Reading comp PrepTest 123 · Section 4 · Question 6
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 2
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 4
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.
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
In the context of
Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right
Credited answer: B
The notes below walk through why it fits the stem and how to eliminate the rest.
Question Type
Humanities
Strategy Overview
Review the purpose of the paragraph including Lines 32—36, then use that context and the immediate context to define its role in supporting the main point
Answer Anticipation
Lines 32—36 showed up in Paragraph 3, which is where the Author brings up signs that the split between poetry and fiction is diminishing while introducing a key example — Rita Dove. Lines 32—36 show up at the end of the paragraph, after the Author has pivoted from the general to the specific example, so the section in question says something about Dove and how she exemplifies the general trend.
Looking at the mention of Germany, we can see that it is in a sentence that starts with, "She also . . . " That connects it to the previous sentence, so we should look there to see what argument is being made. That previous sentence talks about how she had grown up reading and loving fiction and poetry without being afraid of mixing the two. Why was this mentioned? If we look to the previous line, we can see that it's all fleshing out a point she made at a conference — she "expressed gentle credulity" at splitting the genres of poetry and fiction (Lines 26—29). So her experiences as a child and in Germany both show why she was incredulous at the idea of the rift.
Let's find an answer reflecting that purpose.
Answer choices
-
Asuggest that the habit Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice A is not credited
Incorrect. (Line 2; Line 33) The passage talks about the US and Germany. That's not nearly enough countries to support this answer! -
Bpoint to an experience Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice B matches the stem
Correct. (Lines 28—29) The passage leads into the discussion of both her childhood and time in Germany by talking about how she has recently expressed incredulity about the split between the genres in the US. That shows that those experiences were meant to highlight where that incredulity came from, making this the correct answer. -
Cindicate that Dove's strengths Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice C is not credited
Incorrect. (Lines 24—26) The Author's praise for Dove is related to her work in both fiction and poetry, not because of any international character to it. -
Dpresent an illuminating biographical Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice D is not credited
Incorrect. (Lines 32—33) First, her time in Germany is directly related to the main point of the passage about writers who blend genres, so it's not meant to add human interest appeal. Second, we find it hard to believe that having spent time in Germany would increase the human interest appeal of the piece. Maybe if she had spent her time in Germany rescuing puppies. -
Eindicate what Dove believes Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice E is not credited
Incorrect. (Lines 30—31) Dove herself doesn't weigh in on the "origin" of her opposition to the split, and the passage itself brings up her time growing up as being related to this, which happened before her time in Germany.
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Started by francescacolby