Read the excerpt from "Poetry." When they become so derivative as to become unintelligible, the same thing may be said for all of us—that we do not admire what we cannot understand Based on context, what is the most likely definition for “derivative”?

Here, “derivative” describes poetry that has become difficult to understand because it relies too heavily on ideas or styles borrowed from others. The word most nearly means “unoriginal,” so D is correct. “Unique” and “inventive” suggest originality, which is the opposite meaning.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.