#20 - A poem is any work of art that exploits some of the

[JKing]

Some of these I got right and I just need to make sure I am on the right path to getting them right. I hope this is not too much, if it is I can next time make these questions in different posts.

December Test 1998

LR Section 1


# 20- Answer is C. I almost picked D, but didn't. Can you explain the fault in D?

[Steve Stein]

Hi JKing,

That's a fairly subtle one--the author provides that a poem is any work of art that exploits some of the musical characteristics of language. At the end, the author provides that a limerick is not art.

I hope that's helpful! Let me know whether that's clear--thanks!

~Steve

[JKing]

Ok good that is the reason why I did not pick D. It feels good to know my thought process is on the right track.

[Steve Stein]

Hey JKing,

That's great--glad I could help.

~Steve

[srcline@noctrl.edu]

Hello Steve

So I am not understanding this question at all. First this is a MBT question correct? Also how is this an example of conditional logic. Would you have to diagram this question? I choose D, but I think its might be too extreme b/c of the language and the fact that we dont know about non-artistic types of poetry. But I am not understanding how C is correct.

Thankyou
Sarah

[David Boyle]

Hello Steve

So I am not understanding this question at all. First this is a MBT question correct? Also how is this an example of conditional logic. Would you have to diagram this question? I choose D, but I think its might be too extreme b/c of the language and the fact that we dont know about non-artistic types of poetry. But I am not understanding how C is correct.

Thankyou
Sarah

Hello Sarah,

Yes, it is an MBT question.
It is conditional because of the multiple if-then relationships. (So, diagramming may help you.) One of them is what a poem is; since they give the definition of a poem, you can effectively treat it as a biconditional:

Poem (art + musical use of language)

So if a novel is art, and uses language musically, it's also a poem. QED, answer C is correct.

Hope this helps,
David

[lsat2016]

Hello,

Just to be sure, is it not valid to make exceptions to the conditional rules? I doubted D for a moment because it seems to acknowledge that it’s a different type than a regular poem by being non-artistic.

Also, is this correct?

I was also hesitant to draw out a conditional relationship for a novel because the stimulus uses "may".

[Shannon Parker]

Hi-

Good questions.

We cannot make exceptions to the conditionals given to us by the author, unless the author gives the exception as part of the condition. This plays into your hesitancy to make a conditional for a novel due to the author's use of the word "may." It takes some work, but the key to figuring out this problem is recognizing that it is a bi-conditional. A novel is a poem, if and only if, it is a work of art and exploits some of the musical characteristics of language.

(D) cannot be true because it violates the author's conditional relationship between art and poetry. The author states that a poem is art that exploits musical characteristics of language. A Limerick is not art, and therefore cannot be poetry.

I hope this helps.

-Shannon

[olafimihan.k]

Hello,

Why would "non-artistic" poetry be considered wrong in answer choice D?

Thanks.

[Eric Ockert]

Hi there!

The conditional rule in the first sentence looks something like:

Work of art + Exploits musical characteristics of language ------> Poem

In the final sentence, we are told that limericks may exploit some musical characteristics of language, but that they are not art. So, without meeting these two sufficient conditions, we have no rule that establishes limericks are poems at all.

The trick here is that, in the real world, many people would consider limericks to be poems. And, most people wouldn't consider them very artistic either. So answer choice (D) is very real world true. However, we cannot prove it's true from the information in the stimulus.

Hope that helps!