SAT English Practice Question

The author uses several rhetorical devices to create a powerful and memorable image of the speaker’s grief in the passage. For instance, the author uses vivid imagery to describe the speaker’s tears as “falling like rain” and emphasizes the speaker’s sense of isolation by comparing the speaker’s feelings to “a lonely, desolate place.” What is the author’s purpose in using the metaphor of a “lonely, desolate place” to describe the speaker’s grief?

1. A.create a sense of empathy for the speaker.
2. B.describe the speaker’s physical surroundings.
3. C.emphasize the speaker’s emotional state.
4. D.suggest that the speaker is in danger.