The place of Claf Abercuawg in relation to the larger body of Middle

Question

The place of Claf Abercuawg in relation to the larger body of Middle Welsh poetry attributed to Llywarch Hen (that is, as narrator rather than author) is a matter of debate, and one that is not likely to be soon settled—bluntly put, there is no way of knowing with certainty. It seems that the association is based largely on the similarity of the structure of Claf Abercuawg to the structure of other laments found in the Llywarch Hen cycle, in addition to its presence immediately preceding the Llywarch Hen material in extant manuscripts. However, modern scholarship has called the connection of this poem to the Llywarch Hen cycle into question, and indeed, there is nothing in the poem itself that necessitates a connection. Nevertheless, nature poetry like Claf Abercuawg does not form a complete work of poetry itself, but is rather used as a prologue to another type of poem, and so separating this poem from the Llywarch Hen cycle would require another tradition for its origin. This problem is further exacerbated by the fact that there seems to be the implication of an otherwise unknown history behind the current condition of the narrator, as suggested by his reference to his previous life in the court of a king. Nor can the striking similarity of imagery to poems in the Llywarch Hen cycle, such as Gwên ap Llywarch a’i dad, be ignored. Finally, the appellation Claf Abercuawg is a modern creation, and in the manuscripts there is simply a break in the line and an ornate initial letter to signal the beginning of a new piece. Thus, to speak of it as a clear entity is misleading—it is simply one poem that precedes a number of interrelated poems.

This is not to claim that Claf Abercuawg must have originated from the same tradition as the Llywarch Hen material, but rather that, if they did come from different traditions, the evidence found in the themes, the imagery, and the placement of these poems in the manuscripts makes it increasingly difficult to believe that the scribes would place Claf Abercuawg immediately preceding the Llywarch Hen cycle without the intent to connect the two. And so while it is impossible to say whether the “original” Claf Abercuawg was intended to be a part of the Llywarch Hen cycle, by the time of the assembly of the extant manuscripts, it was clearly considered to be so.

This is not to claim that Claf Abercuawg must have originated from the same tradition as the Llywarch Hen material, but rather that, if they did come from different traditions, the evidence found in the themes, the imagery, and the placement of these poems in the manuscripts makes it increasingly difficult to believe that the scribes would place Claf Abercuawg immediately preceding the Llywarch Hen cycle without the intent to connect the two. And so while it is impossible to say whether the “original” Claf Abercuawg was intended to be a part of the Llywarch Hen cycle, by the time of the assembly of the extant manuscripts, it was clearly considered to be so.    1 
 1. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT a difficulty in ascertaining the connection between Claf Abercuawg and the Llywarch Hen cycle of poetry?

A. The similarity in literary technique between the works.
B. The unlikelihood of Claf Abercuawg being a stand-alone work.
C. Both works have anonymous narrators.
D. The placement of the poems in the manuscripts.
E. The implied background of the narrator of Claf Abercuawg.

2 
 2. Based on the passage, what seems to be the author’s response to the question of the connection between the works?

A. The connection is clear based on the extant manuscripts.
B. The connection is more likely than not.
C. It is fruitless to examine because it can never be known.
D. The connection is implied in the extant manuscripts.
E. The connection is possible but unlikely.

3 
 3. The primary purpose of this passage is to

A. describe the poem Claf Abercuawg.
B. outline the origins of the poem Claf Abercuawg.
C. contrast other Middle Welsh poetry with Claf Abercuawg.
D. explain the relationship between Claf Abercuawg and the Llywarch Hen poetry.
E. describe all the Llywarch Hen poetry.

4 
 4. Which of the following is an accurate paraphrasing of the highlighted portion?

A. The poem Claf Abercuawg was recently rewritten.
B. The poem originally had a different title than Claf Abercuawg.
C. The poem was only given the title Claf Abercuawg recently.
D. The poem should not be called Claf Abercuawg.
E. The poem as it now stands has been heavily redacted.

RC Butler 2023  -  Practice Two RC Passages Everyday.   
Passage # 241 Date: 19 Jul-2023
 This question is part of RC Butler 2023 .  Click here for Details

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Ruchi007 · Answer

Sajjad1994  Please provide the explanation to #2.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

2. Based on the passage, what seems to be the author’s response to the question of the connection between the works?

Explanation

This question requires you to be a little careful in the wording; you have shades of meaning between a few of our choices. Based on the passage, the author seems to be saying that it is impossible to be certain of an original connection, but by the time the versions you have today were written, the connection was intended to be made. Reading through our choices, you see that  (D)  matches our prediction.  (A)  the connection is clear is certainly untrue based on the passage,  (B)  more likely than not and  (E)  possible but unlikely possess the sense of uncertainty you are looking for but fail to properly match the author’s meaning, and  (C)  that it is fruitless has too much personal opinion to be a good response for something written in an academic tone.

Answer: D

simpleguy1994 · Answer

Sajjad1994  Please provide the explanation to #1.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

1. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT a difficulty in ascertaining the connection between Claf Abercuawg and the Llywarch Hen cycle of poetry?

Difficulty Level:   700-750

This question asks you to examine the passage for the reasons why it is difficult to determine the connection between the two poetic works and choose the answer that is not one of these difficulties. The summary in the second paragraph mentions literary techniques and the placement of the poem, so you can dismiss  (A)  and  (D) .

Furthermore,  (B)  and  (D)  are both incorrect from the discussion in the first paragraph about the location of the poem and its related issues. Looking for mention of  (C) , you find in the first sentence that Llywarch Hen is the narrator of the Llywarch Hen cycle, so you can know  (C)  to be the correct choice.

Answer: C

VerbalBot · Answer

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The place of Claf Abercuawg in relation to the larger body of Middle

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The place of Claf Abercuawg in relation to the larger body of Middle

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