Question

in \the voice,\ william oandasan adds spaces to stanzas 6 and 9.
6
jolting my dream
an old man struggling
with an eel his coat appears
disheveled and empty
9
around fire on my head
a rattlesnake hisses and slithers
then flies up out of sight
fighting in sleep i cry out
which statements show why oandasan most likely added the spaces?
select each correct answer.
the spaces indicate that the poet is introducing a new idea.
the spaces make the stanzas look more interesting on the page.
the spaces act like periods and cause readers to stop.
the spaces show the connection between stanzas 6 and 9.

Explanation:

1. New idea indicator: In stanza 6, the space splits the image of an old man struggling with an eel from the sudden, separate image of his empty coat, marking a shift in the dream's imagery (a new related but distinct idea). In stanza 9, the space separates the rattlesnake's action from its disappearance, creating a small, distinct narrative beat.
2. Punctuation-like pause: The spaces create intentional pauses, similar to periods, that slow the reader's pace, mirroring the disjointed, halting flow of a dream and emphasizing the abrupt shifts in imagery.
3. Visual appeal is not a literary purpose: While spaces may change the page's look, this is not a meaningful literary reason for their use in the context of the poem's dreamlike tone.
4. No cross-stanza connection: The spaces are within stanzas 6 and 9, not between the two stanzas, so they do not signal a connection between the two stanzas.

Answer:

• The spaces indicate that the poet is introducing a new idea.
• The spaces act like periods and cause readers to stop.