Question

Read the passage from A Room of One’s Own.

Indeed, I would venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so many poems without singing them, was often a woman. It was a woman Edward Fitzgerald, I think, suggested who made the ballads and the folk-songs, crooning them to her children, beguiling her spinning with them, or the length of the winter's night.

How do the underlined words emphasize the author’s ideas?

The words’ neutral connotations indicate that women create better work when they remain anonymous.
The words’ negative connotations indicate that the work of women artists tends to be overly emotional.
The words’ positive connotations indicate that women’s artistic talent is greater than men’s talent.
The words’ positive connotations emphasize the beauty and skill in the work of a particular female artist.

Answer 1

The fourth option. The words (e.g., "crooning," "beguiling") have positive, affectionate connotations that highlight the beauty, skill, and value of a woman's private, domestic creativity rather than dismissing it.