The following text is from Claude McKay's 1922 poem Morning Joy. The speaker is looking out a window and observing...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from Claude McKay's 1922 poem Morning Joy. The speaker is looking out a window and observing a wold, or large area of land.
At night the wide and level stretch of wold,
Which at high noon had basked in quiet gold,
Far as the eye could see was ghostly white;
Dark was the night save for the snow's weird light.
I drew the shades far down, crept into bed;
Hearing the cold wind moaning overhead
Through the sad pines, my soul, catching its pain,
Went sorrowing with it across the plain.
As used in the text, what does the word 'drew' most nearly mean?
Pulled
Drained
Inspired
Sketched
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "At night the wide and level stretch of wold, Which at high noon had basked in quiet gold, Far as the eye could see was ghostly white;" |
|
| "Dark was the night save for the snow's weird light." |
|
| "I drew the shades far down, crept into bed;" |
|
| "Hearing the cold wind moaning overhead Through the sad pines," |
|
| "my soul, catching its pain, Went sorrowing with it across the plain." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: A speaker observes a haunting winter night landscape, retreats indoors, but finds his soul emotionally connected to the sorrowful sounds of nature.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The meaning of the word "drew" as used in this specific context
What type of answer do we need? The definition that best fits how "drew" functions in the phrase "I drew the shades far down"
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Looking at the context "I drew the shades far down, crept into bed," we can see the speaker is preparing for sleep after observing the winter scene
- The action involves window shades being moved "far down"
- This suggests a physical manipulation - specifically pulling or moving the shades downward to block out light
Pulled
- Correct - Fits perfectly with "drew the shades far down" - pulling window coverings downward
- Matches the physical action context where speaker is preparing for bed
Drained
- "Drained" means to empty or remove liquid/energy
- Makes no sense with window shades
Inspired
- "Inspired" means to motivate or influence creatively
- Doesn't work with the phrase "drew the shades far down"
Sketched
- While "drew" can mean "sketched," this doesn't fit "drew the shades far down"
- The context is about window coverings, not artistic creation