To create the poems in her 2017 collection One Last Word, poet Nikki Grimes used a writing method called the...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
To create the poems in her 2017 collection One Last Word, poet Nikki Grimes used a writing method called the golden shovel. This method often involves choosing a line from an existing poem and then using each word from that line as the last word of each line in a new poem. Grimes wanted the poems in One Last Word to honor important Black poets of the past, so she chose lines by poets such as Langston Hughes and Georgia Douglas Johnson. Writing in this way can be challenging and might seem as though it would produce awkward poems. However, reviewers praised One Last Word as a beautiful and powerful tribute to the poets who inspired it. This reaction suggests that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
most reviewers didn't understand Grimes's goal for One Last Word.
Grimes successfully used the golden shovel method to achieve her goal for One Last Word.
Langston Hughes and Georgia Douglas Johnson are two of Grimes's favorite poets.
Grimes inspired many other writers to create poems using the golden shovel method.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "To create the poems in her 2017 collection One Last Word, poet Nikki Grimes used a writing method called the golden shovel." |
|
| "This method often involves choosing a line from an existing poem and then using each word from that line as the last word of each line in a new poem." |
|
| "Grimes wanted the poems in One Last Word to honor important Black poets of the past, so she chose lines by poets such as Langston Hughes and Georgia Douglas Johnson." |
|
| "Writing in this way can be challenging and might seem as though it would produce awkward poems." |
|
| "However, reviewers praised One Last Word as a beautiful and powerful tribute to the poets who inspired it." |
|
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 passage creates a clear setup: potential problem (golden shovel method might create awkward poems) followed by evidence that contradicts this concern (reviewers praised the work as beautiful and powerful)
- The logical conclusion should acknowledge that Grimes overcame the potential challenges and achieved her goal of creating a tribute that honored Black poets
most reviewers didn't understand Grimes's goal for One Last Word.
- Claims reviewers didn't understand Grimes's goal
- Contradicts the passage evidence since reviewers specifically praised the work as a powerful tribute, showing they did understand her goal
Grimes successfully used the golden shovel method to achieve her goal for One Last Word.
- States that Grimes successfully used the golden shovel method to achieve her goal
- Matches the logical flow from potential problem to positive outcome, aligns with reviewer praise for the beautiful and powerful tribute
Langston Hughes and Georgia Douglas Johnson are two of Grimes's favorite poets.
- Makes a claim about Grimes's personal preferences that isn't supported by the passage and doesn't logically follow from the reviewers' positive reaction
Grimes inspired many other writers to create poems using the golden shovel method.
- Claims Grimes inspired other writers to use the golden shovel method
- No evidence in the passage about Grimes's influence on other writers