In this passage from a lecture Ralph Waldo Emerson gave in 1837, he focuses on the role of books in education from The American Scholar
It is remarkable, the character of the pleasure we derive from the best books. They impress us ever with the conviction that one nature
wrote and the same reads. We read the verses of one of the great English poets, of Chaucer, of Marvell, of Dryden, with the most modern joyz-with
a pleasure, I mean, which is in great part caused by the abstraction of all time from their verses. There is some awe mixed with the joy of our
surprise, when this poet, who lived in some past world, two or three hundred years ago, says that which lies close to my own soul, that which I also
had well-nigh thought and said,
(from "The American Scholar" by Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Which sentence best expresses the main idea of the passage?
O 1. People enjoy rereading the work of well-known poets and authors.
2. Great literature addresses universal experiences and remains relevant over time.
3. Modern writers are inspired by the work of writers who lived hundreds of years ago.
4. The books that are most influential are those that have well-developed characters.