Q7

[HojiakbarM997]

7. (D)
In lines 30-31, the author expresses dismay that Wheatley did not integrate African traditions into
her poetry in order to create an African American literary language. It is inferable, therefore, that
the author would have praised Wheatley’s work even more had Wheatley done so.
(A) “Black English” is mentioned in the third ¶ as a potential source that Wheatley could have used
in creating an African American literary language. However, the author never criticizes Wheatley
for failing to influence the way English is spoken.
(B) The author would have praised Phillis Wheatley more if she had invented an African American
literary tradition.
(C) To the extent that the author is critical of Wheatley, it’s because Wheatley so strictly adhered to
the conventions of eighteenth-century English poetry.
(E) The author doesn’t bring up the general issue of “the barriers that written English literary forms
presented to Black authors.”
• This question illustrates the importance of grasping authorial main idea. If you recognized
that the author argues that Wheatley failed to play a role in developing an African American
literary language, settling on choice (D) should have been a snap.