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For an obscure poet to have penned such a refined, poignant sonnet is
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21 Sep 2025, 23:25
21 Sep 2025, 23:25
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28% (01:05) correct
71% (01:09) wrong based on 14 sessions
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For an obscure poet to have penned such a refined, poignant sonnet is not at all (i)_____. The sonnet, after all, has been a favored form for hundreds of years amongst the amateur and lionized alike. I would be (ii)__________, on the other hand, had not one, out of the sheer number produced during this time, surpassed Shakespeare on a bad day.
| Blank (i) | Blank (ii) |
|---|---|
| A. rare | D. confounded |
| B. puzzling | E. vindicated |
| C. conceivable | F. hard-pressed |
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For an obscure poet to have penned such a refined, poignant sonnet is
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24 Sep 2025, 09:57
24 Sep 2025, 09:57
Expert Reply
Let's break this down.
The first sentence says:
For an obscure poet to have penned such a refined, poignant sonnet is not at all ________ .
The next sentence explains:
The sonnet has been a favored form for hundreds of years among both amateurs and famous poets.
So the idea is: it's not surprising that an obscure poet could write a great sonnet, because many people have used the form.
We need a word meaning "surprising" or "hard to believe" for blank (i).
- A. rare - doesn't fit idiomatically: "not at all rare" would mean "common," but the structure "For X to have happened is not at all rare" is possible, though "rare" is more about frequency than plausibility; but here the sense is about being puzzling or inexplicable.
- B. puzzling - fits: "not at all puzzling" = "not surprising."
- C. conceivable - "not at all conceivable" = "impossible," which is opposite of the intended meaning.
So blank (i) = B. puzzling.
Second blank:
I would be ________ , on the other hand, had not one, out of the sheer number produced during this time, surpassed Shakespeare on a bad day.
Meaning: given the huge number of sonnets written over centuries, it would be surprising if none were better than Shakespeare on a bad day. So "I would be surprised" if that hadn't happened.
Look at options:
- D. confounded - means bewildered, surprised (fits).
- E. vindicated - means justified, doesn't fit.
- F. hard-pressed - "I would be hard-pressed" means "I would have difficulty," e.g., "I'd be hardpressed to believe it" - but here the structure is "I would be hard-pressed had not one..." - not quite right; "confounded" is more direct for "surprised/astonished."
Between D and F, "confounded" fits the tone of intellectual surprise better.
Final answer:
Blank (i): B. puzzling
Blank (ii): D. confounded
The first sentence says:
For an obscure poet to have penned such a refined, poignant sonnet is not at all ________ .
The next sentence explains:
The sonnet has been a favored form for hundreds of years among both amateurs and famous poets.
So the idea is: it's not surprising that an obscure poet could write a great sonnet, because many people have used the form.
We need a word meaning "surprising" or "hard to believe" for blank (i).
- A. rare - doesn't fit idiomatically: "not at all rare" would mean "common," but the structure "For X to have happened is not at all rare" is possible, though "rare" is more about frequency than plausibility; but here the sense is about being puzzling or inexplicable.
- B. puzzling - fits: "not at all puzzling" = "not surprising."
- C. conceivable - "not at all conceivable" = "impossible," which is opposite of the intended meaning.
So blank (i) = B. puzzling.
Second blank:
I would be ________ , on the other hand, had not one, out of the sheer number produced during this time, surpassed Shakespeare on a bad day.
Meaning: given the huge number of sonnets written over centuries, it would be surprising if none were better than Shakespeare on a bad day. So "I would be surprised" if that hadn't happened.
Look at options:
- D. confounded - means bewildered, surprised (fits).
- E. vindicated - means justified, doesn't fit.
- F. hard-pressed - "I would be hard-pressed" means "I would have difficulty," e.g., "I'd be hardpressed to believe it" - but here the structure is "I would be hard-pressed had not one..." - not quite right; "confounded" is more direct for "surprised/astonished."
Between D and F, "confounded" fits the tone of intellectual surprise better.
Final answer:
Blank (i): B. puzzling
Blank (ii): D. confounded
For an obscure poet to have penned such a refined, poignant sonnet is
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24 Sep 2025, 10:09
24 Sep 2025, 10:09
1
My explanation is as follows
Obscure means not known or not made clear
In this context, not know is the one
The next sentence says the sonnets are afterall prefered for many years
Rare here doesn't make any sense, how are we talking about rariety here?
Conceivable also doesn't make any sense because this word when put in the blank sounds wrong. Grasping the fact that an obscure poet made a good sonnet?
Second blank's sentence says that says that in such a huge, massive pile of sonnets, atleast one has to surpass the bad ones of Shakespeare. Shakespeare is not invincible
So confounded makes the most sense
Obscure means not known or not made clear
In this context, not know is the one
The next sentence says the sonnets are afterall prefered for many years
Rare here doesn't make any sense, how are we talking about rariety here?
Conceivable also doesn't make any sense because this word when put in the blank sounds wrong. Grasping the fact that an obscure poet made a good sonnet?
Second blank's sentence says that says that in such a huge, massive pile of sonnets, atleast one has to surpass the bad ones of Shakespeare. Shakespeare is not invincible
So confounded makes the most sense
