Onomatopoeia
• Foreboding: Crunch! The frozen snow cracked under my feet.
• Upbeat: Plop! Plop! Snow dropped playfully from the trees.
• Foreboding: Crunch! The frozen snow cracked under my feet.
• Upbeat: Plop! Plop! Snow dropped playfully from the trees.
10-Minute Task:Write 3–4 sentences using snow as a metaphor for an emotion.
Don’t name the feeling directly — show it through the snow.
Think about texture, movement, weight, sound, and mood.
Don’t name the feeling directly — show it through the snow.
Think about texture, movement, weight, sound, and mood.
Example Sentences:• Loneliness fell all night, a thin snow that muffled every sound and made the world feel far away.
• Anger hit like sleet, sharp and stinging, snapping at my cheeks with every step forward.
• Calm lay over the room like fresh snow, smoothing the edges and quieting everything.
• Hope sparkled like sunlight on ice, cold but bright enough to make me smile.
• Anger hit like sleet, sharp and stinging, snapping at my cheeks with every step forward.
• Calm lay over the room like fresh snow, smoothing the edges and quieting everything.
• Hope sparkled like sunlight on ice, cold but bright enough to make me smile.
Shortlist of Abstract Nouns (Feelings & Ideas):
joy • fear • hope • worry • calm • excitement • bravery • anger • sadness • confidence • curiosity
Happy writing, everyone!
Anna Donovan
Qualified Teacher (QTS 2005)
Specialist 11+ Exam Essay & Creative Writing Tutor
Qualified Teacher (QTS 2005)
Specialist 11+ Exam Essay & Creative Writing Tutor