Question

"We dwell with satisfaction upon the poet's difference from his predecessors, especially his immediate predecessors; [...]. Whereas if we approach a poet without this prejudice we shall often find that not only the best, but the most individual parts of his works may be those in which the dead poets, his ancestors, assert their immortality most vigorously."
Which of the following options is/are implied by this excerpt?

• A. Being different from one's predecessors need not be the defining characteristic of a good poet.
• B. What we consider original in a poem, may be deeply rooted in tradition.
• C. There is no difference between old and new poems.
• D. The past is often a living presence in good contemporary poetry.

Answer 1

Answer: (A), (B), (D)

Being different from one's predecessors need not be the defining characteristic of a good poet.

Answer 2

The correct options are: A, B and D