Question

Read this poem titled “The Invitation.”
Outside the door, we fearless adventurers pause to eavesdrop.
I hear bright sounds, laughter tinkling and shimmering like cymbals.
You, insistent bleats—snatches of silence—and strangled
syllables. Groaning.
(5) We need a Third Party, someone to tell us if the chips are stale;
if there’s a thin or thick skin on the dip.
What is an effect of a visual element in these lines?
A. The break in line 3 adds tension and reinforces the humor of lines 5–6.
B. The length and placement of line 4 show it is an unimportant afterthought.
C. The punctuation in line 3 connects the items, suggesting they are the same thing.
D. The length of the first stanza shows that it is more important than the second one.

Answer 1

The correct answer would be **C. The punctuation in line 3 connects the items, suggesting they are the same thing.**

In line 3, the use of dashes helps to create a connection between the "insistent bleats" and the "snatches of silence" as well as the "strangled syllables." This punctuation suggests that these elements are linked in the context of the speaker's experience, contributing to the overall meaning and atmosphere of the poem.