Question

What is meant by Eliot’s “historical sense”?

• A. Learning about ancient cultures.
• B. Viewing the past as unchangeable.
• C. Feeling the influence of past literature in present writing.
• D. Writing historical fiction.

Answer 1

Answer:

C. Feeling the influence of past literature in present writing.

Eliot describes historical sense as “a perception, not only of the pastness of the past, but of its presence.” It’s about understanding literature as a living tradition that evolves.