LSAT Forum
2 postsPage 1 of 1
-
- zzumrad
-
Thanks Received: 0
- Forum Guests
- Posts: 2
- Joined: July 08th, 2009
PT57, S2, Q24 Poem's meaning
Also I was able to find correct answer, I had a trouble with this argument. Could you help with easier approach to the solving of it and eliminating wrong answers.
-
- dan
-
Thanks Received: 155
-
Atticus Finch
- Posts: 202
- Joined: March 10th, 2009
Re: PT57, S2, Q24 Poem's meaning
Yup... tough question. Here's an explanation:
Question type: Assumption
The organizational structure of this argument is tricky (PREMISE _ CONCLUSION _ PREMISE), and makes it difficult to spot the inherent assumption. A reordering of the argument will make things easier to see (PREMISE _ PREMISE _ CONCLUSION):
No one writing a great poem intends poem to communicate contradictory ideas →
Sometimes reader believes poem expresses contradictory ideas →
So, wrong to think meaning of poem is whatever author intends to communicate.
Essentially, this argument is saying that because the reader sees ideas in the poem that are different from the ideas intended by the author, the meaning of the poem is not what the author intended. This argument requires a two-part assumption.
First, the author assumes that the reader’s interpretation of the poem actually affects what the meaning of the poem is. Consider the following example.
The writer of the movie says the movie is about freedom. Bill thinks the movie is about recklessness. Therefore, the main message of the movie has to do with recklessness.
The author of this argument assumes that Bill’s take on the movie is actually crucial to determining the message of the movie. Likewise, in our argument, the author assumes that the reader’s interpretation of the poem is crucial to determining the meaning of the poem. Answer choice (E) clearly states this assumption.
Second, notice that the premises discuss the ideas expressed in the poem, while the conclusion discusses the meaning of the poem. The ideas expressed in the poem and the intended meaning of the poem may not necessarily be the same thing. Let’s use another example to illustrate:
John believes that the idea of freedom is an idea expressed in the movie. Therefore, the meaning of the movie has to do with freedom.
The author of this argument assumes that the ideas expressed in the movie actually constitute the meaning of the movie. This doesn’t necessarily need to be true. Likewise, in our argument, the author assumes that the ideas expressed in a poem actually constitute the meaning of the poem. Our answer needs to bridge the gap between "ideas" and "meaning." Answer (E) succeeds in doing this.
(A) in incorrect. It is not crucial to the argument that readers will usually disagree about what the author intends to communicate.
(B) is incorrect. The argument does not depend on the fact that there is just one primary idea.
(C) is not an assumption necessary for this argument.
(D) is incorrect. It is not crucial to the argument that every reader understand every single idea in a poem.
As it turns out on most assumption questions, the wrong answers are wrong because they are not required assumptions!
Hope this helps.
dan
Question type: Assumption
The organizational structure of this argument is tricky (PREMISE _ CONCLUSION _ PREMISE), and makes it difficult to spot the inherent assumption. A reordering of the argument will make things easier to see (PREMISE _ PREMISE _ CONCLUSION):
No one writing a great poem intends poem to communicate contradictory ideas →
Sometimes reader believes poem expresses contradictory ideas →
So, wrong to think meaning of poem is whatever author intends to communicate.
Essentially, this argument is saying that because the reader sees ideas in the poem that are different from the ideas intended by the author, the meaning of the poem is not what the author intended. This argument requires a two-part assumption.
First, the author assumes that the reader’s interpretation of the poem actually affects what the meaning of the poem is. Consider the following example.
The writer of the movie says the movie is about freedom. Bill thinks the movie is about recklessness. Therefore, the main message of the movie has to do with recklessness.
The author of this argument assumes that Bill’s take on the movie is actually crucial to determining the message of the movie. Likewise, in our argument, the author assumes that the reader’s interpretation of the poem is crucial to determining the meaning of the poem. Answer choice (E) clearly states this assumption.
Second, notice that the premises discuss the ideas expressed in the poem, while the conclusion discusses the meaning of the poem. The ideas expressed in the poem and the intended meaning of the poem may not necessarily be the same thing. Let’s use another example to illustrate:
John believes that the idea of freedom is an idea expressed in the movie. Therefore, the meaning of the movie has to do with freedom.
The author of this argument assumes that the ideas expressed in the movie actually constitute the meaning of the movie. This doesn’t necessarily need to be true. Likewise, in our argument, the author assumes that the ideas expressed in a poem actually constitute the meaning of the poem. Our answer needs to bridge the gap between "ideas" and "meaning." Answer (E) succeeds in doing this.
(A) in incorrect. It is not crucial to the argument that readers will usually disagree about what the author intends to communicate.
(B) is incorrect. The argument does not depend on the fact that there is just one primary idea.
(C) is not an assumption necessary for this argument.
(D) is incorrect. It is not crucial to the argument that every reader understand every single idea in a poem.
As it turns out on most assumption questions, the wrong answers are wrong because they are not required assumptions!
Hope this helps.
dan
2 posts Page 1 of 1