Question

Read this excerpt from "Ritmo/Rhythm” by Margarita Engle.

Older cousins show me
how to shake the mule’s quijada,
to make the blunt teeth
rattle.

Guitars.
Drums.
Gourds.
Sticks.

A cow bell.
A washboard.
Pretty soon, we have
a whole orchestra.

How does the poet’s use of line length contribute to the imaginative tone of the excerpt?

It builds momentum by demonstrating how the speaker respects the “older cousins.”
It places an emphasis on the materials the speaker is using to construct the “orchestra.”
It signals time passing by showing how “pretty soon” the speaker is able to collect many items.
It characterizes the setting as absurd as the speaker is using a “washboard” to make sound.

Answer 1

It places an emphasis on the materials the speaker is using to construct the “orchestra.”

The very short, staccato lines isolate each instrument/item, drawing attention to each one and letting the reader imagine them individually (and as a growing ensemble). The line breaks also mimic musical rhythm, reinforcing the playful, imaginative tone.