Final answer:
Emphasizing the term 'handcar' likely signals importance or additional meaning for the reader, prompting deeper consideration or reflection in the context of the poem's themes and tone.
Step-by-step explanation:
Setting apart the term hand car in the lines of a literary work can have a specific effect on the reader. When an author emphasizes a particular word, it often signifies that there is additional meaning or importance to that word. In the excerpt from Thomas Hardy's Neutral Tones, without the full stanza it is challenging to analyze the word choice without context. However, typically, such emphasis could suggest that the word 'handcar' might symbolize an aspect of the theme or character the author wants to underscore, or it might be an unfamiliar term that is key to understanding the scene.
Readers might be prompted to pay closer attention to the term and consider its implications within the poem more deeply. This deliberate separation can create a pause in the reader's flow, prompting a moment of reflection or signaling a shift in tone or theme. Moreover, emphasizing a word can enhance the overall mood or highlight a contrast with the rest of the text, suggesting a deeper layer of meaning that might otherwise be missed.