Question

What type of evidence would support the rebuttal? Check all that apply.

Rebuttal: It is true that Bob Dylan has published traditional poetry and prose. However, one book of poetry and one memoir would not qualify him for the prize. The prize was awarded based on his songwriting, which does not qualify as literature.

statistics about the number of books written by past recipients of the Nobel Prize in Literature
a review that an acclaimed literary professional wrote about Bob Dylan’s book of poetry
a quotation by a literary scholar explaining why Dylan’s lyrics are not poetry
quotations from both Tarantula and Chronicles: Volume One
a quotation from a Nobel judge explaining that the prize was awarded because of Dylan’s lyrics

Answer 1

Correct choices: 1, 3, and 5.

- 1 (statistics about number of books by past laureates): supports the claim that a single book is atypical/insufficient compared with past winners.
- 3 (quotation by a literary scholar explaining why Dylan’s lyrics are not poetry): directly supports the contention that his songwriting does not qualify as literature.
- 5 (quotation from a Nobel judge saying the prize was awarded because of Dylan’s lyrics): supports the claim that the committee awarded the prize for songwriting rather than for traditional literary work.

Options 2 and 4 would either undermine the rebuttal (2 could show his poetry is taken seriously) or are neutral/irrelevant (4 merely reproduces his writings).