How does using "each" instead of "them" change the meaning?

Question

Several artifacts

In his quest he finds.

He analyzes

Them and infers why

He's stunted

Several artifacts

In his quest he finds.

He analyzes

Each one and infers why

He's stunted

Answer 1

Hi Ethan,

Before I answer your question, I would like to say that were I writing these passages,

I would write them--or each--as follows:

Several artifacts

in his quest he finds.

Having analyzed them,

he then infers

why he's stunted.

Several artifacts

in his quest he finds.

Having analyzed each,

he then infers

why he's stunted.

In answer to your question, the primary difference in meaning here is that the use of "each" could imply that the artifacts were analyzed one by one, while using "them" could suggest that the artifacts were analyzed as a group.

From a poetic perspective, I think that "them" is a better sound match with the rest of the passage, while "each" has a tendency to stand out due to the sibilance of the "ch."

Hoping this helps with your quest!

With more good wishes,

Cynthia