Read the excerpt from "Poetry." I, too, dislike it: there are things that are important beyond all this fiddle. Reading it, however, with a perfect contempt for it, one discovers that there is in it after all, a place for the genuine. Hands that can grasp, eyes that can dilate, hair that can rise if it must, these things are important not because a high-sounding interpretation can be put upon them but because they are useful. What theme does this excerpt best express?
Answer
A
Poetry is interesting only to the author of the poem.
B
Poetry is dull except when written in free verse.
C
Poetry is interesting when it is authentic.
D
Poetry is often a mirror of human behavior.
Explanation
The speaker says that even though they dislike poetry, reading it carefully can reveal “a place for the genuine.” The poem values concrete, authentic details—such as hands, eyes, and hair—because they are real and useful, not because they invite grand interpretations. This best expresses the idea that poetry is interesting when it is authentic.
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