OpenSAT

Question #N583

The 1960s saw a flowering of experimental poetry. Poets in this period were not content to simply record their observations; they wanted to challenge readers’ expectations of what poetry could be. As a result, poets began to experiment with form and style, often using unconventional techniques and language. One such poet was E. E. Cummings, whose poems are known for their unconventional use of punctuation and capitalization. For example, the poem "i sing of Olaf glad and big" features lines that are not only broken up in unexpected ways but also contain words that are run together without spaces. "i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart)" is another example of Cummings’s unconventional punctuation, a poem that is broken up into lines of varying lengths and that uses parentheses to set off an extended metaphor.

Which of the following choices best explains the purpose of the sentence "\"i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart)" is another example of Cummings’s unconventional punctuation"?

A. To emphasize that Cummings’s unconventional punctuation is often used to set off extended metaphors.

B. To provide a contrasting example of unconventional punctuation to "i sing of Olaf glad and big."

C. To illustrate the way in which Cummings’s unconventional punctuation can be used to create a sense of intimacy and connection with the reader.

D. To introduce the reader to the specific unconventional techniques that Cummings is known for.

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Correct Answer is: B

The sentence provides an example of unconventional punctuation, which is the use of parentheses to set off an extended metaphor. This is in contrast to the unconventional punctuation that Cummings uses in "i sing of Olaf glad and big," where Cummings breaks up lines in unexpected ways and does not use spaces between words. This contrast helps to illustrate the variety of unconventional punctuation techniques that Cummings uses in his poetry.