Read the paragraph from “Rivers and Stories,” Part 2, by Robert Hass.
There was also something unsettling about the scene, and it was not until later in the day, as I was wandering around the city, that it dawned on me what I had seen. Or not seen: I turned abruptly around and traced my way back to the river, leaned against the embankment, and stared a long time. There were no birds. Not a single gull, no ducks, no herons or egrets. Not a cormorant or a grebe. There were not even sparrows or songbirds in the spindly trees in the riverside park. And there was not a fisherman in sight. The river, for all its human vitality, was dead.
How does the author’s use of rhetorical devices in this paragraph help you understand his perspective?
Select all that apply.
The author uses hyperbole by describing the river as “dead” to make it clear to readers how empty it is.
The author uses anaphora by repeating the words Not and no to describe his shock at the emptiness of the scene.
The author uses understatement by saying the scene was “unsettling” to emphasize how he really felt at the river.
The author uses anecdotes by telling this story to give readers context for the topic.