Questions: Read the excerpt from Ovid's "Pyramus and Thisbe". The blood leaped high; it spouted like a broken leaden pipe that, through a slender hole where it is worn, sends out a long and hissing stream as jets of water cleave the air. Which statement best describes the use of poetic elements in the excerpt? The figurative language describes the violence of the scene. The predictable rhyme scheme emphasizes the quick action. The symbolism of the blood suggests it is not real. The steady rhythm imitates a funeral march.

The answer is: The figurative language describes the violence of the scene.

This option is correct. The excerpt uses vivid imagery and a simile to describe the blood spurting from the wound, comparing it to a broken leaden pipe that sends out a hissing stream of water. This figurative language effectively conveys the violence and intensity of the scene.

This option is incorrect. The excerpt provided does not exhibit a rhyme scheme, and there is no indication that a predictable rhyme scheme is being used to emphasize quick action.

This option is incorrect. The excerpt does not suggest that the blood is symbolic or unreal. Instead, it uses a simile to describe the physical reality of the blood spurting from the wound.

This option is incorrect. The excerpt does not have a steady rhythm that would imitate a funeral march. The focus is on the vivid and violent imagery rather than a rhythmic pattern.