Question

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?
They employ statistical evidence.
They employ figurative language.
They employ supporting quotes.
They employ an authoritative tone.

Answer 1

Answer:

They employ figurative language.

Explanation:

Figurative language is the use of different words for a simple word so as to make it seem or look more pleasing to the readers. It is the 'clothing' used to a word so that they seem more interesting and alluring. They can be of different types, be it metaphor, simile, personification etc.

The given two passages are from "Take The Tortillas Out of Your Poetry" by Rudolfo Ananya and "Speaking Arabic" by Naomi Shahib Nye. Both authors are talking about the issue of understanding and knowing one's heritage even in foreign lands. And to make the points more clearer, both writers use figurative language in their texts. Lines such as "took the tortillas out of his poetry... took the soul out of his poetry" and "tall American trees were dangling their thick branches" are all examples of this figurative language.