Question

read the excerpt from \introduction to poetry\ by billy collins.

i ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light
like a color slide

or press an ear against its hive.

which line from the excerpt contains a metaphor?

\i ask them to take a poem\
\and hold it up to the light\
\like a color slide\
\or press an ear against its hive\

Explanation:

Identify the figurative language in each line

• "I ask them to take a poem" is a literal statement describing an action.
• "and hold it up to the light" is a literal action describing how to examine something physically.
• "like a color slide" uses the word "like" to make a direct comparison, which is a simile.
• "or press an ear against its hive" compares the poem directly to a beehive ("its hive") without using "like" or "as", which is a metaphor.

Answer:

• "I ask them to take a poem"
• "and hold it up to the light"
• "like a color slide"
• "or press an ear against its hive" (Correct answer)