It is marked "Giocoso (at the correct tempo)". Although there is a rest on the second beat, it is crucial that the musical flow does not stop there. For example, try playing as if a half note were written on the first beat. While sustaining the half note, feel a crescendo, and let that energy lead towards the quarter note on the third beat. After grasping this sensation through practice, try playing according to the score. Furthermore, in this piece, it is important to feel the cohesion of four-measure phrases. The first note of each phrase is the highest, depicting a descending line with a jumping motion. Draw a natural line without choppiness. For "poco a poco accelerando al fine", I believe it will sound effective if you build momentum over the four measures from bars 18-21, then play from bar 22 to the end of the piece as if running through it in one go.