The following text is from Paul Laurence Dunbar's 1913 poem The Poet and His Song. A song is but a...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from Paul Laurence Dunbar's 1913 poem The Poet and His Song. A song is but a little thing, And yet what joy it is to sing! In hours of toil it gives me zest, And when at eve I long for rest; When cows come home along the bars, And in the fold I hear the bell, As Night, the shepherd, herds his stars, I sing my song, and all is well.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
To convey how engaging in song makes the speaker feel
To compare the speaker to a singing shepherd
To portray the speaker's excitement about farming
To describe the pieces of music the speaker enjoys hearing
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "A song is but a little thing, And yet what joy it is to sing!" |
|
| "In hours of toil it gives me zest," |
|
| "And when at eve I long for rest;" |
|
| "When cows come home along the bars, And in the fold I hear the bell," |
|
| "As Night, the shepherd, herds his stars," |
|
| "I sing my song, and all is well." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The speaker celebrates how singing, though seemingly small, brings him joy and comfort throughout different parts of his day.
Argument Flow: The poem begins with a paradox about song being small yet joyful, then provides specific examples of how singing helps during work and evening rest, using pastoral imagery to set the scene, and concludes that singing makes everything feel right in his world.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The main purpose of the entire text
What type of answer do we need? The central reason why the poet wrote this piece - what he wanted to accomplish or convey
Any limiting keywords? Main purpose means we need the overarching goal, not a supporting detail
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The poem is fundamentally about the speaker's personal relationship with singing and how it affects him emotionally
- The speaker isn't comparing himself to others, isn't focused on farming itself, and isn't describing music he hears from external sources
- Instead, he's sharing how the act of singing impacts his own feelings - bringing joy during work, comfort during rest, and an overall sense that all is well
- The right answer should capture how singing makes the speaker feel emotionally and the positive impact it has on his experience of daily life
To convey how engaging in song makes the speaker feel
- Directly matches our analysis - the poem centers on how singing affects the speaker emotionally
- Engaging in song captures both the joy of singing and its impact during work and rest
- Makes the speaker feel aligns perfectly with the emotional focus throughout the poem
To compare the speaker to a singing shepherd
- The poem mentions Night as a shepherd metaphorically, but doesn't compare the speaker to a shepherd
- The speaker is the one doing the singing, not being compared to someone else who sings
To portray the speaker's excitement about farming
- The farming elements are just setting/context for when the speaker sings
- No excitement about farming itself is expressed - these are just background details
- The focus remains on singing's emotional impact, not agricultural enthusiasm
To describe the pieces of music the speaker enjoys hearing
- The speaker describes singing his own song, not listening to external music
- The bell mentioned is just part of the evening scene, not music the speaker enjoys hearing