#12- Must Be True, Author's Perspective

[seb]

Hello!

I missed the last question of this passage, asking "which of the following most accurately characterizes the author's attitude toward Gluck's view of poetry?" I chose answer C (detached indifference) and I can't figure out why the answer is actually D (tacit endorsement). I could not locate any support for the author's "endorsement" of Gluck's view and would appreciate any assistance.

Thank you for your help!

[David Boyle]

Hello!

I missed the last question of this passage, asking "which of the following most accurately characterizes the author's attitude toward Gluck's view of poetry?" I chose answer C (detached indifference) and I can't figure out why the answer is actually D (tacit endorsement). I could not locate any support for the author's "endorsement" of Gluck's view and would appreciate any assistance.

Thank you for your help!

Hello seb,

Answer C is a tempting answer, since, as you imply, there isn't any outright "rah rah" cheering for Gluck's point of view. However, there may be some subtle clues in the stimulus. For example, there is the sentence, "She points out that the universal subjects of literature do not make literature itself timeless and unchanging." The author could have said, "Gluck claims that...", but instead says, "She points out that...", which makes is sound as if the author thinks Gluck has accessed some universal truth, rather than just having some idiosyncratic, questionable point of view. So answer D is the best answer.

Hope this helps,
David

[biskam]

I also chose C instead of E. I understand the example provided in the last paragraph... would someone be able to give me another example so I'm sure I'm correctly identifying the tone? Thank you!

[AthenaDalton]

Hi biskam,

Thanks for your question!

Just to be sure we're all on the same page here, the correct answer choice is (D) -- tacit endorsement. This is the best answer since the author implies positive feelings about Gluck throughout the article, but stops short of overt, enthusiastic praise.

The author talks about Gluck in a positive way, but still keeps it subtle. Here are some examples:

"[Gluck] views the canon of poets in English literature (Shakespeare, Blake, Keats) as a canon to which she clearly belongs."

If the author of this passage thought that Gluck could never really belong in such an exclusive club, she would have said as much. Instead, the author lets Gluck's claim stand uncontested, which is a sort of tacit endorsement of Gluck's views of her status among great poets. Here's another example, starting from line 19:

Gluck writes about subjects like loss, the passage of time, and desire that are "timeless, available to readers of any age, gender, or social background. Gluck makes no distinction between these subjects as belonging to female or male poets alone, calling them 'the great human subjects.'"

Here, the author of the passage says that Gluck writes about universal themes that speak to the human condition, regardless of gender/age/social status. Again, this is high praise. If the author of the passage thought that Gluck's use of these themes was actually derivative or hackneyed, she would have added some criticism to temper Gluck's soaring descriptions of her own poems.

For a final example, look at the portion of the passage that discusses Gluck's critics, starting on line 29. The passage refers to critics in a way that shows the author's skepticism of their ideas: "the critics maintain . . ." and "in the critics' view . . . " and "the critics feel that . . ."

These turns of phrase really underline the fact that the author of the passage doesn't agree with what the critics say about Gluck, because she goes to great lengths to emphasize that they claim this, they maintain that, etc. In contrast, when Gluck's own views about her poetry are discussed, the author doesn't use this kind of skeptical language. When Gluck's views are discussed, Gluck "points out" a fact about gender differences, Gluck "observes" that her critics' view of the world is limiting, etc.

Finally, the passage ends on a positive note for Gluck. Gluck gets the last word; not the critics.

I hope this helps clarify things. Good luck studying!

Athena Dalton

[biskam]

Subtle but now I see it!! Thanks so much for such a thoughtful reply.