At first the elder does not state his disagreement directly. As the assembly intensifies its praise of earlier writers, his look and bearing reveal impatience. The language of the eye and the lifted nose conveys visible pride or protest.
This is characterization through gesture. Instead of immediately announcing the elder’s position, the narrative lets the reader infer it from behavior. The delayed speech raises anticipation.
When he finally intervenes, his response proves to be more than a private irritation. He disputes the assembly’s very method of judging the literature of the present age.