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Verbal·Craft and Structure·Cross-Text Connections
hard
Text 1
John Clare’s poetry, reflecting both the beauty and the harshness of nineteenth-century rural England, demonstrates that an effective poetic portrayal of nature must be grounded in the authenticity of everyday lived experience. As a tenant farmer and a self-taught poet, Clare wrote verse that is infused with rhythms of agrarian life. This is evident in “The Shepherd’s Calendar,” which vividly depicts the changing seasons and daily patterns of rural existence.

Text 2
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, like many other Romantic-era poets, admired nature from afar. His poetry often portrays common landscapes in a mystical, awe-inspiring way, inviting readers to see nature’s grandeur and share in his reverence for it. “Frost at Midnight” exemplifies this perspective as the poet uses the quiet of a winter night to contemplate nature’s beauty and its connection to human thought.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the underlined claim in Text 1?
A
By questioning the idea that poetic depictions of nature that do not derive from authentic everyday experience are ineffective
B
By asserting that a deep admiration for nature can also enhance the authenticity of its portrayals in poetry
C
By claiming that authentic portrayals of nature in poetry come from encountering natural settings in the company of others
D
By proposing that authentic portrayals of nature require a balance of both lived experience and poetic imagination