Reading Comprehension

PT121 · S3 · P2 · Q6 Gluck’s Poetry

A free, expert breakdown of this official LSAT Reading Comprehension question.

Save & drill this skill — build targeted practice sets from questions like this one
Video walkthroughs — watch every question solved step by step
81 official LSATs — as questions, timed sections & full-length tests

The poet Louise Glück has said that she feels comfortable writing within a tradition often characterized as belonging only to male poets.

Topic

Louise Glück's approach to poetic tradition, gender, and the literary canon.

Framework

Present Debate — The passage lays out two main perspectives: Glück's on embracing the poetic canon as universal, and her critics' call for a uniquely female poetic tradition.

Main Point

Louise Glück believes she can belong to and creatively work within a poetic tradition often considered male by embracing its themes as universal, whereas some critics argue that using such a tradition is problematic for women poets; Glück counters that striving for an exclusively female perspective can be just as limiting. (The Most Valuable Sentences are in the opening and closing of the final paragraph.)

P1: Glück’s Embrace of the Canon

Louise Glück feels at home in a poetical tradition usually thought of as male-dominated, viewing it as her rightful inheritance, and she admires and respects its legacy, even as many women poets reject it for being historically exclusive.

P2: The Universality of Poetic Themes

Glück’s own experiences—reading poetry before living through its themes—support her belief that poetic subjects like loss and mortality are universal and not confined to one gender or group.

P3: Critics’ Counterarguments

Some critics argue that the so-called universality is naive, believing that gendered histories inevitably shape a poet's experience, and that traditional forms are inadequate for representing female voices; they suggest women poets need to create new forms and voices.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the passage?

In response to her critics,
Too Narrow
This answer is true (it's basically the first sentence of the final paragraph), but it seems to not capture any of our big three themes: - she feels part of the male dominated poetry tradition - she thinks poetry's subjects are universal and transcend gender - she thinks that to whatever extent females should try to develop a female poetry voice, they should do it unconsciously and let it come through naturally through their poetry. We can also tell that this answer is too narrow because there's no support for it. Why should we believe that "the attempt to develop a female voice is as restrictive as they believe the male tradition to be"? This idea never gets fleshed out, because it's a self-justifying claim. Obviously, a female-voice tradition is as restrictive as a male-voice tradition.
12% picked this
Although critics have taken Glück
Too Strong: must
The main clause here is that Glück thinks that poetry must concern itself with universal themes. Did Glück ever say anything that strong? No, the 2nd paragraph has her saying that "many of the great themes and subject of poetry" are universal, and so issues of gender distinction fade behind this universal reality. But she never dictated that poets must address certain themes.
12% picked this
In spite of critics who
Too Strong: equally
The main clause here is that Glück thinks "art represents a perspective that is equally male and female". Not only is that far too strong a statement, it's basically contradicted in the final paragraph where Glück acknowledges that there are gender differences, which will emerge unconsciously through the writing of males / females.
13% picked this
Correct
In opposition to some critics,
Why this is right
This answer packages together a few of our big themes: - she likes universal stuff - she rejects the call to develop a uniquely female voice - she thinks her gender will reveal itself naturally and more authoritatively if it comes through "in the absence of conscious intention"
Skill tested: Main Point · how this choice captures the passage's function is the move to repeat next time.
63% picked this
Aside from the power and
Out of Scope: unsatisfying response
This answer sounds like the author is somewhat mad at Glück or disappointed in her. We don't have any negative tone from the author. The author seems to be allowing Glück a chance to defend herself against the critics, and seems implicitly on board with Glück's assessment of gender differences in poetry.
0% picked this

Continue the review in LSAT Lab

Save this question, watch the video walkthrough, and drill similar questions in your LSAT Lab account.

Save and practice this skill

LSAT Lab

Turn this review into a targeted study plan.

Save this question, drill more like it, watch the video walkthrough, and track your progress in your LSAT Lab account.

Start practicing free