Satire attained a dominating position between 1660 and 1730 that it

Question

Satire attained a dominating position between 1660 and 1730 that it had not had before. As an oblique expression of the writer’s wish to reform society, or as the somewhat baser tool of his scorn and ridicule, Restoration satire had diverse outlets. Political parties, religious sects, and fashionable philosophies were as much the delights of satirists as were topical gossip and assorted fops, pedants, and bigots.

Pope’s mock heroic epic, The Rape of the Lock, probes the excesses of romantic etiquette: Lady Belinda’s tresses are cropped by a suitor while she lingers over her coffee. According to Samuel Johnson, such an incident was a questionable topic for poetic treatment: “The subject of the poem is an event below the common incidents of common life.” Yet the frivolous subject matter provides the ideal setting for a gentle lambasting of traditional epic machinery and a delicate exposure of the romantic conventions of the day.    1 
 1. The passage supports which of the following statements concerning satire?

I. Satirists may focus both on the foibles of individuals and on larger, societal ills.
II. Satire could be used to mock poetic conventions.
III. Satire often served as a formidable weapon for personal revilement.

A. I only
B. III only
C. I and III only
D. II and III only
E. I, II, and III

2 
 2. According to the description in the passage, which of the following would be a satiric work?

A. A polemic decrying Calvinism
B. A vigorous denial of Lockean ethics
C. An exposé of patronage at the court of Charles II
D. A fanciful description of a mythical land
E. A cleverly disguised attack on an academic

3 
 3. The author would most likely argue that Johnson’s criticism of The Rape of the Lock shows

A. a narrow conception of the appropriate content of poetry
B. an obsession with minor stylistic flaws at the expense of an appreciation of the work as a whole
C. a failure to realize that the work is intentionally humorous
D. a belief that the work mocks the dignity of everyday life
E. an outdated code of values

4 
 4. The passage implies which of the following about the period before 1660?

A. Satire dealt only with subjects of political and religious importance.
B. Readers objected to satirists’ mocking of conventional values.
C. The conventions of heroic poetry were considered above criticism.
D. Satire was seen as only one among several important literary genres.
E. Because there was greater political freedom, writers could express
political ideas directly rather than through satire.

Kaplan GRE Verbal Workbook 2007

mialanknox · Answer

Q1. The passage supports which of the following statements concerning satire?

I. Satirists may focus both on the foibles of individuals and on larger, societal ills.   TRUE  
II. Satire could be used to mock poetic conventions.   TRUE  
III. Satire often served as a formidable weapon for personal revilement.   TRUE

In Q1, Statement I & III is supported by this line  "As an oblique expression of the writer’s wish to reform society, or as the somewhat baser tool of his scorn and ridicule" .

Statement II is supported by the last line  "Yet the frivolous subject matter provides the ideal setting for a gentle lambasting of traditional epic machinery and a delicate exposure of the romantic conventions of the day."

Therefore,   Q1 answer is E  .

Q2. According to the description in the passage, which of the following would be a satiric work?

A. A polemic decrying Calvinism - No, decrying means being against something, doesn't seem to fit satire.
B. A vigorous denial of Lockean ethics - No, proposing an argument against something, doesn't fit humour.
C. An exposé of patronage at the court of Charles II - Passage mentions "topical gossip", but there is no humour in an exposé.
D. A fanciful description of a mythical land - No, that is fiction, not fact-based humour
E. A cleverly disguised attack on an academic -   Yes because it is an attack on someone/some idea using humour (in a sarcastic way I guess) so fits the passage "as the somewhat baser tool of his scorn and ridicule".

Therefore,   Q2 answer is E  .

Q3. The author would most likely argue that Johnson’s criticism of The Rape of the Lock shows

A. a narrow conception of the appropriate content of poetry -  Johnson seemed to have a problem with the content as per this line “The subject of the poem is an event below the common incidents of common life.” and the last line mentions "subject matter" so both of which points to option A. 
B. an obsession with minor stylistic flaws at the expense of an appreciation of the work as a whole - No
C. a failure to realize that the work is intentionally humorous -  Could be correct, not sure. Choosen option A because of proper references, for this option, I would have to infer. 
D. a belief that the work mocks the dignity of everyday life - No
E. an outdated code of values - No

Therefore,   Q3 answer is A  .

Q4. The passage implies which of the following about the period before 1660?

A. Satire dealt only with subjects of political and religious importance. - No reference to this anywhere.
B. Readers objected to satirists’ mocking of conventional values. - No reference to this anywhere.
C. The conventions of heroic poetry were considered above criticism. - No reference to this anywhere. The last para is about Samuel Johnson is not clear if it is before 1660 or later. 
D. Satire was seen as only one among several important literary genres. -  Yes, the first line says satire did not gain dominance until 1660 - it didn't gain importance but it was considered a literary genre before 1660 so this seems correct. It at least has a clear reference from the passage. 
E. Because there was greater political freedom, writers could express political ideas directly rather than through satire. - No reference to this znywhere.

Therefore,   Q4 answer is D  .

Nikkz99 · Answer

Sajjad1994  could you please provide OA for Q3? Why option C is incorrect?

SatvikVedala · Answer

Hi 
For Question No.3 the answer lies in the line

such an  incident  was a questionable topic for poetic treatment: “The subject of the poem is an event below the common incidents of common life.”

So the concern of SJ was on incident & his criticism is based on incident.

So of all the options A seems to reflect this pretty well.

Also, a failure to realize that the work is  intentionally  humorous seems misjudging the pope's work.

Satire attained a dominating position between 1660 and 1730 that it

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

Satire attained a dominating position between 1660 and 1730 that it

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards