The brisk pace of the opening paragraph affect this story because;
A.) It captures the excitement and happiness Ezra feels about getting his driver’s license.
At the beginning of this passage, the writer used short sentences that had a tone of excitement to capture the happiness that Ezra feels because of obtaining his driver's license.
When a person is excited, it is often captured in the excitement of the tone of their voice and the hurried manner they speak. Their words also have a brisk pace.
All of these characteristics are seen at the beginning of this passage and they accurately capture Ezra's excitement.
The Universal theme is that there is always a bright side to life not meant with riches. The first poem states that every cost of a life is worth something. Second poem is grief about the lost ones who sacrificed their lives.