by Edgar Allan Poe
We had now reached the summit of the loftiest crag. For some minutes the old man seemed too much exhausted to speak.
“Not long ago,” said he at length, “and I could have guided you on this route as well as the youngest of my sons; but, about three years past, there happened to me an event such as never happened to mortal man—or at least such as no man ever survived to tell of—and the six hours of deadly terror which I then endured have broken me up body and soul. You suppose me a very old man—but I am not. It took less than a single day to change these hairs from a jetty black to white, to weaken my limbs, and to unstring my nerves, so that I tremble at the least exertion, and am frightened at a shadow. Do you know I can scarcely look over this little cliff without getting giddy?”
"A Descent into the Maelstrom" by Edgar Allan Poe
Question
Use the passage to answer the question.
How does the author use pacing in this excerpt?
Select the two correct answers.
(1 point)
Responses
by using long, complex sentences
by using long, complex sentences
by avoiding the description of the setting
by avoiding the description of the setting
by focusing on action and using action verbs
by focusing on action and using action verbs
by including dialogue from only one character
by including dialogue from only one character
by emphasizing observations and ideas
by emphasizing observations and ideas
1 answer
The two correct answers regarding how the author uses pacing in the excerpt are:
by using long, complex sentences - This contributes to a slower pace that reflects the old man's exhaustion and the gravity of his past experience.
by emphasizing observations and ideas - This allows for a deeper exploration of the old man's psychological state and the impact of his past trauma, which slows down the narrative to focus on his internal experience.
