For the poet Phillis Wheatley, who was brought to colonial New England

I would try to answer your question :-


Always analyse the tone of the author in the passage. Author in the passage is never critical about Wheatley. So We will remove all the choices that have negative tone.
He is neither too much influenced by Wheatley's works.

In this way A, C,and E are gone.

We are left with B and D. Out of these two, B sounds good because in option D "detached ambivalence" does not make sense as author certainly does not mean this.

Hence B is the correct answer.
Hope this helps!!

Question No#2 was tough. I am giving a try to explain this.

First of all we should know what was the approach of Phillis Wheatley when she came in as an immigrant.


First Step:-



Second step :-


BUT


Now coming back to the question Options:-

2. The approach to poetry taken by a modern-day Italian immigrant in America would be most analogous to Phillis Wheatley's approach, as it is described in the passage, if the immigrant

(A). Translated Italian literary forms into the American Idiom.
Phillis Wheatley did not translate her mother tongue literally into English.

(B). Combined Italian and American literary traditions into a new form of poetic expression.
Phillis's poetry style was according to the standards of eighteenth-century English poetry. She did not invent a new form of poetic expression.

(C). contributed to the development of a distinctive Italian American literary style.
The author's only reservation against Phillis is that she had the potential to apply the ideas of a written literature to an oral literary tradition in the creation of an African American literary language. So, this is not the answer.

(D). defined artistic expression in terms of eighteenth-century Italian Poetic conventions.
Phillis came to America and wrote poetry in the style that is concurrent to her time. Not older times. Hence a modern-day Italian immigrant's artistic expression would be in terms of modern day Italian Poetic conventions.

(E). adopted the language and forms of modern American poetry.
Phillis Wheatley did not speak English before she came to America/colonised New England. This can be inferred from

Quote:

she learned the English language

. So, she learnt the language and adopted the language and standard literary forms of her time in her poetry.
Hence according to the above analogy we can say that, modern-day Italian immigrant would adopt the language and forms of modern American poetry.

4. By a "closed system" of poetry(lines 34-35), the author most probably means poetry that

Therefore, 'D' is clearly the answer.

(A) cannot be written by those who are not raised knowing its conventions.
(B) has little influence on the way language is actually spoken.
(C) substitutes its own conventions for the aesthetic principles of the past
(D) does not admit the use of street language and casual talk
(E) is ultimately rejected because its conventions leave little room for further development.

6. Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the author's argument concerning the role that Wheatley played in the evolution of an African American literary language?

Wheatley's poetry did not play a role in the development of a distinctive African American literary language.
Any statement that indicates that Wheatley's poetry did play a role in the development of a distinctive African American literary language will be a weakner.

(A) Wheatley's poetry was admired in England for its faithfulness to the conventions of neoclassical poetry.
Role of Wheatley's poetry in England is out of scope for this question.

(B) Wheatley compiled a history in English of her family's experiences in Africa and America.
Compilation of her history in English would not affect the role her poetry played in the development of distinct African American language.


(C) The language barriers that Wheatley overcame were eventually transcended by all who were brought from Africa as slaves.
Again, this does not affect the point being discussed.

(D) Several modern African American poets acknowledge the importance of Wheatley's poetry to American literature.
Just the acknowledgement of the importance of her poetry to American literature does not say anything about the role her poetry played in the development of distinct African American language.

(E) Scholars trace themes and expressions in African American poetry back to the poetry of Wheatley.
This statement says that Wheatley's poetry did play an important role and several themes and expressions in today's African American Poetry are influenced from her poetry.

Official Explanation
Topic and Scope: Phillis Wheatley, specifically Wheatley’s poetry.

Purpose and Main Idea: The author’s purpose is to discuss and evaluate Wheatley’s poetry. The author’s specific main idea is that Wheatley was an accomplished poet who rightly deserves to be known as the first African American poet, though her poetry was not influenced by African traditions and did not contribute to the growth of an African American literary tradition.

Paragraph Structure: ¶1 states that Wheatley quickly became an accomplished poet, even though she was not raised in an English-language environment. ¶2 digresses from the topic in order to discuss the background of African American English.
¶3 reveals the author’s belief that Wheatley’s poetry was not influenced by her African heritage. ¶4 summarizes the author’s feelings about Wheatley: though she did not contribute to the growth of an African American literary tradition, she was nevertheless an accomplished poet who deserves to be recognized as the first African American poet.

The Big Picture:
• Topic and scope are evident early on in the passage, but purpose and main idea are not. Instead, the passage hits you with a lot of details. It’s not until ¶s 3 and 4 that you get a strong sense of authorial purpose and main idea. On Test Day, it might be better to leave a similarly structured passage for later in the section. In general, it’s best to begin your work on the Reading Comprehension section with a passage whose purpose and main idea (if there is one) are apparent early in the text.

• Don’t assume that all the key information is contained in the first ¶. In this passage, for instance, most of the important information emerges toward the end. Always apply your critical reading skills to the entire passage.

The Questions:
1. (C) This choice nicely captures the author’s main idea. Although Wheatley was an accomplished poet, her poetry did not reflect the traditions of her African heritage.
(A) is beyond the scope of the text. This passage is specifically about Wheatley’s poetry. It doesn’t directly compare her poetry to the work of folk artists.
(B) is a “half right, half wrong” choice. The first part of this choice is okay, but the second goes awry in suggesting that Wheatley was influenced by African traditions.
(D) and (E) According to the author, Wheatley’s poetry was disconnected from African traditions and African American literary developments.


• The correct answer to a “global” question must be broad enough to encompass the contents of the entire passage, yet narrow enough to refer to the specific subject matter of the passage.
• Often, the wrong answers to global questions are in direct conflict with the author’s point of view. So when you see a choice that represents the opposite of your prephrase, don’t panic. You’re probably on the right track. Expect to see a few au contraire answer choices, and you’ll eliminate them with confidence.

2. (E) According to the passage, Wheatley’s poetry was influenced by the English literary conventions of her day. Her poetry was neither influenced by nor reflected her ethnic heritage. A contemporary Italian immigrant poet who is influenced solely by the conventions of modern American poetry would be following a similar approach to poetry as Wheatley.
(A), (B), (C), (D) All of these choices go wrong in suggesting that Wheatley’s work was somehow influenced by or reflected her ethnic heritage.
• In questions that ask you to compare hypothetical situations to a situation described in the passage, look for the choice that mimics the relationship outlined in the passage.

3. (D) Lines 19-24 make precisely this point.
(A) and (B) The passage mentions African American religious music and folk art, but not the religious music and folk art of New England colonists. New England colonists themselves, as a matter of fact, aren’t even mentioned in the passage.
(C) According to lines 19-24, African languages affected spoken English, not formal written English.
(E) The passage doesn’t discuss general “eighteenth-century aesthetic principles,” and there’s nothing in the passage to suggest that African languages had an impact on them.

• If you’re in doubt about a detail, be sure to check back with the passage, using your “roadmap” of the passage to locate the relevant text. Don’t answer on a hunch or a vague recollection.


4. (D) The phrase “closed system” emerges in the context of the author’s remark that eighteenth century English poetry did not incorporate the informal, popular language of its day. Hence, by a closed system of poetry the author undoubtedly means poetry that “does not admit the use of street language and casual talk.”
(A) If anything, the author believes that poetry can be written by someone who isn’t raised knowing its conventions. After all, as the author points out, Wheatley wrote poetry based on conventions that she learned quickly, after she had reached New England.
(B) and (E) are beyond the scope of the text. The author never discusses poetry’s impact on spoken language (B). Nor does she discuss why poetry might ultimately be rejected (E).
(C) In lines 35-36, the author says that poetry in a “closed system” is based on imitating past works.
• Whenever a question asks you to interpret the meaning of a word or phrase, read the lines around that word or phrase. The key to understanding what the author means by a word or phrase lies in understanding the context in which it appears.

5. (A) Line 41 states that the conventions of eighteenth-century English poetry permitted the poet to express “generalized feelings.”
(B), (D), (E) The conventions of this poetry, according to line 40, did not allow “casual talk” (D). The ban on casual talk, of course, would also have eliminated “Americanized English” (B) and “Black speech” (E). Indeed, their absence from Wheatley’s poetry is confirmed by lines 36-38.
(C) The lack of “themes from folk art” in Wheatley’s poetry is highlighted in lines 42-49.
• This question illustrates the importance of having an awareness of paragraph structure. If you kept in mind where in the passage the author evaluates Wheatley’s poetry, you should have gone directly to ¶3 for the answer to this question.

6. (E) In lines 54-56, the author claims that “Wheatley’s poetry contributed little to the development of a distinctive African American literary language.” Thus, if scholars were to “trace themes and expressions in African American poetry back to the poetry of Wheatley,” the author’s argument concerning Wheatley’s role in the evolution of an African American literary language would be seriously weakened.
(A) Since the author claims that Wheatley’s poetry conformed to the conventions of neoclassical poetry, her argument would not be undermined by a finding that Wheatley’s poetry was admired in England because of its adherence to English literary traditions.
(B) Why would the author’s argument about Wheatley’s poetry be weakened by the discovery that Wheatley had written a history of her family’s experiences?
(C) Likewise, why would the author’s argument about Wheatley’s poetry be weakened by the knowledge that other Africans were able to overcome the language barriers that she overcame?
(D) misrepresents the author’s criticism. The author argues that Wheatley failed to play a meaningful role in the development of an African American literary language. Whether Wheatley was an important poet in the American literary tradition is another issue altogether.
• In questions that ask you to pick the choice that would most strengthen or weaken an authorial position, read the question stem carefully to be sure which you’re asked to do. Often, an incorrect choice will do the exact opposite of what you’re asked to do, and you could fall for this trap choice if you haven’t read the question stem carefully.
• Don’t bend over backwards for an answer choice. If the relevance of a choice depends upon making assumptions unsupported by the passage, then that choice is irrelevant. For example, you could spend precious time on choice (B) attempting to find a connection between a family history and the evolution of an African American literary language, but what would be the point?

7. (D) In lines 30-31, the author expresses dismay that Wheatley did not integrate African traditions into her poetry in order to create an African American literary language. It is inferable, therefore, that the author would have praised Wheatley’s work even more had Wheatley done so.
(A) “Black English” is mentioned in the third ¶ as a potential source that Wheatley could have used in creating an African American literary language. However, the author never criticizes Wheatley for failing to influence the way English is spoken.
(B) The author would have praised Phillis Wheatley more if she had invented an African American literary tradition.
(C) To the extent that the author is critical of Wheatley, it’s because Wheatley so strictly adhered to the conventions of eighteenth-century English poetry.
(E) The author doesn’t bring up the general issue of “the barriers that written English literary forms presented to Black authors.”
• This question illustrates the importance of grasping authorial main idea. If you recognized that the author argues that Wheatley failed to play a role in developing an African American literary language, settling on choice (D) should have been a snap.


8. (B) While the author praises Wheatley as an accomplished poet, she also notes that Wheatley failed to contribute to the African American literary tradition. Thus, the author’s attitude toward Wheatley’s work is aptly characterized as one of “qualified admiration.”
(A) “Enthusiastic advocacy” suggests that the author is uncritical of Wheatley’s work.
(C) and (D) “Dispassionate impartiality” (C) and “detached ambivalence” (D) suggest that the author has no real opinion about Wheatley’s work.
(E) “Perfunctory dismissal” suggests that the author condemns Wheatley’s work.

• Watch out for extreme-sounding choices such as (A) and (E). Most LSAT Reading Comprehension passages are more moderate in tone.

Sajjad1994, could you please help to explain why B should be eliminated for q4?

The phrase “closed system” emerges in the context of the author’s remark that eighteenth century English poetry did not incorporate the informal, popular language of its day. Hence, by a closed system of poetry, the author undoubtedly means poetry that “does not admit the use of street language and casual talk.”

(B) is beyond the scope of the text. The author never discusses poetry’s impact on spoken language (B). Nor does she discuss why poetry might ultimately be rejected (E).

4. By a “closed system” of poetry (lines 34–35), the author most probably means poetry that

(A) cannot be written by those who are not raised knowing its conventions - because of the of the phrase
. The fact that Wheatley was raised in America and she was writing English poetry makes this option wrong.

GMATNinja can you please help with explanation to Q8

Question 8

The author hints at his/her attitude toward Wheatley's literary accomplishments in a couple of places.

In the first paragraph, the author is impressed that Wheatley overcame several obstacles, and praises her poetry as "good." In the fourth paragraph, the author tells us that "Wheatley's poetry is undeniably accomplished, and she is justly celebrated as the first Black American poet." Here, the author seems to admire Wheatley's work and think that is is "just" to celebrate her.

In the second paragraph, however, the author says that it's "unfortunate" that Wheatley's poetry didn't contribute to creating an African American literary language. So, the author isn't 100% happy with Wheatley's work.

Overall, we're looking for an answer choice that captures the above equivocation -- the author admires Wheatley to an extent, but also criticizes some aspects of her work.

We find that in (B), "qualified admiration."

I hope that helps!

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