Question

review the passage. the hyperbole is shown in bold. nations are possessed with an ambition to perpetuate the memory of themselves by the amount of hammered stone they leave. what if equal pains were taken to smooth and polish their manners? one piece of good sense would be more memorable than a monument as high as the moon. i love better to see stones in place. adapted from henry david thoreau, walden and on the duty of civil disobedience what is the effect of the hyperbole on the passages meaning or tone? it stresses the value of architecture. it stresses the value of thoughtfulness. it stresses the value of ambition.

Explanation:

Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement. Here, "a monument as high as the moon" is exaggerated. The passage contrasts the value of material monuments (architecture - represented by the exaggerated monument) with the value of "one piece of good sense" (thoughtfulness). The hyperbole makes the comparison more vivid. It's not about stressing architecture (as the text implies good sense is better) or ambition (the text is about what's more memorable - good sense over the grand monument).

Answer:

It stresses the value of thoughtfulness.