Question

Read the excerpt from "Surrendering” by Ocean Vuong.

One early-spring afternoon, when I was in fourth grade, we got an assignment in language-arts class: we had two weeks to write a poem in honor of National Poetry Month. Normally, my poor writing abilities would excuse me from such assignments, and I would instead spend the class mindlessly copying out passages from books I’d retrieved from a blue plastic bin at the back of the room. The task allowed me to camouflage myself; as long as I looked as though I were doing something smart, my shame and failure were hidden
Which statement best describes how the author’s use of syntax contributes to the tone of this excerpt?

The author uses repetition to emphasize an event that occurred and to create a bitter tone.
The author uses longer sentence construction to slow the pace of the reader and to create a remorseful tone.
The author uses parallelism to help the reader understand a life-changing moment and to create a wretched tone.
The author uses various punctuation marks to indicate pauses and to create a passionate tone.

Answer 1

The syntax in Ocean Vuong's "Surrendering" creates a sense of urgency and a stream-of-consciousness style, using punctuation to convey a hurried recounting of memories. The pace slows down in the latter half, allowing readers to reflect on the speaker's past traumas.

Step-by-step explanation:

The author's use of syntax in the provided excerpt from "Surrendering" by Ocean Vuong does not strictly fall into any of the provided answer choices accurately. Based on the description given in the second excerpt, syntax contributes to the tone by using specific punctuation, like commas and em dashes, to create a stream-of-consciousness style. This style reflects the speaker's urgent attempt to piece together his memories and make sense of his traumatic experiences. The lack of periods suggests a continuation of thoughts and an urgency that helps build an intimate connection with the reader, creating a pace that encourages the reader to move quickly through the poem until line 14. This syntax choice affects the tone by imbuing it with a sense of hurried recollection, which, when combined with the use of parallelism and repetition, creates a tone that is both somber and searching.

Moreover, the shift in the poem's pace and tone in the latter half signifies the speaker's reflection on his past, allowing readers to slow down and understand the gravity of his experiences. The contrast between the two halves in terms of tone and pacing indicates the author's stylistic choice to guide the reader through the speaker's process of confronting and revealing painful memories.