Question

Read the excerpts from “Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry” and “Speaking Arabic.”

My friend had concluded that if he took his language and culture out of his poetry, he stood a better chance of receiving a fellowship. He took out his native language, the poetic patois of our reality, the rich mixture of Spanish, English, pachuco and street talk which we know so well. In other words, he took the tortillas out of his poetry, which is to say he took the soul out of his poetry.

At a neighborhood fair in Texas, somewhere between the German Oom-pah Sausage Stand and the Mexican Gorditas booth, I overheard a young man say to his friend, “I wish I had a heritage. Sometimes I feel—so lonely for one.” And the tall American trees were dangling their thick branches right down over his head.

Which best states how the structures of both excerpts engage the reader?

A.) They employ statistical evidence.
B.) They employ figurative language.
C.) They employ supporting quotes.
D.) They employ an authoritative tone.

Answer 1

B.) They employ figurative language.

Step-by-step explanation:

Note, the word figurative language basically refers to the used of words to communicate in a way that what is said or written does not follow a regular (literal; simple) meaning rather is to be understood in a more complex or unique (symbolic) way.

In the first excerpt, the use of the phrase "he took the tortillas out of his poetry" is to be understood symbolically. Similarly, in the second excerpt, the expression "the tall American trees were dangling their thick branches right down over his head," the reader observes a personification of the object, 'tree', this is a good example where figurative language can be observed.