Question

read the excerpt from walden by henry david thoreau. the harivansa says, \an abode without birds is like a meat without seasoning.\ such was not my abode, for i found myself suddenly neighbor to the birds; not by having imprisoned one, but having caged myself near them. how does the authors use of figurative language support his rhetorical appeal? the simile suggests that living in nature is preferable to the alternative. the simile suggests that living in nature is not ideal for everyone. the simile suggests that living near wild animals can be overwhelming. the simile suggests that living near wild animals is a good way to learn new things.

Explanation:

A simile is a figure of speech that compares two different things using "like" or "as". In the given text, "An abode without birds is like a meat without seasoning" compares an abode (home) without birds to meat without seasoning. Seasoning enhances the flavor of meat, making it more enjoyable. Similarly, birds enhance the quality of an abode. Thoreau then says "Such was not my abode, for I found myself suddenly neighbor to the birds", indicating that his abode (where he lived in nature, near birds) was better. So the simile implies that living in nature (where there are birds, like his abode) is preferable (just as meat with seasoning is better than meat without) to an abode without birds (the alternative).

Answer:

The simile suggests that living in nature is preferable to the alternative.