Author's Message: Rhetoric Analysis

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Objective

I can analyze how authors use rhetoric to convey their message.

Part 1 of 4

Warm-up video

TED-Ed · 5:39Vetted channel

We don't generate video — this one is by TED-Ed on YouTube. The practice questions and exit ticket below were drafted by AI for this objective, and every question is editable in the teacher guide.

Part 2 of 4

Key concepts

3 concepts

  1. 1

    Metaphors are a way to talk about one thing by describing something else, using imagination and the senses.

  2. 2

    A simile is a type of metaphor that uses the words 'like' or 'as' to make a comparison, while metaphors let you feel things directly.

  3. 3

    Metaphors aren't puzzles to convey hidden meanings; instead, they allow you to feel and know something differently, giving words a way to go beyond their own meaning.

Part 3 of 4

Practice

12 questions

1

According to the video, what is the primary function of a metaphor?

2

Explain in your own words why the video claims metaphors 'think with the imagination and the senses'.

Part 4 of 4

Exit ticket

Quick comprehension check

In Langston Hughes' poem 'Mother to Son,' life is compared to a 'crystal stair' that is not crystal. Identify two specific details (splinters, tacks, etc.) from the poem that contribute to the overall meaning of this metaphor and explain what those details convey about the mother's life.

Sample answer included in the free materials

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