Question

From the following context clues, determine what definition of "sententious" Lawrence is using.

Answer 1

From the following context clues, determine what definition of "sententious" Lawrence is using.

And Melville really is a bit sententious: aware of himself, self-conscious, putting something over even himself. But then it's not easy to get into the swing of a piece of deep mysticism when you just set out with a story.
Nobody can be more clownish, more clumsy and sententiously in bad taste, than Herman Melville, even in a great book like Moby wingspan. He preaches and holds forth because he's not sure of himself. And he holds forth, often, so amateurishly.

—D.H. Lawrence, from Studies in Classic American Literature

Hint: The following all correctly define "sententiously." Think connotation.

tense and energetic
concise and full of meaning
preachy; given to ponderous moral lecturing
precise and exact