Question

According to the passage, Rossetti's poems

• A. were criticized by reviewers as not progressive enough
• B. violated certain aesthetic ideals through their portrayals of violence
• C. suggested that Rossetti had rejected the themes of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
• D. came under attack for their emphasis on conventional morality rather than meaningful content
• E. were criticized for focusing too much on aestheticism rather than spiritual and tender themes

Hint:

When answering reading comprehension questions, focus on specific phrases or terms from the passage that are emphasized, such as the critique of "aestheticism" in this case.

Answer 1

Answer: (E)

Step 1: Understanding the passage.
The passage discusses the criticisms of Rossetti's work by the critic Robert Buchanan. Buchanan specifically criticizes Rossetti's poems for being "never spiritual, never tender, always self-conscious and aesthetic." This suggests that Buchanan found Rossetti's works overly focused on aestheticism rather than deeper, more meaningful content.

Step 2: Analysis of options.
- (A) were criticized by reviewers as not progressive enough: Incorrect. The passage discusses Rossetti's works being criticized for their aestheticism, not for being unprogressive.
- (B) violated certain aesthetic ideals through their portrayals of violence: Incorrect. While Buchanan criticizes the lack of spiritual depth in Rossetti's work, the passage does not highlight the portrayal of violence as the main issue.
- (C) suggested that Rossetti had rejected the themes of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood: Incorrect. The passage does not discuss Rossetti rejecting Pre-Raphaelite themes; it focuses more on his aestheticism.
- (D) came under attack for their emphasis on conventional morality rather than meaningful content: Incorrect. The passage suggests that Rossetti's works emphasized form over meaningful content, but the issue was more about lack of spiritual and tender themes, not conventional morality.
- (E) were criticized for focusing too much on aestheticism rather than spiritual and tender themes: Correct. Buchanan criticized Rossetti's works for being "always self-conscious and aesthetic," lacking spiritual and tender qualities. This matches the answer choice (E).

Step 3: Conclusion.
The correct answer is (E) were criticized for focusing too much on aestheticism rather than spiritual and tender themes.

Final Answer: \[ \boxed{(E) \, \text{were criticized for focusing too much on aestheticism rather than spiritual and tender themes.}} \]