The following text is from Georgia Douglas Johnson's 1922 poem Benediction. Go forth, my son, Winged by my heart's desire!...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from Georgia Douglas Johnson's 1922 poem Benediction.
Go forth, my son,
Winged by my heart's desire!
Great reaches, yet unknown,
Await
For your possession.
I may not, if I would,
Retrace the way with you,
My pilgrimage is through,
But life is calling you!
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
To express hope that a child will have the same accomplishments as his parent did
To suggest that raising a child involves many struggles
To warn a child that he will face many challenges throughout his life
To encourage a child to embrace the experiences life will offer
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Go forth, my son, / Winged by my heart's desire!" |
|
| "Great reaches, yet unknown, / Await / For your possession." |
|
| "I may not, if I would, / Retrace the way with you," |
|
| "My pilgrimage is through," |
|
| "But life is calling you!" |
|
Main Point: A parent offers an encouraging blessing to their child as the child prepares to embark on life's journey, acknowledging that while the parent cannot accompany them, great experiences await.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The main purpose of the entire text - what the poem as a whole is trying to accomplish.
What type of answer do we need? A statement about the poet's overall intention or goal in writing this piece.
Any limiting keywords? "Main purpose" tells us we need the primary, overarching function, not a minor detail or secondary theme.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The poem is structured as a parent's blessing or farewell to their child
- The tone throughout is encouraging and optimistic, even when acknowledging separation
- The parent presents the world as full of "great reaches" waiting for the child's "possession" and ends with the exciting idea that "life is calling"
- The right answer should capture this encouraging, forward-looking blessing that motivates the child to embrace life's opportunities
To express hope that a child will have the same accomplishments as his parent did
- This suggests the parent wants the child to achieve the same things the parent did
- The poem never mentions the parent's accomplishments or suggests the child should replicate them
- The focus is on the child's unique journey ahead, not matching past achievements
To suggest that raising a child involves many struggles
- This would make the poem about parenting difficulties
- While the parent acknowledges they cannot accompany the child, this isn't framed as a struggle but as a natural transition
- The overall tone is celebratory, not focused on hardship
To warn a child that he will face many challenges throughout his life
- This would make the poem a warning about future difficulties
- The poem presents the world as full of positive opportunities
- The tone is encouraging and optimistic, not cautionary
To encourage a child to embrace the experiences life will offer
- This captures the poem's encouraging, forward-looking spirit
- The parent presents life as offering "great reaches" and opportunities
- The final line "life is calling you!" directly encourages embracing what life offers
- Matches the blessing/send-off structure of the entire poem