Question

How does Eliot describe the relationship between the past and the present in tradition?

• A. They exist independently of each other.
• B. The past is static, while the present is dynamic.
• C. The present alters the past, and the past directs the present.
• D. The past dictates the present entirely.

Answer 1

Answer:

C. The present alters the past, and the past directs the present.

In T.S. Eliot's concept of "tradition," the past and present are not seen as separate entities, but rather as a continuous, interwoven tapestry where a poet must be conscious of the past's "presence" within the present moment, essentially viewing history as a "simultaneous order" where both past and present coexist and inform each other; a true poet actively engages with the literary tradition of the past to create new work that is deeply rooted in this historical consciousness.