What did Thomas Carlyle mean by \Close thy Byron; open thy Goethe\ ?

A. Abandon the introspection of the Romantics and turn to the higher moral purpose found in Goethe.

B. In a carefully veiled critique of the monarchy, Byron and Goethe stand in symbolically for Queen Victoria and Charles Darwin respectively.

C. Even a foreign author is better than a homegrown scoundrel.

D. Britains preeminence as a global power will depend on mastery of foreign languages.

Found an error? Read our corrections policy and submit a sourced correction below. You can also share a useful explanation in your own words.

Discuss the answer or suggest a sourced correction
Thank you for contributing.
Your comment was submitted and will appear after editorial review.

Your email is used only for moderation and is never displayed. Spam, copied material and fabricated endorsements are rejected.