Question

read the excerpt from \a defence of poetry.\

hence the fame of sculptors, painters, and musicians, although the intrinsic powers of the great masters of these arts may yield in no degree to that of those who have employed language as the hieroglyphic of their thoughts, has never equalled that of poets in the restricted sense of the term, as two performers of equal skill will produce unequal effects from a guitar and a harp. the fame of legislators and founders of religions, so long as their institutions last, alone seems to exceed that of poets in the restricted sense; but it can scarcely be a question, whether, if we deduct the celebrity which their flattery of the gross opinions of the vulgar usually conciliates, together with that which belonged to them in their higher character of poets, any excess will remain.

this excerpt suggests that poetry is to other art forms.

inferior
superior
equal
similar

Explanation:

Analyze the prompt and text

The question asks us to complete the sentence: "This excerpt suggests that poetry is [blank] to other art forms."
The options provided in the dropdown menu are:

• inferior
• superior
• equal
• similar

Let's analyze the excerpt from Percy Bysshe Shelley's "A Defence of Poetry":
"Hence the fame of sculptors, painters, and musicians, although the intrinsic powers of the great masters of these arts may yield in no degree to that of those who have employed language as the hieroglyphic of their thoughts, has never equalled that of poets..."

Evaluate the textual evidence

Using the Textual Evidence knowledge point:

• The text compares the "fame of sculptors, painters, and musicians" (other art forms) to the fame of "poets".
• It states that although the intrinsic powers of other artists "may yield in no degree" (are not necessarily lesser in raw talent) to those who use language, their fame "has never equalled that of poets".
• This indicates that the fame and impact of poetry and poets surpass those of other artists.

Determine the author's purpose

Using the Author's Purpose knowledge point:

• Shelley's purpose in this essay is to elevate poetry above other forms of art and social institutions.
• By stating that the fame of other artists "has never equalled that of poets," he argues that poetry holds a higher, more celebrated, and more impactful status.
• Therefore, the excerpt suggests that poetry is superior to other art forms.

Answer:

This excerpt suggests that poetry is <blank>superior</blank> to other art forms.