Plot Quick Check

Question

5 of 55 of 5 Items
Feature

A Descent into the Maelstrom
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 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

by avoiding the description of the setting
by avoiding the description of the setting

Answer 1

In the excerpt from "A Descent into the Maelstrom" by Edgar Allan Poe, the author uses pacing in the following ways:

1. by using long, complex sentences - The author's choice of long, complex sentences helps to create a sense of depth and reflection in the character's thoughts and experiences.

2. by emphasizing observations and ideas - The focus on the character's observations about his physical state and psychological condition emphasizes the impact of the traumatic event, thus slowing down the pacing to draw attention to these ideas.

These two elements contribute to the overall pacing and mood of the excerpt.