The following text is adapted from Christina Rossetti's 1881 poem Monna Innominata 2.I wish I could remember that first day,...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
The following text is adapted from Christina Rossetti's 1881 poem Monna Innominata 2.
I wish I could remember that first day,
First hour, first moment of your meeting me,
If bright or dim the season, it might be
Summer or Winter for [all] I can say;
So unrecorded did it slip away,
So blind was I to see and to foresee,
So dull to mark the budding of my tree
That would not blossom yet for many a May.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
The speaker celebrates how the passage of time has strengthened a relationship that once seemed unimportant.
Because the speaker did not anticipate how important a relationship would become, she cannot recall how the relationship began, which she regrets.
As the anniversary of the beginning of an important relationship approaches, the speaker feels conflicted about how best to commemorate it.
After years of neglecting a once valuable relationship, the speaker worries it may be too late for her to salvage the relationship.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "I wish I could remember that first day, First hour, first moment of your meeting me," |
|
| "If bright or dim the season, it might be Summer or Winter for all I can say;" |
|
| "So unrecorded did it slip away," |
|
| "So blind was I to see and to foresee," |
|
| "So dull to mark the budding of my tree That would not blossom yet for many a May." |
|
Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The speaker regrets that she cannot remember how an important relationship began because she didn't recognize its significance at the time.
Argument Flow: The speaker opens with a wish to remember a first meeting, then explains the completeness of her memory loss by describing how the moment passed unnoticed. She reflects on her past blindness to the relationship's importance and uses a tree metaphor to show how the relationship was slow to develop, making its early significance easy to miss.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The main idea of the entire poem
What type of answer do we need? A statement that captures the central message or theme
Any limiting keywords? "best states" means we need the most accurate and complete representation of the main idea
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The right answer must capture that this is about a speaker who regrets not remembering how a relationship began
- It should include that this forgetfulness happened because she didn't realize at the time how important the relationship would become
- The poem shows someone looking back with regret at missing the significance of a first meeting that led to something meaningful later
The speaker celebrates how the passage of time has strengthened a relationship that once seemed unimportant.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims the speaker "celebrates" how time strengthened a relationship
- The poem shows regret and wishful thinking, not celebration
- Misses the central theme of forgotten memories and regret
Because the speaker did not anticipate how important a relationship would become, she cannot recall how the relationship began, which she regrets.
✓ Correct
- Captures that she cannot recall how the relationship began
- Includes that this happened because she didn't anticipate its importance
- Reflects the regret expressed in the opening wish
- Matches our passage analysis showing her past blindness to the relationship's significance
As the anniversary of the beginning of an important relationship approaches, the speaker feels conflicted about how best to commemorate it.
✗ Incorrect
- Mentions an "anniversary" approaching, which isn't in the poem
- Focuses on "commemoration," but the poem is about wishing she could remember, not about how to celebrate
After years of neglecting a once valuable relationship, the speaker worries it may be too late for her to salvage the relationship.
✗ Incorrect
- Suggests the speaker "neglected" the relationship and wants to "salvage" it
- The poem shows regret about not recognizing importance initially, not about neglecting an established relationship
- Misses that this is about memory of beginnings, not relationship repair