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A large number of famous poets in literary history have died

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by BTGmoderatorDC » Mon May 20, 2019 4:40 am

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A large number of famous poets in literary history have died under the age of 40-Burns, Byron, Keats, Poe, and Shelley, to name a few. By contrast, the large majority of famous painters in art history lived well beyond the age of 40. This difference between famous poets and famous painters is most likely because __________.

Which of the following, if true, most logically completes the argument?

(A) most common problems with the human eye develop only after the age of 40.

(B) the appreciation for both poetry and fine painting tends to mature and develop later in life.

(C) writing poetry draw on both the right and left cerebral hemispheres, while painting is almost completely a right hemispheric process.

(D) many famous classical composers, such Schubert, also died before reaching the age of 40, and Schubert often set poetry to music in his songs.

(E) poets can write poems that establish their fame while they are young, while painters typically gain fame only as they age.

OA E

Source: Magoosh
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Source: — Critical Reasoning |

by deloitte247 » Sat May 25, 2019 6:36 pm
The poets who die young are already famous, but the painters who die young haven't established their fame yet. So, we wind up knowing poets who died young but not painters who died young.

Option A - Incorrect
Eye-problems developed after the age of 40 that would suggest problems for an older painter more so than for poets. But, that wouldn't explain why we know older painters.

Option B - Incorrect
The info is more about the fans of poetry and painting, not the folks producing the poems or the paintings. Furthermore, something that is the same for both doesn't explain a difference.

Option C - Incorrect
Using different hemispheres of the brain has nothing life-expectancy. So, it is irrelevant in this context.

Option D - Incorrect
This is entirely irrelevant and adds no insight into what was originally discussed in the prompt.

Option E - Correct
The issue is not about life-expectancy of various artistic pursuits, but about who gets famous in their respective profession. Among both poets and painters, some die young, and some live longer.
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