Final answer:
The author's statement suggests that individuals, including writers, may act or create in unexpected ways, which supports the claim of the writer's emerging intent to challenge or meet conventional expectations in effective ways. The anecdote about the poet underscores the multifaceted nature of human cognition and the complexity of literary interpretation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The author's mention in lines 102-103 that people surprise themselves sometimes could be indicating that individuals often act in ways that are unexpected, even to themselves, and this can extend to their creations, such as literary works. The author's statement supports the claim that there is an emerging evidence of the writer's intent to meet or challenge conventional expectations in rhetorically effective ways. Essentially, the phrasing suggests that writers might create text that has meanings or implications beyond what they consciously intended.
For instance, a poet may not be aware of certain recurring themes or images in their work until it is pointed out to them, as in the anecdote shared in the question. This serves to highlight that the interpretation of literature can reveal unexpected insights about human behavior or thought patterns, including those of the author. The existence of such surprises underlines the complexity and multifaceted nature of human cognition and creative expression.
The point also ties into the larger discussion regarding the interpretation of texts and the idea that it's essential to focus on the words themselves, rather than presumed intentions. The concept that authors might surprise themselves is pertinent to the exploration of the rhetorical situation and how an author can consciously or unconsciously subvert expectations, which could impact readers in unforeseen ways.