The beach – descriptive writing

Teaching suggestions

Resources
Pictures of beaches, Dylan Thomas extracts from ‘Holiday Memory’, simile starters,
keywords, wave or sea sounds CD?
See Microsoft Clipart and Google Images for more pictures.

Possible activities

Introduce the idea of a beach holiday. Discuss the associations of a beach holiday.

Give pupils a picture of the beach. Ask them to list the things on the beach. They
then need to describe several of the items in detail, perhaps incorporating a simile or
metaphor where possible.

Looking at the picture, go through the five senses. Ask pupils to step into the
picture, turn up the colour and volume. Any clues about what has happened, what
could happen or what is happening? After individual reflection on each of these
things allow time for discussion in pairs and whole class feedback.

In pairs, look for the best lines in Dylan Thomas’ writing. Share. Bring out typical
descriptive devices: who found a simile, metaphors, senses …?

Pupils write their own extended description of beach holiday.

Pupils could play the ruler game using key words and their own examples of similes
and metaphors. Then either:

• Split class in two. Write the similes and metaphors on board. First team
member to point at the correct word when examples are given.

or:

• Read out work. Pupils stand up when they hear a simile or metaphor.

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The beach – descriptive writing

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The beach – descriptive writing

Extracts from ‘Holiday Memory’

by Dylan Thomas

‘I remember the patient, laborious, and

enamouring hobby, or profession, of
burying relatives in sand.’
‘I remember the princely pastime of pouring
sand, from cupped hands or bucket, down
collars and tops of dresses; the shriek, the
shake, the slap.’
‘I can remember the boy by himself, the
beachcombing lonewolf, hungrily waiting at
the edge of family cricket; the friendless
fielder, the boy uninvited to bat or to tea.’
‘I remember the smell of sea and seaweed,
wet flesh, wet hair, wet bathing-dresses, the
warm smell as of a rabbity field after rain,
the smell of pop and splashed sunshades
and toffee, the stable-and-straw smell of
hot, tossed, tumbled, dug, and trodden sand
… the smell of vinegar on shelled cockles,
winkle smell, shrimp smell, the dripping-oily
backstreet winter-smell of chips in
newspapers, the smell of ships from the
sundazed docks round the corner of the
sand-hills, the smell of the known and
paddled-in sea moving …’
‘Holiday Memory’ copyright © Dylan Thomas

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The beach – descriptive writing

‘And the noise of the pummelling punch and

Judy falling, and a clock tolling …; now and
again a bell from a lost tower or a train on
the lines behind us clearing its throat, and
always the hopeless, ravenous swearing
and pleading of the gulls …, toy trumpets,
shouting and laughing and singing, … the
motor-boat coughing in the bay, and the
same hymn and washing of the sea that was
heard in the Bible.’

‘And the sticks of rock that we all sucked,

were like barbers’ poles made of rhubarb.’

‘Holiday Memory’ copyright © Dylan Thomas

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The beach – descriptive writing

Similes

The moody sky was as grey as …

The rough rocks were as bumpy as …
The soggy sand felt like …
The lumps in the sand felt like …
The lazy rain splattered like …
The excited dog scampered (ran) like …
The messy seaweed was as … as …
The boat leant like …

Metaphors

The moody sky was a lake of terror.

The soggy sand was a dampened sponge
cake.

The rough rocks were …

The lumps in the sand were …
The messy seaweed was …
The lazy rain was a …
The excited dog was a …
The boat was a …

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