What was Thomas Carlyle implying by the phrase "Close thy Byron; open thy Goethe"?

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Britain’s status as a world leader hinges on learning foreign tongues.A foreign writer is preferable to a dishonest native author.Reject the self-absorption of Romantic poets and embrace the profound ethical vision embodied by Goethe.Byron and Goethe symbolically represent Queen Victoria and Charles Darwin in a subtle critique of the monarchy.None of the above.

Explanation

Option D is correct because Carlyle used Byron and Goethe as symbolic figures to subtly criticize the monarchy, associating Byron with Queen Victoria and Goethe with Charles Darwin. The other options misinterpret the metaphor by focusing on language acquisition, literary preference, or moral philosophy rather than the intended political allegory.