There is a popular view among literary critics that a poem can never be accurately paraphrased because a poem is itse...

AndreaK on September 24, 2019

Hi @cjahangiri,

Let’s start by analyzing the conclusion of this argument.

Conclusion:
Their view that poetry cannot be accurately paraphrased is false.

Why?

Evidence:
A popular view among critics is that a poem can never be accurately paraphrased, because a poem itself is the only accurate expression of its meaning. But these same critics also claim that their own paraphrases of poems are accurate.

This is a type of flaw that you will probably see again on another question. So, let’s deep dive into this one so next time, you’ll know it right when you see it.

According to this stimulus, one of two possible alternatives is given as the conclusion. Yes, it could be the case that the view that poetry cannot be accurately paraphrased is false. However, there’s another premise we need to consider here:

….”these same critics hold that their own paraphrases of particular poems are accurate.”

The argument is assuming that this second premise is true. That’s how they conclude that the first one must be false.

However, what if the first premise were true and it was actually the case that the critics own paraphrases of poems are not accurate?

D) provides no justification for favoring one of the literary critics’ beliefs over the other

This answer choice describes what’s happening. In this stimulus, the second alternative is just as likely as the first because they don’t give us a reason to favor one alternative or the other.