What 'touchstone method' did Arnold propose for evaluating the quality of poetry?
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Correct answer: Using short passages from great poets as an objective benchmark
The 'touchstone method' involves using lines from established classics (like Homer, Dante, or Milton) to compare against new poetry. This serves as an objective test for high poetic quality and 'high seriousness'.
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More Matthew Arnold questions
- Which elegiac poem did Arnold write to commemorate his friend Arthur Hugh Clough?
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