Sentence Correction

Although he is as gifted as, if not more gifted than, many of his colleagues, he is extremely modest and his poetry is unpublished.

(A) Although he is as gifted as, if not more gifted than, many of his colleagues, he is extremely modest and his poetry is unpublished.
(B) Although he is as gifted, if not more gifted, than many of his colleagues, he is extremely modest and with his poetry remaining unpublished.
(C) Although he is as gifted as, if not more gifted than, many of his colleagues, he is extremely modest and will not publish his poetry.
(D) Despite his being gifted, if not more gifted than his colleagues, he is extremely modest and will not publish his poetry.
(E) Being a gifted as, or more gifted than, many of his colleagues, he is extremely modest and his poetry is unpublished.[/u]

OA:C

Eliminate the appositive/non-essential clause in the beginning to see if the sentence reads well around the commas:

A) Although he is as gifted as, if not more gifted than, many of his colleagues, he is extremely modest and his poetry is unpublished. -- INCORRECT, not as good as C because it ends in the passive voice.
B) Although he is as gifted , if not more gifted, than many of his colleagues -- INCORRECT, doesn't make sense.
C) Although he is as gifted as, if not more gifted than, many of his colleagues, he is extremely modest and will not publish his poetry. - CORRECT
D) Despite his being gifted, if not more gifted than his colleagues, he is extremely modest and will not publish his poetry... -- INCORRECT very wordy and in the passive voice in the beginning
E) Being a gifted as, or more gifted than, many of his colleagues, he is extremely modest and his poetry is unpublished. -- INCORRECT - Starts and ends the sentence in the passive voice