Question

According to Arnold, what is the best way to judge poetry?

• A. By its entertainment value
• B. By comparing it with the greatest works of the past
• C. By considering the poet’s personal life
• D. By the number of copies it sells

Answer 1

Answer:

B. By comparing it with the greatest works of the past

according to Matthew Arnold, the best way to judge poetry is by comparing it with the greatest works of the past. He believed that to determine a poem’s true worth, it should be measured against the "touchstones"—the finest examples of poetry from great poets such as Homer, Dante, Shakespeare, and Milton.

In The Study of Poetry (1880), Arnold introduced the Touchstone Method, where short, exemplary passages from these masterworks serve as a standard for evaluating new poetry. This approach ensures that poetry is judged objectively based on its intrinsic artistic and intellectual merit, rather than personal preference (Personal Estimate) or historical reputation (Historic Estimate).