Explanation
Correct answer: B.
Choice B is the best answer. “Nonetheless” is a transition that indicates disagreement. The first sentence describes the unlikelihood of finding much for critical analysis in Ashbery’s poem (“barren terrain”), while the second sentence describes how Berlant did in fact find much to analyze in Ashbery’s poem (“fertile ground”), so the transition “nonetheless” fits perfectly.
Why the other choices are wrong
Choice A
Choice A is incorrect. This choice uses a transition that indicates the addition of a new but similar idea, which doesn’t make sense here. The idea in this sentence directly contradicts the idea in the previous sentence.
Choice C
Choice C is incorrect. This choice uses a cause-and-effect transition, which doesn’t make sense in this context—a poem seemingly having little opportunity for critical analysis would not cause someone to write an extensive critical analysis (in fact, we might expect the opposite).
Choice D
Choice D is incorrect. This choice uses a transition that indicates a restatement of the same idea in other words. But the text isn’t restating the first idea here. Instead, it’s offering a contradiction to the idea expressed in the first sentence.