The correct answer, 3. "in those parts where the dead poets assert their immortality," aligns with T.S. Eliot's concept of poetic tradition, particularly as expressed in his influential essay "Tradition and the Individual Talent" (1919).
Explanation:
Eliot argues that a great poet’s work is not just original in a vacuum; instead, it participates in a continuous tradition. In his view:
Immortality of past poets refers to how a living poet's work becomes a medium for the re-expression of earlier poets' enduring ideas and forms.
Eliot insists that the best parts of a poet’s work occur where the influence of the poetic tradition (i.e., "dead poets") is most powerfully felt. This doesn’t mean the poet is merely copying predecessors, but that their individuality merges with this larger literary tradition, giving life to both the old and new.
Thus, the "immortality" of dead poets is asserted when the new poet subtly integrates, builds upon, and revitalizes their influence. Eliot’s notion rejects the idea of radical originality, focusing instead on how great art is a blend of past and present.
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