Countee Cullen (Countee Leroy Porter, 19031946) was one of the foremo

Question

Countee Cullen (Countee Leroy Porter,
1903–1946) was one of the foremost poets of the
Harlem Renaissance, the movement of African
American writers, musicians, and artists centered in the
  (5)   Harlem section of New York City during the 1920s.
Beginning with his university years, Cullen strove to
establish himself as an author of romantic poetry on
abstract, universal topics such as love and death.
Believing poetry should consist of “lofty thoughts
  (10)   beautifully expressed,” Cullen preferred controlled
poetic forms. He used European forms such as sonnets
and devices such as quatrains, couplets, and
conventional rhyme, and he frequently employed
classical allusions and Christian religious imagery,
  (15)   which were most likely the product both of his
university education and of his upbringing as the
adopted son of a Methodist Episcopal reverend.

Some literary critics have praised Cullen’s skill at
writing European-style verse, finding, for example, in
  (20)   “The Ballad of the Brown Girl” an artful use of diction
and a rhythm and sonority that allow him to capture the
atmosphere typical of the English ballad form of past
centuries. Others have found Cullen’s use of European
verse forms and techniques unsuited to treating
  (25)   political or racial themes, such as the themes in “Uncle
Jim,” in which a young man is told by his uncle of the
different experiences of African Americans and whites
in United States society, or “Incident,” which relates
the experience of an eight-year-old child who hears a
  (30)   racial slur. One such critic has complained that
Cullen’s persona as expressed in his work sometimes
seems to vacillate between aesthete and spokesperson
for racial issues. But Cullen himself rejected this
dichotomy, maintaining that his interest in romantic
  (35)   poetry was quite compatible with his concern over
racial issues. He drew a distinction between poetry of
solely political intent and his own work, which he
believed reflected his identity as an African American.
As the heartfelt expression of his personality
  (40)   accomplished by means of careful attention to his
chosen craft, his work could not help but do so.

Explicit references to racial matters do in fact
decline in Cullen’s later work, but not because he felt
any less passionately about these matters. Rather,
  (45)   Cullen increasingly focused on the religious dimension
of his poetry. In “The Black Christ,” in which the poet
imagines the death and resurrection of a rural African
American, and “Heritage,” which expresses the tension
between the poet’s identification with Christian
  (50)   traditions and his desire to stay close to his African
heritage, Cullen’s thoughts on race were subsumed
within what he conceived of as broader and more
urgent questions about the suffering and redemption of
the soul. Nonetheless, Cullen never abandoned his
  (55)   commitment to the importance of racial issues,
reflecting on one occasion that he felt “actuated by a
strong sense of race consciousness” that “grows upon
me, I find, as I grow older.”    1 
 1. Which one of the following most accurately states the main point of the passage?

(A) While much of Cullen’s poetry deals with racial issues, in his later work he became less concerned with racial matters and increasingly interested in writing poetry with a religious dimension.
(B) While Cullen used European verse forms and his later poems increasingly addressed religious themes, his poetry never abandoned a concern for racial issues.
(C) Though Cullen used European verse forms, he acknowledged that these forms were not very well suited to treating political or racial themes.
(D) Despite the success of Cullen’s poetry at dealing with racial issues, Cullen’s primary goal was to re-create the atmosphere that characterized the English ballad.
(E) The religious dimension throughout Cullen’s poetry complemented his focus on racial issues by providing the context within which these issues could be understood.

2 
 2. Given the information in the passage, which one of the following most closely exemplifies Cullen’s conception of poetry?

(A) a sonnet written with careful attention to the conventions of the form to re-create the atmosphere of sixteenth-century English poetry
(B) a sonnet written with deliberate disregard for the conventions of the form to illustrate the perils of political change
(C) a sonnet written to explore the aesthetic impact of radical innovations in diction, rhythm, and sonority
(D) a sonnet written with great stylistic freedom to express the emotional upheaval associated with romantic love
(E) a sonnet written with careful attention to the conventions of the form expressing feelings about the inevitability of death

3 
 3. Which one of the following is NOT identified by the author of the passage as characteristic of Cullen’s poetry?

(A) It often deals with abstract, universal subject matter.
(B) It often employs rhyme, classical allusions, and religious imagery.
(C) It avoids traditional poetic forms in favor of formal experimentation.
(D) It sometimes deals explicitly with racial issues.
(E) It eventually subsumed racial issues into a discussion of religious issues.

4 
 4. The passage suggests which one of the following about Cullen’s use of controlled poetic forms?

(A) Cullen used controlled poetic forms because he believed they provided the best means to beautiful poetic expression.
(B) Cullen’s interest in religious themes naturally led him to use controlled poetic forms.
(C) Only the most controlled poetic forms allowed Cullen to address racial issues in his poems.
(D) Cullen had rejected the less controlled poetic forms he was exposed to prior to his university years.
(E) Less controlled poetic forms are better suited to poetry that addresses racial or political issues.

5 
 5. The references to specific poems in the second paragraph are most likely intended to

(A) contrast some of Cullen’s more successful poems with some of his less successful ones
(B) serve as illustrations of Cullen’s poetry relevant to the critics’ claims
(C) demonstrate that Cullen’s poetic persona vacillates from poem to poem
(D) summarize the scope of Cullen’s treatment of racial issues in his poetry
(E) illustrate the themes Cullen used in expressing his concern about racial matters

6 
 6. Based on the passage, the literary critics mentioned in line 18 would be most likely to hold which one of the following views of Cullen’s poetry?

(A) It demonstrates that European verse forms can be successfully adapted to different contexts.
(B) It is most notable for the ways in which its content reflects Cullen’s upbringing and education.
(C) It is more successful when it does not attempt to capture the atmosphere of previous poetic styles.
(D) Its reliance on European verse forms is best suited to dealing with racial concerns.
(E) Its focus is divided between aesthetic and racial concerns.

7 
 7. Which one of the following most accurately describes the organization of the passage?

(A) Biographical information about Cullen is outlined, his artistic development is traced through several of his poems, and a critical evaluation of his later work is offered.
(B) Biographical information about Cullen is outlined, criticism of his use of European verse forms is presented, and the success of this use is evaluated.
(C) Biographical information about Cullen is outlined, his approach to writing poetry is described, and the relationship between his poetry and his life is discussed.
(D) Cullen’s approach to poetry is described, certain poems are characterized as his most notable, and a claim about the religious focus of his work is made.
(E) Cullen’s approach to poetry is described, differing opinions about the success of his poetry are presented, and thematic developments in his later work are discussed.

Source:   LSAT Official PrepTest 41   
 Difficulty Level:   600

RC Butler 2021  -  Practice Two RC Questions Everyday.   
Passage # 294 Date: 26-Jul-2021
 This question is a part of RC Butler 2021 .  Click here for Details

Duongsun · Answer

Sajjad1994 
please explain Question 2

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Welcome to GMAT Club!

Explanation

2. Given the information in the passage, which one of the following most closely exemplifies Cullen’s conception of poetry?

Difficulty Level:   750-800

Explanation

While no line reference appears in the question to provide guidance, the Hot Worlds  “Cullen’s conception of poetry”  do, and they send us to  paragraph 1  in general and  lines 9–11  in particular. Only  (E)  reflects  “lofty thoughts”  expressed in  “controlled poetic forms,”  as described there.

(A)  The only reference to Cullen’s use of English atmosphere—and it’s only the opinion of  “some critics,”  at that—deals with one particular poem and the atmosphere of the ballad form only.

(B) “Disregarding”  the conventional form is just the opposite of what Cullen would do; a 180 choice.

(C) “Radical innovations”  in poetic form wasn’t Cullen’s thing either; another 180 choice.

(D)  Romantic upheaval would certainly be a Cullen topic, but again,  “great stylistic freedom”  is the exact opposite of his style.

Answer: E

Danush649 · Answer

Sajjad1994 
could you please explain Qn.4 and Qn.6

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

4. The passage suggests which one of the following about Cullen’s use of controlled poetic forms?

Difficulty Level:   600

Explanation

Once again we are asked about Cullen’s affinity for conventions of style. Once again we get Hot Words  (“controlled poetic forms”)  that send us to paragraph 2. Once again we see a right answer picking up passage text almost word for word:  (A) is lines 9–11.

(B)  Controlled forms may have been appropriate to religious themes, but the latter aren’t cited as having led to Cullen’s use of those forms; the desire for beautiful expression is.

(C) “Only”  signifies a necessary condition, but there’s no sense that racial issues couldn’t be addressed by Cullen or anyone else using more radical or experimental forms.

(D)  What Cullen is spoken of having  “rejected”  is an alleged dichotomy in his work between artistic and racial concerns (30–34). No such rejection as  (D)  mentions is described here.

(E)  The very fact that Cullen used controlled forms to deal with racial issues confirms that  (E)  is not a true statement.

Answer: A

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

6. Based on the passage, the literary critics mentioned in line 18 would be most likely to hold which one of the following views of Cullen’s poetry?

Difficulty Level:   600

Explanation

The critics around  line 18  are in favor of Cullen’s use of European-style verse, as  (A)  reflects.

(B)  Cullen’s education and upbringing are part of the discussion that ends  paragraph 1 , but the critics discussed one line later are off on another topic.

(C)  The author is not interested in evaluating where Cullen’s work was strong

(D), (E)  The critics in line 18 don’t mention racial issues explicitly, so both of these choices can be discarded.

Answer: A

kuldeepkrlhd · Answer

1. Which one of the following most accurately states the main point of the passage?

(A) While much of Cullen’s poetry deals with racial issues, in his later work he became less concerned with racial matters and increasingly interested in writing poetry with a religious dimension.
(B) While Cullen used European verse forms and his later poems increasingly addressed religious themes, his poetry never abandoned a concern for racial issues.
(C) Though Cullen used European verse forms, he acknowledged that these forms were not very well suited to treating political or racial themes.
(D) Despite the success of Cullen’s poetry at dealing with racial issues, Cullen’s primary goal was to re-create the atmosphere that characterized the English ballad.
(E) The religious dimension throughout Cullen’s poetry complemented his focus on racial issues by providing the context within which these issues could be understood.

Ans: B

Line 11: He used  European forms  such as sonnets and devices such as quatrains, couplets, and conventional rhyme

Line 42-45: Explicit references to racial matters do in fact decline in Cullen’s later work, but not because he felt
any less passionately about these matters. Rather,  Cullen increasingly focused on the religious dimension
of his poetry

Line 54-55  Nonetheless, Cullen never abandoned his commitment to the importance of racial issues

notshynotme · Answer

Could you provide the answer to Q7?
Thank you  Sajjad1994

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

7. Which one of the following most accurately describes the organization of the passage?

Explanation

Choice (E)  reflects our roadmap exceptionally closely, each of its clauses summing up one of the paragraphs. The only real danger would be to allow too much time to be eaten up with the other choices. The first three can be discarded because in all of paragraph 1 there is very little  “biographical information,”  outlined or otherwise. Besides that:

(A)  The poems in paragraph 2 aren’t offered to  “trace”  Cullen’s development. (Rather, they illustrate both pro and con commentary his work engendered.)

(B)  Both criticism and praise of Cullen’s use of European forms appear midway, and (as we’ve said over and over) the author is not interested in Cullen’s  “success”  per se, but in what he wrote and how.

(C)  Cullen’s approach to poetry writing comes at the outset of the passage, not midway, as  (C)  would have it. and Cullen’s biography occupies little or no space here.

(D)  This choice begins satisfactorily, as does the correct answer. But again, the poems in  paragraph 2  weren’t chosen because they were  “most notable”  they were chosen because they illustrate critical reactions of the time. And racial themes get at least equal treatment to religious ones, though  (D)  ignores that fact.

Answer: E

Countee Cullen (Countee Leroy Porter, 19031946) was one of the foremo

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Countee Cullen (Countee Leroy Porter, 19031946) was one of the foremo

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