The following text is from Charlotte Forten Grimké's 1888 poem 'At Newport.'Oh, deep delight to watch the gladsome wavesExultant leap...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from Charlotte Forten Grimké's 1888 poem 'At Newport.'
Oh, deep delight to watch the gladsome waves
Exultant leap upon the rugged rocks;
Ever repulsed, yet ever rushing on—
Filled with a life that will not know defeat;
To see the glorious hues of sky and sea.
The distant snowy sails, glide spirit like,
Into an unknown world, to feel the sweet
Enchantment of the sea thrill all the soul,
Clearing the clouded brain, making the heart
Leap joyous as it own bright, singing waves!
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?
It portrays the surroundings as an imposing and intimidating scene.
It characterizes the sea's waves as a relentless and enduring force.
It conveys the speaker's ambivalence about the natural world.
It draws a contrast between the sea's waves and the speaker's thoughts.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Oh, deep delight to watch the gladsome waves / Exultant leap upon the rugged rocks;" |
|
| "Ever repulsed, yet ever rushing on— / Filled with a life that will not know defeat;" |
|
| "To see the glorious hues of sky and sea. / The distant snowy sails, glide spirit like, / Into an unknown world," |
|
| "to feel the sweet / Enchantment of the sea thrill all the soul, / Clearing the clouded brain, making the heart / Leap joyous as it own bright, singing waves!" |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The speaker finds deep joy and spiritual renewal in observing the sea's powerful, persistent waves and beautiful scenery.
Argument Flow: The poem moves from the speaker's initial delight in watching the waves, to characterizing those waves as persistently powerful and undefeated, then expands to include the broader scenic beauty, and concludes with how this entire seascape transforms the speaker's inner state.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The function of the underlined portion within the text as a whole
What type of answer do we need? How that specific portion serves the overall purpose or structure of the poem
Any limiting keywords? "underlined portion" and "in the text as a whole" - we need to consider how this part fits into the poem's complete message
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
The underlined portion characterizes the waves as having persistence and unstoppable energy—they get pushed back but keep coming, they have an undefeatable life force. This description establishes the waves as a model of resilience that later inspires the speaker's own emotional transformation.
The right answer should describe how this portion characterizes the waves as having relentless, persistent qualities.
It portrays the surroundings as an imposing and intimidating scene.
✗ Incorrect
Claims the surroundings are "imposing and intimidating" but the passage describes "gladsome waves" and "deep delight"—nothing intimidating here
It characterizes the sea's waves as a relentless and enduring force.
✓ Correct
Accurately captures how the underlined portion describes waves as persistently powerful, matching "filled with a life that will not know defeat"
It conveys the speaker's ambivalence about the natural world.
✗ Incorrect
"Ambivalence" means mixed feelings, but the speaker shows pure "deep delight"—no conflicted emotions present
It draws a contrast between the sea's waves and the speaker's thoughts.
✗ Incorrect
Claims the waves are contrasted with the speaker's thoughts, but actually the waves inspire similar qualities in the speaker