Question

Read the excerpt from “Song of Myself” and answer the question.

These are really the thoughts of all men in all ages and lands, they are not original with me, If they are not yours as much as mine they are nothing, or next to nothing, If they are not the riddle and the untying of the riddle they are nothing, If they are not just as close as they are distant they are nothing. This is the grass that grows wherever the land is and the water is, This is the common air that bathes the globe.
How does Whitman’s use of anaphora in this passage emphasize the ideas he is expressing?

Whitman’s use of anaphora confronts the reader again and again with his ideas.

Whitman’s use of anaphora creates contradictions to throw the reader off balance.

Whitman’s use of anaphora causes the reader to pause and reflect with each line.

Whitman’s use of anaphora asks the reader to suspend personal opinions for a moment.

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

Whitman’s use of anaphora causes the reader to pause and reflect with each line. By repeating the phrase "If they are not," Whitman emphasizes the importance of the ideas he is expressing and prompts the reader to consider them carefully.