Poetry is a 1919 poem by Marianne Moore. The poem highlights an ambivalence toward poetry as the speaker acknowledges its...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Poetry is a 1919 poem by Marianne Moore. The poem highlights an ambivalence toward poetry as the speaker acknowledges its merits while also expressing a sense of displeasure, writing ______.
Which quotation from 'Poetry' most effectively illustrates the claim?
'nor is it valid / to discriminate against 'business documents and / school-books'; all these phenomena are important.'
'One must make a distinction / however: when dragged into prominence by half poets, the result is not / poetry'
'when [poems] become so derivative as to become unintelligible, the / same thing may be said for all of us—that we / do not admire what / we cannot understand.'
'Reading [poetry], however, with a perfect contempt for it, one discovers that there is in / it after all, a place for the genuine.'
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Poetry' is a 1919 poem by Marianne Moore. |
|
| The poem highlights an ambivalence toward poetry |
|
| as the speaker acknowledges its merits while also expressing a sense of displeasure |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Moore's poem Poetry demonstrates ambivalence by both recognizing poetry's value and expressing displeasure with it.
Argument Flow: We're given background information about Moore's poem, then told it shows mixed feelings about poetry, and finally asked to identify which quotation best demonstrates this dual perspective of appreciation and displeasure.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The correct quotation must show both sides of the ambivalence described
- It should contain language that acknowledges poetry has value or merit
- While simultaneously expressing some form of displeasure, criticism, or negative feelings toward poetry
- We're looking for a quote that captures this internal conflict or contradiction in the speaker's attitude
'nor is it valid / to discriminate against 'business documents and / school-books'; all these phenomena are important.'
- Shows appreciation for different types of writing but doesn't express any displeasure or negative sentiment
- Only captures one side of the ambivalence - the acknowledgment of merit
'One must make a distinction / however: when dragged into prominence by half poets, the result is not / poetry'
- Expresses clear displeasure with half poets and their inferior results but doesn't acknowledge any merits of genuine poetry
- Only captures the displeasure side, not the appreciation side of ambivalence
'when [poems] become so derivative as to become unintelligible, the / same thing may be said for all of us—that we / do not admire what / we cannot understand.'
- Focuses on not admiring what we can't understand, expressing displeasure with unintelligible derivative poems
- Shows only the negative/critical perspective, missing the acknowledgment of poetry's merits
'Reading [poetry], however, with a perfect contempt for it, one discovers that there is in / it after all, a place for the genuine.'
- Perfectly captures both sides - perfect contempt shows the displeasure, while there is in it after all, a place for the genuine acknowledges merit
- The word however signals the contrast between these opposing feelings