Passage (Ralph Waldo Emerson, *Self-Reliance*, 1841): "Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. Accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events. Great men have always done so, and confided themselves childlike to the genius of their age, betraying their perception that the absolutely trustworthy was seated at their heart, working through their hands, predominating in all their being. And we are now men, and must accept in the highest mind the same transcendent destiny; and not minors and invalids in a protected corner, not cowards fleeing before a revolution, but guides, redeemers and benefactors, obeying the Almighty effort and advancing on Chaos and the Dark." What does Emerson mean by the phrase *every heart vibrates to that iron string*?
AThe injunction *trust thyself* resonates strongly and universally — like a string struck on an instrument.
BPeople are unmoved by the call to self-trust.
CIron strings cannot vibrate.
DOnly musicians understand self-reliance.
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. The injunction *trust thyself* resonates strongly and universally — like a string struck on an instrument.
The metaphor: *trust thyself* is *the iron string*; *every heart vibrates* to it. The image is of universal resonance — the call rings within every listener.
*Iron* (strong, ringing) reinforces the durability and depth of the resonance.
- **A** reverses the meaning.
- **C** treats the metaphor literally.
- **D** narrows the audience.
Related questions
An argument states 'the village bus service is unreliable, so it should be banned'. The unA 'strengthen' CR question asks which option, if true, would:In a GMAT Critical Reasoning question, the FIRST step to take is:In formal GMAT register, which idiom is correct? 'Her findings are _____ those of the earlWhich uses correct parallel structure? 'On weekends she enjoys _____.'Choose the option with correct subject-verb agreement: 'The collection of old coins _____ On GMAT Sentence Correction, the recommended elimination strategy is to:In a GMAT Sentence Correction question, option (A) ALWAYS represents: