Language
Similes and metaphors
The short story “Kiss” by Elizabeth Baines contains many examples of figurative language, especially in the forms of similes and metaphors.
For example, the simile “a moment you can hold like a still from a film” (ll. 3-4) compares the couple’s kiss with an image from a movie to highlight the romantic atmosphere and their attraction to each other.
The metaphor of “the crowd flowing around them” (l. 3) and that of a moment “running on from all the moments before” (ll. 6-7) help express the idea of time and people going by fast. These metaphorical descriptions also help create tension in the story, a sense of urgency drawn from the fact that one of the characters is preparing to detonate a suicide bomb.
When the story presents the perspective the young man with the backpack has on his e...