Samuel Taylor Coleridge Question answers

 

I. Answer the following questions in two or three sentences

1. What was the name of the joint publication by Coleridge and Wordsworth that launched the Romantic movement?

The joint publication was Lyrical Ballads (1798). It is widely regarded as the work that formally launched the Romantic movement in English literature by redefining the themes, language, and purpose of poetry.

2. Which German philosopher's ideas deeply influenced Coleridge's critical work?

Coleridge was deeply influenced by the ideas of Immanuel Kant. Kant’s philosophy shaped Coleridge’s thinking on perception, consciousness, and the nature of imagination.

3. In which famous chapter of Biographia Literaria does Coleridge define the Imagination?

Coleridge defines the Imagination most famously in Chapter XIII of Biographia Literaria. This chapter contains his authoritative distinction between Primary Imagination, Secondary Imagination, and Fancy.

4. According to Coleridge, what is Fancy?

Fancy is a mechanical faculty dependent on memory and association. It merely combines fixed and ready-made elements without transforming or unifying them creatively.

5. Name the two forms of Imagination that Coleridge identifies.

Coleridge identifies Primary Imagination and Secondary Imagination. Both are creative faculties, differing in degree and mode of operation.

6. What does the Secondary Imagination “dissolve, diffuse, and dissipate” in order to do?

The Secondary Imagination dissolves and breaks down existing impressions in order to re-create and unify them into new artistic forms. This process makes genuine poetic creation possible.

7. What term does Coleridge use for the reader's “willing suspension of disbelief”?

Coleridge uses the term “poetic faith”. It refers to the reader’s temporary acceptance of imaginative truth during the poetic experience.

8. What was Coleridge's primary criticism of Wordsworth's idea of using the ‘real language of men’?

Coleridge argued that poetic language cannot be identical to ordinary speech. He insisted that poetry requires a more refined, reflective, and philosophical language than everyday rustic usage.

9. According to Coleridge, what is the immediate purpose of a poem?

According to Coleridge, the immediate purpose of a poem is to give pleasure. Truth is the ultimate aim, but it is conveyed indirectly through aesthetic delight.

10. Which concept did John Keats develop later related to Coleridge's theories?

John Keats later developed the concept of Negative Capability. It reflects Coleridge’s idea of the imagination’s power to hold contradictions without seeking logical resolution.

II. Answer the following questions in about 150 words

11. Explain Coleridge's distinction between Primary and Secondary Imagination.

Coleridge distinguishes between Primary and Secondary Imagination based on function and degree. Primary Imagination is universal and unconscious; it is the fundamental power through which all human beings perceive and organise sensory experience. Coleridge describes it as a repetition, in the finite human mind.

Secondary Imagination, on the other hand, belongs specifically to the artist or poet. It operates with conscious will and intellectual effort. While it resembles the primary imagination in kind, it differs in degree and mode of operation. The secondary imagination dissolves, diffuses, and reshapes perceptions received through the primary imagination to create new, unified artistic forms. Thus, the key difference lies in creative transformation, which is exclusive to the secondary imagination.

12. Differentiate between Fancy and Imagination.

Coleridge sharply differentiates Fancy from Imagination. Imagination is a vital, creative, and unifying power that transforms experience into organic artistic wholes. It actively reshapes reality and fuses diverse elements into meaningful unity.

Fancy, in contrast, is mechanical and passive. It is merely a form of memory operating through association and choice. Fancy can combine images but cannot transform or fuse them. While imagination creates, fancy decorates. Therefore, imagination is the essence of poetry, whereas fancy results in superficial ornamentation without depth or originality.

13. How did Coleridge's personal struggles and intellectual friendships contribute to his development as a central Romantic figure?

Coleridge’s personal struggles, including his unhappy marriage, lack of formal academic completion, and addiction to opium, created emotional instability but also deepened his introspective and philosophical temperament. His intellectual friendships, particularly with William Wordsworth, played a significant role in shaping his poetic and critical vision. Their collaboration on Lyrical Ballads stimulated Coleridge’s interest in imagination and poetic theory. Additionally, his exposure to German philosophy during his travels expanded his critical framework. These combined experiences positioned Coleridge as both a Romantic poet and a profound literary theorist.

14. Briefly describe Coleridge's critique of Wordsworth's poetic theory.

In Biographia Literaria, Coleridge critiques Wordsworth’s claim that poetry should employ the “real language of men.” While he agrees with Wordsworth’s aim of deepening human emotion, Coleridge argues that poetic language must be refined and philosophical, not merely rustic. He questions whether profound thought can be sustained in a deliberately low or plain style. Coleridge also points out inconsistencies between Wordsworth’s theory and his actual poetic practice. 

15. Describe how Coleridge's definition of the ideal Poet and the purpose of poetry differed from neoclassical views.

Neoclassical critics viewed poetry primarily as imitation governed by fixed rules and rational order. Coleridge rejects this mechanical view. He defines the ideal poet as one who activates the whole soul, using imagination to reconcile opposites such as emotion and thought, freedom and order. For Coleridge, poetry is not imitation but an imaginative act. Its immediate purpose is pleasure, achieved through organic unity, rather than moral instruction or adherence to rigid forms.

16. How did Coleridge's theories on imagination act as a bridge between early and later Romanticism?

Coleridge’s theory of imagination provided Romanticism with a philosophical foundation. By defining imagination as a creative, unifying power rather than mere fancy, he influenced later Romantics such as Shelley and Keats, who emphasized visionary experience and imaginative freedom. His ideas allowed Romantic poetry to move beyond nature-description towards symbolic, metaphysical, and psychological exploration. Thus, Coleridge bridged early Romantic emphasis on emotion with later Romantic complexity and introspection.

III. Answer the following questions in about 300 words

17. Analyse the philosophical underpinnings of Coleridge's theory of Imagination.

Coleridge’s theory of imagination is deeply rooted in German Idealist philosophy, particularly the ideas of Immanuel Kant and Schelling. Kant’s distinction between passive sensation and active perception influenced Coleridge’s view that the human mind actively shapes reality. For Coleridge, perception itself is a creative act, not a mechanical reception of impressions.

This belief leads to his conception of Primary Imagination as the “living power” of perception, a finite repetition of the divine act of creation. Here, Coleridge blends philosophy with theology, suggesting that human creativity reflects the creative principle of God.

The Secondary Imagination extends this idea into the realm of art. It consciously transforms experience, dissolving fixed impressions in order to re-create them into unified artistic forms. This emphasis on organic unity directly opposes Enlightenment materialism and mechanical theories of mind.

Coleridge also rejects associationist psychology, which reduces mental activity to memory and habit. Instead, he presents imagination as dynamic, vital, and synthetic. Thus, his theory represents a philosophical synthesis of metaphysics, theology, and aesthetics, making imagination the central force behind both perception and poetic creation.

18. How did Coleridge justify the need for a refined poetic language?

Coleridge argued that poetic language must differ from the “real language of men” because poetry deals with heightened emotion, reflection, and imaginative truth. Ordinary speech, shaped by practical needs, lacks the precision and depth required for poetic expression.

He maintained that poetry arises from deep thought and philosophical reflection, not from rustic simplicity. While Wordsworth believed common language brought poetry closer to life, Coleridge countered that poetic diction must be selective and elevated, though not artificial.

Coleridge also stressed organic unity, where language, metre, imagery, and thought work together harmoniously. Such unity cannot be achieved through unrefined speech. Therefore, poetic language must be refined to convey complex emotional and intellectual experiences effectively.

19. Discuss the contribution of the poet-critic S. T. Coleridge in literary theory.

Coleridge’s contribution to literary theory is both foundational and transformative. Through Biographia Literaria, he established literary criticism on a philosophical basis. His distinction between Imagination and Fancy reshaped understanding of poetic creativity.

He introduced key concepts such as organic unity, poetic faith, and the esemplastic power of imagination. Coleridge was also the first English critic to offer a systematic philosophical account of imagination, integrating German Idealism with English literary tradition.

 As a poet-critic, Coleridge bridged creative practice and critical reflection, profoundly influencing Romantic and modern literary criticism.

20. How does Romantic poetry embody the creative power of imagination?

Romantic poetry embodies imagination as a transformative and unifying force. Rather than merely imitating reality, Romantic poets reshape experience through imaginative vision. In Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, imagination fuses the natural and supernatural to explore guilt and redemption.

Wordsworth uses imagination to give emotional depth to ordinary life, while Shelley and Keats extend imaginative power to philosophical and symbolic realms. Imagination harmonises opposites—emotion and intellect, nature and self—into organic unity. Thus, Romantic poetry exemplifies imagination as the central creative faculty that reveals deeper truths beyond rational explanation.