The following text is adapted from Amy Lowell's 1912 poem 'Summer.'It is summer, glorious, deep-toned summer,The very crown of nature's...

GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions

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Craft and Structure

Words in Context

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The following text is adapted from Amy Lowell's 1912 poem 'Summer.'

It is summer, glorious, deep-toned summer,
The very crown of nature's changing year
When all her surging life is at its full.
To me alone it is a time of pause,
A void and silent space between two worlds,
When inspiration lags, and feeling sleeps,
Gathering strength for efforts yet to come.

As used in the text, what does the phrase 'a void' most nearly mean?

A useless

An empty

A forgotten

An incomplete

Solution

Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage

Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table

Text from Passage	Analysis
"It is summer, glorious, deep-toned summer, The very crown of nature's changing year When all her surging life is at its full."	What it says: Summer equals peak time, nature at max life/energy. What it does: Establishes the season and nature's vibrant state. What it is: Opening description/context
"To me alone it is a time of pause,"	What it says: Speaker differs from nature's energy, experiences pause instead. What it does: Contrasts speaker's personal experience with nature's vitality. What it is: Personal contrast
"A void and silent space between two worlds,"	What it says: Equals empty, quiet gap between different states. What it does: Explains what the "pause" feels like to the speaker. What it is: Metaphorical description
"When inspiration lags, and feeling sleeps,"	What it says: Creativity down, emotions dormant. What it does: Provides specific examples of the "void" experience. What it is: Supporting details
"Gathering strength for efforts yet to come."	What it says: Building energy toward future work. What it does: Explains the purpose/benefit of this empty period. What it is: Justification/purpose

Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements

Main Point: While summer represents nature's peak energy, for the speaker it's a time of creative emptiness that serves as preparation for future inspiration.

Argument Flow: The poem establishes summer as nature's most vibrant time, then immediately contrasts this with the speaker's personal experience of emptiness and creative dormancy, concluding by suggesting this void serves a regenerative purpose.

Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely

What's being asked? The meaning of the specific phrase "a void" as it's used in this context
What type of answer do we need? The closest synonym or definition that captures how the word functions in this particular passage
Any limiting keywords? "As used in the text" means we need the contextual meaning, not just any definition of "void"

Step 3: Prethink the Answer

Looking at our analysis, "a void" appears in the line "A void and silent space between two worlds."
The speaker is describing summer as a personal experience of creative pause - a time when "inspiration lags, and feeling sleeps."
This suggests the "void" represents a state of emptiness, particularly creative or emotional emptiness
The word pairs with "silent space," reinforcing the sense of something being absent or hollow rather than full
So the right answer should capture the idea of emptiness - something lacking content, substance, or fullness during this creative pause

Answer Choices Explained

A useless

✗ Incorrect

"Useless" suggests something without value or purpose
The passage actually shows this void serves a purpose - "gathering strength for efforts yet to come"
The speaker isn't describing summer as worthless, just empty of current inspiration

An empty

✓ Correct

"Empty" perfectly captures the absence of inspiration and feeling described
Matches the context of "silent space" - both suggest a lack of content or substance
Aligns with "inspiration lags, and feeling sleeps" - describing what's missing rather than what's present

A forgotten

✗ Incorrect

"Forgotten" implies something that was once remembered but is now neglected
Nothing in the passage suggests the speaker has forgotten anything
The focus is on current emptiness, not memory loss

An incomplete

✗ Incorrect

"Incomplete" suggests something partially finished or missing parts
The passage describes a complete experience of pause and emptiness
What trap this represents: Students might choose this thinking the speaker feels unfinished, but the text describes a full experience of void, not a partial one

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