S.T. Coleridge: Romantic Poet & Supernaturalism in Poetry

Romantic Poetry and S T Coleridge as a Poet About the poet: 1) Samuel Taylor Coleridge ( 1772-1834) is a romantic poet. 2) He ,with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England. 3) Lyrical Ballads is collection of poems by W. Wordsworth and Coleridge published in 1798 which marked the beginning of English Romantic Movement in literature. Notable works: He has written many poems but the following three are his masterpieces. a) The Rime of the Ancient Mariner b) Kubla Khan c) Christabel

Characteristics of Romantic Poetry: 1) Reaction against neo-classicism 2) Imagination 3)Nature poetry 4)Melancholy 5) Medievalism 6) Hellenism 7) Supernaturalism

Coleridge as a supernatural Poet: He is better known as a supernatural poet in English literature. His Rime of the Ancient Mariner carries all the features of supernaturalism. 1) The poet has created the environment and the psychological sensation to make the mariner s whole experience credible and convincing. 2) Ghosts and Witches are examples of supernatural elements. 3) Magic 4) Miracles 5) Scenes are placed in remote places and distant time to Create horror like situation.

Medievalism in Coleridges poetry: Romantic poetry was attracted to nostalgia and medievalism is another important feature of Romantic Poetry. a) Medievalism means devotion to the middle ages. b) Coleridge s love for supernatural led him to the exploration of the middle ages. c) It refers to Feudal system: It consists of kings, lords, knights, and peasants. d) Belief in ghost ,black magic and witch craft .

Nature in Coleridges poetry: 1) Like other romantic poets ,he worshipped nature. 2) He takes delight in natural beauty. 3) In The Rime of the Ancient Mariner the scene is set on the sea. 4) He does not portray nature as a kind of passive elemental force but too powerful for men to conquer.

Narrative Skill a) It is the art of telling a story. Coleridge is superb in the art of story telling. He introduces his events very dramatically.

Emphasis on Imagination: Coleridge s poetry reveals his intense imaginative power. In The Biographia Literaria, he made a distinction between fancy and imagination. According to Coleridge, imagination has two types Primary and secondary Primary imagination is the living power and prime agent of all human perception. Secondary imagination is the poetic vision, the faculty that a poet has to idealize and unify..It works upon the raw materials supplied by the primary imagination. Coleridge regards fancy to be the inferior to imagination. Fancy is concerned with mechanical operation of the mind. He wanted poetry to be governed by the principals of imagination.

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