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Literature is at once the most intimate and the most articulate of the 04 Mar 2022, 07:00
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E
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Literature is at once the most intimate and the most articulate of the arts. It cannot impart its effect through the senses or the nerves as the other arts can; it is beautiful only through the intelligence; it is the mind speaking to the mind; until it has been put into absolute terms, of an invariable significance, it does not exist at all. It cannot awaken this emotion in one, and that in another; if it fails to express precisely the meaning of the author, if it does not say him, it says nothing, and is nothing. So that when a poet has put his heart, much or little, into a poem, and sold it to a magazine, the scandal is greater than when a painter has sold a picture to a patron, or a sculptor has modeled a statue to order. These are artists less articulate and less intimate than the poet; they are more exterior to their work; they are less personally in it; they part with less of themselves in the dicker. It does not change the nature of the case to say that Tennyson and Longfellow and Emerson sold the poems in which they couched the most mystical messages their genius was charged to bear mankind. They submitted to the conditions which none can escape; but that does not justify the conditions, which are nonetheless the conditions of hucksters because they are imposed upon poets. If it will serve to make my meaning a little clearer, we will suppose that a poet has been crossed in love, or has suffered some real sorrow, like the loss of a wife or child. He pours out his broken heart in verse that shall bring tears of sacred sympathy from his readers, and an editor pays him a hundred dollars for the right of bringing his verse to their notice. It is perfectly true that the poem was not written for these dollars, but it is perfectly true that it was sold for them.
1. The author implies that writers are

(A) incompetent in business.
(B) not sufficiently paid for their work.
(C) greedy.
(D) hucksters.
(E) profiting against their will.


2. A possible title that best expresses the meaning of the passage would be

(A) “The Man of Letters as a Man of Business”
(B) “Literature and the Arts”
(C) “Progress in Literature”
(D) “Poets and Writers”
(E) “The State of the Arts”


3. By accepting payment for works of literature or art, its creators are

I. writing and painting solely for monetary gain.
II. justifying the practice of art.
III. exchanging their work for remuneration.

(A) I only
(B) III only
(C) I and II only
(D) II and III only
(E) I, II, and III


4. The author of the passage proposes that writers and artists

(A) make the best out of a bad situation.
(B) attempt to induce society to change its values.
(C) withhold their work until they gain recognition.
(D) adopt the principles of commercialism.
(E) adopt the value system of society.

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E
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Literature is at once the most intimate and the most articulate of the 05 Mar 2022, 05:02
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1 E (E) profiting against their will.
2 A (A) “The Man of Letters as a Man of Business”
3 B (B) III only
4 A (A) make the best out of a bad situation.
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Literature is at once the most intimate and the most articulate of the 19 Apr 2022, 10:35
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Official Explanation

2. A possible title that best expresses the meaning of the passage would be

Difficulty Level: Hard

Explanation

The passage treats the problem of poets or writers who must “sell” their works to survive; therefore they act like businesspeople.

Answer: A
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Literature is at once the most intimate and the most articulate of the 19 Apr 2022, 10:36
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Official Explanation

4. The author of the passage proposes that writers and artists

Difficulty Level: Hard

Explanation

The author proposes that until society changes its value system (which he does not foresee) the artist and writer must compromise as best they can with the existing system without, however, debasing their work.

Answer: A
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Literature is at once the most intimate and the most articulate of the 21 Apr 2022, 05:55
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Official Explanation

1. The author implies that writers are

Difficulty Level: 650

Explanation

This expression is found throughout the passage, “. . . when a poet has put his heart . . . into a poem, and sold it to a magazine, the scandal is greater. . . .”

Answer: E
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Literature is at once the most intimate and the most articulate of the 09 Jan 2026, 21:24
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sajjad Can you please provide a detailed explanation of all the questions?. I didn't understand the explanation already mentioned. It would be great if you also provide the analysis of the passage, like the summary, tone, and purpose, etc.
Sajjad1994
Literature is at once the most intimate and the most articulate of the arts. It cannot impart its effect through the senses or the nerves as the other arts can; it is beautiful only through the intelligence; it is the mind speaking to the mind; until it has been put into absolute terms, of an invariable significance, it does not exist at all. It cannot awaken this emotion in one, and that in another; if it fails to express precisely the meaning of the author, if it does not say him, it says nothing, and is nothing. So that when a poet has put his heart, much or little, into a poem, and sold it to a magazine, the scandal is greater than when a painter has sold a picture to a patron, or a sculptor has modeled a statue to order. These are artists less articulate and less intimate than the poet; they are more exterior to their work; they are less personally in it; they part with less of themselves in the dicker. It does not change the nature of the case to say that Tennyson and Longfellow and Emerson sold the poems in which they couched the most mystical messages their genius was charged to bear mankind. They submitted to the conditions which none can escape; but that does not justify the conditions, which are nonetheless the conditions of hucksters because they are imposed upon poets. If it will serve to make my meaning a little clearer, we will suppose that a poet has been crossed in love, or has suffered some real sorrow, like the loss of a wife or child. He pours out his broken heart in verse that shall bring tears of sacred sympathy from his readers, and an editor pays him a hundred dollars for the right of bringing his verse to their notice. It is perfectly true that the poem was not written for these dollars, but it is perfectly true that it was sold for them.

1. The author implies that writers are

(A) incompetent in business.
(B) not sufficiently paid for their work.
(C) greedy.
(D) hucksters.
(E) profiting against their will.


2. A possible title that best expresses the meaning of the passage would be

(A) “The Man of Letters as a Man of Business”
(B) “Literature and the Arts”
(C) “Progress in Literature”
(D) “Poets and Writers”
(E) “The State of the Arts”


3. By accepting payment for works of literature or art, its creators are

I. writing and painting solely for monetary gain.
II. justifying the practice of art.
III. exchanging their work for remuneration.

(A) I only
(B) III only
(C) I and II only
(D) II and III only
(E) I, II, and III


4. The author of the passage proposes that writers and artists

(A) make the best out of a bad situation.
(B) attempt to induce society to change its values.
(C) withhold their work until they gain recognition.
(D) adopt the principles of commercialism.
(E) adopt the value system of society.


RC Butler 2022 - Practice Two RC Passages Everyday.
Passage # 94 Date: 04-Mar-2022
This question is a part of RC Butler 2022. Click here for Details
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Literature is at once the most intimate and the most articulate of the Updated on: 09 Jan 2026, 22:13
Originally posted by guddo on 09 Jan 2026, 22:09.
Last edited by Bunuel on 09 Jan 2026, 22:13, edited 2 times in total.
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Quote:
Literature is at once the most intimate and the most articulate of the arts. It cannot impart its effect through the senses or the nerves as the other arts can; it is beautiful only through the intelligence; it is the mind speaking to the mind; until it has been put into absolute terms, of an invariable significance, it does not exist at all. It cannot awaken this emotion in one, and that in another; if it fails to express precisely the meaning of the author, if it does not say him, it says nothing, and is nothing. So that when a poet has put his heart, much or little, into a poem, and sold it to a magazine, the scandal is greater than when a painter has sold a picture to a patron, or a sculptor has modeled a statue to order. These are artists less articulate and less intimate than the poet; they are more exterior to their work; they are less personally in it; they part with less of themselves in the dicker. It does not change the nature of the case to say that Tennyson and Longfellow and Emerson sold the poems in which they couched the most mystical messages their genius was charged to bear mankind. They submitted to the conditions which none can escape; but that does not justify the conditions, which are nonetheless the conditions of hucksters because they are imposed upon poets. If it will serve to make my meaning a little clearer, we will suppose that a poet has been crossed in love, or has suffered some real sorrow, like the loss of a wife or child. He pours out his broken heart in verse that shall bring tears of sacred sympathy from his readers, and an editor pays him a hundred dollars for the right of bringing his verse to their notice. It is perfectly true that the poem was not written for these dollars, but it is perfectly true that it was sold for them.
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The passage argues that literature is the most personal and intellectual art form, requiring exact expression of the author's meaning. It contends that when poets sell their deeply personal work, they engage in a commercial transaction that conflicts with the intimate nature of their art. The author states that even great poets submit to these market conditions, but this does not make the conditions; it merely means artists are forced to operate within a system that treats their work as a commodity.

1. The author implies that writers are

(A) incompetent in business.
(B) not sufficiently paid for their work.
(C) greedy.
(D) hucksters.
(E) profiting against their will.

The passage emphasizes that writers submit to commercial conditions "which none can escape," and that selling a poem written from personal sorrow is a transaction that happens despite the work's intimate origins. This implies they profit from necessity, not desire.

Answer: (E)

2. A possible title that best expresses the meaning of the passage would be

(A) “The Man of Letters as a Man of Business”
(B) “Literature and the Arts”
(C) “Progress in Literature”
(D) “Poets and Writers”
(E) “The State of the Arts”

The passage's core theme is the tension between the intimate nature of literary creation and its inevitable treatment as a commercial commodity, exploring the writer's dual role as artist and businessperson.

Answer: (A)

3. By accepting payment for works of literature or art, its creators are

I. writing and painting solely for monetary gain.
II. justifying the practice of art.
III. exchanging their work for remuneration.

(A) I only
(B) III only
(C) I and II only
(D) II and III only
(E) I, II, and III

The passage states a work may not be written *for* money but is sold for money, which is simply an exchange (III). It explicitly says this does not justify the commercial conditions (II is false), and it argues against the idea that creation is solely for gain (I is false).

Answer: (B)

4. The author of the passage proposes that writers and artists

(A) make the best out of a bad situation.
(B) attempt to induce society to change its values.
(C) withhold their work until they gain recognition.
(D) adopt the principles of commercialism.
(E) adopt the value system of society.

The author states creators "submitted to the conditions which none can escape," portraying it as an unavoidable compromise rather than an endorsement. This matches the idea of making the best of a bad, inescapable situation.

Answer: (A)

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Literature is at once the most intimate and the most articulate of the 10 Jan 2026, 01:10
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AbhishekP220108
sajjad Can you please provide a detailed explanation of all the questions?. I didn't understand the explanation already mentioned. It would be great if you also provide the analysis of the passage, like the summary, tone, and purpose, etc.
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Hello AbhishekP220108

Summary
The author of the passage says literature is most close and clear art because it speaks mind to mind, not by senses. When poet sells his personal heart-feeling poem to magazine, it is more bad than when painter or sculptor sells their work. Poet is more inside his art. Even great poets sold their mystical poems because they must follow the system but this system is like sellers’ system, forced on poets. For Example poet writes of his sadness, gets paid by editor; poem not made for money but sold for money.

Tone
The tone of the passage is critic and a little angry. Writer sees problem and feels it is wrong that poets must sell deep feelings.

Purpose
The purpose is to show how selling poems makes intimate art into product, and that poets are pushed into business role even if they not wish it.

The explanation is posted here, Let me know if you still have any questions.

Good Luck!
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