Question

Read this excerpt from Walt Whitman’s poem “In Cabin'd Ships at Sea” from Leaves of Grass.

The tones of unseen mystery, the vague and vast suggestions of the
briny world, the liquid-flowing syllables,
The perfume, the faint creaking of the cordage, the melancholy rhythm,
The boundless vista and the horizon far and dim are all here,
And this is ocean's poem.

Why did the author most likely choose this structure for his poem?
The varied line lengths provide a steady rhythm.
The long-line structure allows Whitman to include a list.
The shorter lines provide Whitman’s background information.
The long and short lines create a visual image of waves.

Answer 1

The long-line structure allows Whitman to include a list.

Explanation: Whitman uses extended, flowing lines to catalogue sensory details (tones, perfume, creaking, vista, etc.), creating a cumulative, expansive effect typical of his free-verse lists.