Question

The use of phrases, fragments, and punctuation can affect the pace and mood of a text. How would you describe the pace of the following passage? "I had swooned! But still will not say that all of consciousness was lost. What of it there remained I will not attempt to define, or even to describe! In the deepest slumber—no! In delirium—no! In a swoon—no! In death—no! even in the grave all is not lost. Else there is no immortality for man!" Average Fast Slow Both fast and slow

Answer 1

The pace of the passage in question can be described as fast. Syntactic structures, that is, the type of phrases and sentences that make up a text, really affect the pace and mood of a text. In addition, punctuation also contributes to create the image the reader can get from the narrator.

In this pasage, the narrator is really nervous and this is shown in the type of sentences and punctuation chosen. Sentences are quite short and interrupted by dashes as if the narrator was out of breath when uttering them.

Answer 2

I would describe the pace of the following passage as fast. The use of phrases, fragments, and punctuation really affects the pace and mood of a text. In the first phrases, we can feel the emotion of the narrator as having been shocked and his emotions are flowing so fast it is observed in how it is presented in the presence of the exclamation marks and the continuous presence of the dashes in between phrases. You can feel it as you try to read the passage. His anger and torment on the immortality of man.