While preparing for a discussion, a student has assembled the following information:The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement of the...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
While preparing for a discussion, a student has assembled the following information:
- The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement of the 1920s and 1930s.
- Langston Hughes emerged as one of the movement's most prominent poets during this period.
- Hughes's poetry celebrated African American culture and addressed themes of racial identity.
- His work "The Weary Blues" was published in 1926 to critical acclaim.
- Hughes continued writing and became an influential voice in American literature.
- The Harlem Renaissance represented a flowering of African American artistic expression in literature, music, and visual arts.
The student wants to position Langston Hughes's early career within the broader cultural movement of his time. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Langston Hughes's poetry celebrated African American culture and addressed themes of racial identity during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s.
The publication of "The Weary Blues" in 1926 established Hughes as a prominent voice within the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural movement celebrating African American artistic expression.
During the flourishing of African American arts known as the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes emerged as one of the movement's most prominent poets, with works like "The Weary Blues" bringing him critical acclaim in 1926.
Hughes continued writing after the Harlem Renaissance and became an influential voice in American literature, building on his early success during the 1920s and 1930s.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement of the 1920s and 1930s." |
|
| "Langston Hughes emerged as one of the movement's most prominent poets during this period." |
|
| "Hughes's poetry celebrated African American culture and addressed themes of racial identity." |
|
| "His work 'The Weary Blues' was published in 1926 to critical acclaim." |
|
| "Hughes continued writing and became an influential voice in American literature." |
|
| "The Harlem Renaissance represented a flowering of African American artistic expression in literature, music, and visual arts." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Langston Hughes established himself as a prominent voice during the Harlem Renaissance through poetry that celebrated African American culture, achieving early critical success that contributed to his lasting influence.
Argument Flow: The notes establish the Harlem Renaissance as a 1920s-30s cultural movement, position Hughes as one of its most prominent poets, describe his thematic focus and early success, then broaden the view to show both his continued influence and the Renaissance's scope across multiple art forms.
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 right answer should:
- Mention the Harlem Renaissance as the broader cultural movement
- Show Hughes's emergence or establishment during his early career period
- Connect his specific early achievements (like "The Weary Blues") to his position within the movement
- Demonstrate how his work was part of the larger Renaissance context
Langston Hughes's poetry celebrated African American culture and addressed themes of racial identity during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s.
- Simply states that Hughes's poetry had certain themes during the Harlem Renaissance
- Doesn't show his emergence or positioning within the movement
The publication of "The Weary Blues" in 1926 established Hughes as a prominent voice within the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural movement celebrating African American artistic expression.
- Shows "The Weary Blues" establishing him as prominent within the Renaissance
- Better than A but focuses on just one publication rather than his broader emergence
During the flourishing of African American arts known as the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes emerged as one of the movement's most prominent poets, with works like "The Weary Blues" bringing him critical acclaim in 1926.
- Shows Hughes "emerged as one of the movement's most prominent poets" during the Renaissance
- Connects this emergence to the "flourishing of African American arts" and includes specific early success as evidence
- Perfect positioning of early career within the cultural movement
Hughes continued writing after the Harlem Renaissance and became an influential voice in American literature, building on his early success during the 1920s and 1930s.
- Focuses on his continued writing "after the Harlem Renaissance"
- This addresses his later career, not his early career as specified in the goal