Reading comp PrepTest 123 · Section 4 · Question 3

Passage

 For decades, there has been a deep rift between poetry and fiction in the United States, especially in academic settings; Remaining source text redacted.
Passage walkthrough
Passage SummaryTopic: Humanities

Paragraph 1
  • Paragraph note
    • A divide is explored
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Poetry vs. Fiction - Rift in US for decades
    • Grad programs and professionals a part of it
    • Conventional Wisdom - Poetry - Emo; Fiction - Character/story


Paragraph 2
  • Paragraph note
    • Author asks and answers question about background of split
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Why are they split?
    • Potential answer - US Widespread View - Suspicion of generalist/dilettantes


Paragraph 3
  • Paragraph note
    • Signs split is diminishing, with a key example
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Author - Fortunate that split is eroding
    • Example - Rita Dove (speech and background); Germany


Paragraph 4
  • Paragraph note
    • Dove, and how she brings the genres together
  • Views, minor Meta-Structures, and the author's attitude
    • Dove - Little sense to split poetry and fiction
    • Combo = lyric narrative
    • Dove poems - Lyrical, but have story
    • Dove fiction - Prose, but has poetic rhythm


Main Point:
Despite a long-standing split between poets and fiction-writers, a fortunate recent trend to blending the genres is exemplified by the work of Rita Dove.

Key Lines:
Lines 1-3 - A split is established
Lines 15-17 - A potential reason for the split is suggested
Lines 21-24 - The Author says the split is fortunately ending
Lines 24-25 - The example explored through the rest of the passage is introduced

Meta-Structure:
Bringing the Sides Together - The Author starts by establishing a split between fiction and poetry in the US (Lines 1-3). After he explores the background of that split, he notes that it's "[f]ortunately" coming to an end (Lines 21-22), and he highlights Rita Dove as a prime example of this (Lines 24-25). Her writing is categorized by the Author as "lyric narrative" (Line 42), bringing together the characteristics that he previously attributed to each genre (Lines 8-11). When the Author brings two viewpoints together, that resolved viewpoint is almost always the main point of the passage, reflected in what we wrote above.

Question/Answer - (Lines 13-20) Paragraph 2 explores the background of the split in the US by asking a question and then providing a potential answer ("perhaps . . . "). This question and its answer don't dominate the passage, just one paragraph, so the Author's answer isn't the main point.

Generalization/Example - The Author's main point and clearest statement of opinion is a generalization in Lines 21-22. In order to back up this general claim about an erosion in the boundary between fiction and poetry, the Author cites "several recent writers," but he then dives into one as an "important example" (Line 24) - Rita Dove. Since she forms the basis for the rest of the passage, this extended example is a key element and should be reflected in the main point. We should also remember that she's there to back up a generalization—the passage uses Rita Dove as a premise supporting a more general conclusion, not as the conclusion itself.

Last Thoughts:
When the Author brings two sides together, we need to be clear on what he takes from both sides, and what characteristics/beliefs make up the combo. Here, the Author suggests that "lyric narrative" includes all of the cited elements of both poetry and fiction, but he goes into a few examples through Dove - what her poems sound like, and what her fiction sounds like. Let's keep these characteristics in mind as we work through the questions.

Question prompt

According to the passage, Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: A

The notes below walk through why it fits the stem and how to eliminate the rest.

Question Type

Humanities

Strategy Overview

Review any noted widespread beliefs from the US, then find an answer reflecting it

Answer Anticipation

RC passages frequently bring up widely held, commonly shared, or traditional beliefs. These almost always end up getting asked about in a question. As such, we should be noting them.
So looking at our notes, we can see two parts where a common belief held in the US is stated.
First, in the opening line, we learn that the US has had a deep rift between poetry and fiction for decades. This is based on the "conventional wisdom" that poetry should be lyrical and emotional, while fiction should feature character and narrative (Lines 7—11). An answer could bring up the belief that these two genres should be kept separate because of these disparate elements.
Second, the answer to the question from Paragraph 2 referenced a "widespread attitude in U.S. culture" (Lines 15—17). That attitude is the suspicion of a generalist — if someone is an expert in multiple areas, they're called a dilettante (though if you're calling someone a dilettante, you're . . . probably yourself a dilettante). The correct answer could reference this belief, as well.
So we have two answers to keep our eyes open for!

Answer choices

  1. A
    poetry should not involve Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A matches the stem
    Correct. (Lines 7—11) When discussing the rift between poetry and fiction in the US, the Author brings up the conventional wisdom that poetry should be lyrical, "whereas" fiction should focus on narrative and story. As such, there must be a widely held view that poetry shouldn't feature narrative and story, and fiction shouldn't feature lyrical language. This answer aligns with that view, so it's correct.
  2. B
    unlike the writing of Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    Incorrect. (Lines 1—5) The passage notes that graduate writing programs train both poets and fiction writers, so both seem to be treated as academically serious.
  3. C
    graduate writing programs focus Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    Incorrect. (Lines 1—5) In the same lines we used to eliminate the last answer, we noted that the passage says graduate writing programs teach both poetry and fiction writing, so this answer is wrong.
  4. D
    fiction is most aesthetically Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    Incorrect. (Lines 21—24) Two issues with this answer. First, it reflects the Author's view, which goes against the traditional view in the US. Second, even he doesn't claim that fiction is "most aesthetically effective" when it incorporates poetic elements. He just thinks that a rule splitting the two is bad, and that writing incorporating elements from both can be just as good as writing that doesn't!
  5. E
    European literary cultures are Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    Incorrect. (Lines 15—17; Line 33) This is a tempting answer because the passage does talk about suspicion of the generalist. However, that suspicion is held by people in the US. Furthermore, the only European nation mentioned is Germany, and Dove says that they don't have suspicion of a generalist — it's normal for writers to work in multiple genres!

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A Credited 64%
  2. B 8%
  3. C 16%
  4. D 7%
  5. E 6%

Deeper help

Ask follow-ups on any step

Optional AI tutor mode will let you interrogate assumptions, compare answers, and drill weak patterns without leaving the page.

Human-written explanations stay primary; AI is an add-on when you want it.

Discussion

  • answer 1 reply

    Started by Lucas

View all discussions Start a discussion