The following text is from a 1798 literary journal reviewing contemporary poetry.Although the morning reviews had been favorable, by afternoon...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from a 1798 literary journal reviewing contemporary poetry.
Although the morning reviews had been favorable, by afternoon the critic's assessment grew sharp, cutting through the poet's carefully constructed verses and forcing readers to question the work's merit.
As used in the text, what does the word "sharp" most nearly mean?
Pointed
Bitter
Intelligent
Precise
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Although the morning reviews had been favorable," |
|
| "by afternoon the critic's assessment grew sharp," |
|
| "cutting through the poet's carefully constructed verses" |
|
| "and forcing readers to question the work's merit." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: A critic's assessment of a poet's work shifted from favorable morning reviews to harsh afternoon criticism that undermined the work's reputation.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes a clear contrast between morning and afternoon reception of poetry. It shows how one critic's increasingly harsh assessment not only attacked the poem's construction but also influenced readers to doubt the work's value.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- From our analysis, we can see that "sharp" describes the critic's assessment that contrasted with the favorable morning reviews
- This assessment was harsh enough to "cut through" the poet's work and make readers question its merit
- The word appears in a context showing increasingly negative criticism
- The right answer should capture the harsh, critical, or bitter quality of the assessment - something that indicates the critic became more severe or cutting in their evaluation
Pointed
Pointed
✗ Incorrect
- While "pointed" can sometimes describe criticism, it typically means direct or specific rather than harsh
- This doesn't capture the increasingly negative tone that contrasts with the favorable morning reviews
Bitter
Bitter
✓ Correct
- Perfectly captures the harsh, critical tone that grew throughout the day
- Matches the contrast with "favorable" morning reviews
- Aligns with the destructive effect described - "cutting through" and "forcing readers to question"
Intelligent
Intelligent
✗ Incorrect
- While a critic's assessment might be intelligent, this doesn't explain the contrast with morning reviews or the harsh impact
- Nothing in the context suggests the sharpness refers to intellectual acuity
Precise
Precise
✗ Incorrect
- Similar to "pointed" - doesn't capture the harsh, negative quality
- Precision alone wouldn't necessarily make readers "question the work's merit"