PeepalTree wrote:
Gautier was indeed a poet and a strongly representative one – a French poet in his limitations even more than in his gifts; and he remains an interesting example of the manner in which, even when the former are surprisingly great, a happy application of the latter may produce the most delightful works. Completeness on his own scale is to our mind the idea he most instantly suggests. Such as his finished task now presents him, he is almost sole of his kind. He has had imitators who have imitated everything but his spontaneity and his temper; and as they have therefore failed to equal him we doubt whether the literature of our day presents a genius so naturally perfect. We say this with no desire to transfer Gautier to a higher pedestal than he has fairly earned – a poor service, for the pedestal sometimes sadly dwarfs the figure. His great merit was that he understood himself so perfectly and handled himself so skilfully. Even more than Alfred de Musset (with whom the speech had a shade of mock-modesty) he might have said that, if his glass was not large, as least it was all his own glass.
There are a host of reasons why we should not compare Gautier with such a poet as Browning; and yet there are several why we should. If we do so, with all proper reservations, we may wonder whether we are the richer, or, at all events, the better entertained, as a poet‘s readers should before all things be, by the clear, undiluted strain of Gautier‘s minor key, or by the vast, grossly commingled volume of utterance. It is idle at all times to point a moral. But if there are sermons in stones, there are profitable reflections to be made even on Théophile Gautier; notably this one – that a man‘s supreme use in the world is to master his intellectual instrument and play it in perfection.
He brought to his task a sort of pagan bonhomie which makes most of the descriptive and pictorial poets seem, by contrast, a group of shivering ascetics or muddled metaphysicians. He excels them by his magnificent good temper and the unquestioning serenity of his enjoyment of the great spectacle of nature and art. His world was all material, and its outlying darkness hardly more suggestive, morally, than a velvet canopy studded with silver nails. To close his eyes and turn his back on it must have seemed to him the end of all things; death, for him, must have been as the sullen dropping of a stone into a well. His observation was so penetrating and his descriptive instinct so unerring, that one might have fancied grave nature, in a fit of coquetry, or tired of receiving but half- justice, had determined to construct a genius with senses of a finer strain than the mass of human family.
1. In the passage, the author suggests that the French poet Théophile Gautier‘s talents included all of the following EXCEPT:
A. an innovative and unique artistic view of nature.
B. the ability to quickly and immediately compose poetry.
C. extensive training in rhetorical and literary techniques.
D. a strong understanding of his world and himself.
E. he had sharp observation powers
2. For what purpose can it reasonably be concluded does the author reference other writers in this passage, including Musset and Browning?
A. To prove that Gautier, as a poet, was unique among his contemporaries
B. To show that Gautier‘s poetry was representative of French lyricism at the time
C. To criticize Gautier‘s limited talent and creativity
D. To refute the idea that Gautier‘s colleagues could easily imitate his style
E. To prove how inferior the other writers were compared to Gautier
3. The author makes a few noteworthy remarks about Gautier‘s attitude towards death. This attitude would most support which of the following conclusions?
A. None of Gautier‘s literary works focused on human frailty.
B. Gautier believed that people are inherently linked to the divine.
C. The fleeting passage of time was a common poetic theme that Gautier neglected.
D. In his poetry, Gautier often focused on the vibrancy of human and natural life.
E. Gautier was a strong believer in the theory of life after death
Definitely one of the toughest and condense passages.
Managed to get all correct in 10 minutes.
1. In the passage, the author suggests that the French poet Théophile Gautier‘s talents included all of the following EXCEPT:
A. an innovative and unique artistic view of nature.-False, Gautier was innovative and unique.
B. the ability to quickly and immediately compose poetry.-False, refer the word "spontaneity"
C. extensive training in rhetorical and literary techniques.-True, this is no where mentioned in the passage.
D. a strong understanding of his world and himself.-False, he understood the world and himself very well.
E. he had sharp observation powers-False, refer"He excels them by his magnificent good temper and the unquestioning serenity of his enjoyment of the great spectacle of nature and art."
2. For what purpose can it reasonably be concluded does the author reference other writers in this passage, including Musset and Browning?
A. To prove that Gautier, as a poet, was unique among his contemporaries-True, Comparison was to prove that G was unique.
B. To show that Gautier‘s poetry was representative of French lyricism at the time-False, partially correct but no the underlying reason.
C. To criticize Gautier‘s limited talent and creativity-Author never criticized G but rather he said despite his limitations he was an excellent poet
D. To refute the idea that Gautier‘s colleagues could easily imitate his style-False, in fact opp is true.
E. To prove how inferior the other writers were compared to Gautier-False, author didnt prove anyone inferior to G.
3. The author makes a few noteworthy remarks about Gautier‘s attitude towards death. This attitude would most support which of the following conclusions?
A. None of Gautier‘s literary works focused on human frailty.-False, human frailty is no where mentioned.
B. Gautier believed that people are inherently linked to the divine.-False, not mentioned anywhere
C. The fleeting passage of time was a common poetic theme that Gautier neglected.-False, author didn't neglect this theme.
D. In his poetry, Gautier often focused on the vibrancy of human and natural life.-True refer "To close his eyes and turn his back on it must have seemed to him the end of all things; death, for him, must have been as the sullen dropping of a stone into a well. His observation was so penetrating and his descriptive instinct so unerring,"
E. Gautier was a strong believer in the theory of life after death- False, no where this is mentioned.
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Updated on: 21 Nov 2021, 08:51
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