Somkid Chaijitvanit’s work appears under the title of "Through the lens". The picture and the reflection below are a beautiful and thoughtful example.

The writing is not difficult, so this is a lesson you can just enjoy. You do need to know that a simile is a figure of speech used in poems and songs. It creates an image of one thing by comparing it to another using and 'as ... as' phrase. As strong as a lion, as gentle as a lamb, are two examples. Somkid also mentions another figure of speech called a metaphor. Metaphors are also comparisons, but without using the 'as ... as' pattern.

Sustainable similes Appearances can be deceptive Somkid Chaijitvanit "Under heaven nothing is more soft and yielding than water. Yet for attacking the solid and strong, nothing is better; It has no equal. The weak can overcome the strong; The supple can overcome the stiff." Lao Tse, the father of Taoism, wrote this in his famous book, Tao Te Ching. How true is this observation of his today given that 2,700 years have passed since he wrote it down? Talking about the gentleness and power of water with a friend one day, she happened to mention an interesting comment made.by Phra Paisal Visalo, abbot of the Sukhato Forest Monastery in Chaiyaphum province. "When people need a metaphor to describe themselves, they love to be compared to something with unyielding strength ... as robust as a cliff, say. Nobody compares him or herself to something soft and gentle like water. But if we try to cut the flow of water with a sharp knife, the blade just disappears into the current, leaving no trace. But if we were to do this to a rock ledge, the blade would leave a mark.’’ Both ideas really appeal to me. Most of us know these as self-evident truths; unfortunately, they are truths which many of us are unable to put into practice.

FOLLOW-UP Why don’t you try your own interpretation of this photograph. Does it remind you of some experience you have had? What were your feelings at the time? You don’t need to write as much as Somkid did, but your thoughts are just as important. TEACHER'S NOTE There are many very dramatic and emotionally strong pictures in a daily newspaper. They can be used effectively as a brief time of reflection for your students to express their own ideas in a clearly student-centred activity. You will be able to help them find words and phrases to express their ideas. If you and your students then decide to post them around the classroom there is an opportunity for self or peer correction only to correct obvious grammatical errors. The student’s thoughts, like those of Somkid, are personal and worthy. Go back to the top