Biographia Literaria : Summary

Summary

Introduction and Background: “Biographia Literaria” is a famous prose work by the Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It was published in 1817 in two volumes. The title means “Literary Biography.” The book seamlessly blends Coleridge’s personal life with his thoughts on literature, poetry, and philosophy. Although it appears to be an autobiography, it is not written in a straightforward or simple manner. Instead, it feels more like a thoughtful conversation where Coleridge shares his opinions, memories, and ideas in a deep and often complex style.

Structure and Tone: The book is shaped by many influences. These influences include Wordsworth’s views on poetry and those of German philosophers such as Kant and Schelling. The structure of the book may seem loose, but it is planned and thoughtful. Its subtitle, “Biographical Sketches of My Literary Life and Opinions,” hints that the book is more about ideas than events. It has a meditative style and often speaks directly to the reader. Some critics disliked its form. They call it confusing or a result of Coleridge’s illness. Others later praised it as a deep and important work of literary theory. They claim that it is full of meaning despite its complex shape.

Purpose and Content Overview: At first, Coleridge wanted to write a preface to explain his poems. However, this small plan gradually evolved into a lengthy book about his life, education, reading habits, and, most importantly, his beliefs about poetry and imagination. The book also gives a long response to Wordsworth’s “Preface to the Lyrical Ballads.” Even though Coleridge and Wordsworth were friends and worked together, Coleridge disagreed with some of Wordsworth’s ideas.

In the early chapters of the book, Coleridge discusses how his thinking evolved over time. He explains that he used to follow a type of psychology. This psychology believed that the mind worked like a machine. It connects ideas one by one. However, he later rejected this view. He began to believe that the human mind is active. He claims it shapes and creates, not just receives, ideas. He believed in the power of genius. The author also made a strong distinction between two creative powers: imagination and fancy.

Theory of Imagination and Fancy: Imagination comes from the Latin imaginatio. Fancy derives from the Greek phantasia. They are opposites. To Coleridge, imagination is the soul of poetry. It is deep, powerful, and helps us see spiritual unity in the world. He even gave it a new name: esemplastic. This word signifies the ability to bring many things together into a unified whole. He divides imagination into two kinds: Primary Imagination and Secondary Imagination. 

The primary imagination is the basic power all humans use to understand the world around them. It is an unconscious part of the mind. It brings infinite things to finite and order to chaos. It also functions as raw materials for the secondary imagination. The secondary imagination is used by poets and artists. It is creative and powerful. Therefore, the first is compared to a physical change: water into ice. The second is to the chemical change, as it creates completely new things. 

All types of people possess these two kinds of imagination. But differences occur in expression. So, everybody can not be a poet or a philosopher. A poet modifies the raw ideas and objects of primary imagination and creates a refined and mature one due to the power of secondary imagination. On the other hand, fancy is just a lower power that collects things that are already known. It cannot create anything new.

Coleridge was inspired by great German philosophers like Kant and Schelling. He used their ideas to develop his own perspective on imagination and reality. But many parts of his book were copied or closely based on the writings of these philosophers, especially Schelling. Some people later accused him of plagiarism. Still, modern critics often believe that even if he borrowed, Coleridge used those ideas in a thoughtful and personal way.

Differences between Prose and Poetry: One of the most famous parts of Biographia Literaria is Chapter 14. Here, Coleridge talks about the purpose of poetry. Coleridge explains that poetry and prose can use the same words (they are the same). The difference is in how those words are organized. Poetry has a unique purpose: it aims to create beauty, emotion, or deeper meaning in a way prose does not. Prose gives information or facts, but poetry is made to give pleasure and a moral lesson. Every line in a poem must support the whole. Besides, all the parts must be connected with rhythm and feeling. Poetry should lift the human soul.

In this chapter, Coleridge talks about the willing suspension of disbelief. When we enjoy a story, we choose to believe in unreal things. This includes magic, ghosts, or impossible events, as long as they feel emotionally true. We ignore logic for a while to get lost in the tale. This idea is especially important in Romantic poetry, where imagination and supernatural elements play a significant role.

Coleridge also claims that a poem and poetry are not the same thing. A poem is simply the finished piece: the words written on a page. But poetry is something deeper. It is the creative process happening inside the poet’s mind. Poetry comes from imagination. It shapes thoughts, emotions, and images into something meaningful. To truly understand poetry, you must understand the poet’s genius. This genius includes their ability to see universal truths or even a touch of the divine. The real magic happens in the poet’s mind as their imagination transforms ordinary ideas into art. That invisible creative work is poetry, far more than just the poem we read in the end.

Disagreement with Wordsworth: Coleridge also discusses poetic language. Wordsworth says the language of poetry should be the same as that of common people. But Coleridge disagrees with this idea. Wordsworth believed poetry should be simple and close to the way villagers speak. Coleridge argues that while some poems can use simple language, the best poetry needs a special kind of language. He says rustic people do not always have the best words to express deep or complex thoughts. Poetry needs rich, expressive language that can touch the soul and stir the imagination.

In Chapter 17, Coleridge explains his disagreement with Wordsworth more fully. He says villagers may be honest and emotional, but their words are simple and not very deep. Poetry needs more than simple words. It requires strong emotions, profound thoughts, and exquisite writing. These ideas typically originate from educated individuals who study and think critically. So, Coleridge believes village language alone cannot make great poetry.

Coleridge’s Struggle with Philosophy: Another part of Biographia Literaria deals with philosophy. Coleridge tries to bring together religion and German idealism. He tries to explain how the world comes into being through a balance of two forces. He borrows this idea from Schelling’s transcendental philosophy. This philosophy talks about how the world is formed by two opposing forces. Coleridge wanted to change this idea to match Christian beliefs, especially the idea of the Trinity. But he faced problems in doing so. In the middle of the book, he suddenly stops the philosophical discussion and skips to the next topic. He says that a “friend” told him to leave it out. Many people think this was just an excuse. Critics say he couldn’t complete his argument clearly.