Read the excerpt from the poem "Barbara Frietchie.”Under his slouched hat left and rightHe glanced: the old flag met his sight."Halt!”— the dust-brown ranks stood fast. "Fire!”— out blazed the rifle-blast.

The commands “Halt!” and “Fire!” are spoken orders, and the soldiers respond by stopping and shooting. This dialogue advances the action of the poem by showing what happens next. It does more than describe Jackson’s voice or pause the action.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.