Biographia Literaria, Coleridge NOTE 201. (20 Marks)

''For after the subject is removed or the eye shut, we still retain an image of the things seen,
though more obscure than when we see it...Imagination, therefore, is nothing more than decaying
sense''
----Thomas Hobbes
Philosopher, poet, and religious theorist Samuel Taylor Coleridge was born in England, and
attended the University of Cambridge. In 1795 Coleridge met poet William Wordsworth, with
whom he worked closely. Under Wordsworth’s influence, Coleridge’s poetry transferred to a
more conversational voice and began to find inspiration in daily life. Coleridge wanted
Biographia Literaria, published in 1817 to make a short preface to the collection of his poems,
Biographia Literaria includes some of the most important English writing on poetic theory. To
Coleridge poetry was completely different from other modes of writing, and poetry has a logic of
its own. Coleridge gave much thought to the Imagination. In one of the most famous passages in
Biographia Literaria, Coleridge offers a theory of creativity. He divides imagination into primary
imagination and secondary imagination.He considers poetry the product of the secondary
imagination.
One of the key arguments that Coleridge outlines in his important work is his explanation of the
word "imagination". For Coleridge, he saw imagination as being so important and essential that
he split it into a primary imagination and a secondary imagination. Primary imagination, as

imagined by Coleridge, is about the impulse to write and create as dictated by extreme
inspiration, whereas secondary imagination is about the aware will of the writer to write and use
their imagination to create.
In chapter thirteen of Biographia Literaria Coleridge introduces the distinction between two kind
of imagination.
primary imagination is the skill by which we take and understand the world around us. It is the
power of receiving impressions of the external through our senses. It takes objects both in their
parts and as a whole. It is an involuntary act of the mind. The human mind receives impressions
from the outside world, unconsciously and involuntarily it loads some kind of order on those
impressions, reduces them in size and shape, so that the mind is able to form a clear image of the
outside world. Coleridge describes primary imagination as the “mysterious power” which can
extract “hidden ideas and meanings” from objective data. The primary imagination is universal
and we all have it.
In the other hand the secondary imagination makes artistic creation possible. It needs an effort of
the mind and conscious effort. It works upon what is perceived by the primary imagination, it’s
raw materials are the feelings and impressions supplied to it by the primary imagination. It
selects and orders the raw materials and reshapes and remodels it into objects of beauty.
Coleridge calls it a magical synthetic power.It dissolves different skills of the soul , subjective
with objective and the human mind with external nature.

The primary and secondary imagination do not differ from each other in kind . The difference is
only of degree. The secondary imagination is more active.
In his work Biographia Literaria, Coleridge distinguished between "fancy" and "imagination."
He saw fancy as a logical way of organizing sensory material without really synthesizing it.
Imagination and fancy differ in kind and nature. Whereas, imagination is creative, fancy, which
is common possession of man, is not creative. It is a kind of memory that brings together images,
and even when brought together, these images continue to retain their separate and individual
properties. They receive modification from the mind. Coleridge has called fancy the ‘aggregative
and associative power’. Fancy therefore is a basic skill of imagination.
The Imagination is ultimately the only faculty which contributed to the creative process.
Coleridge developed his own theories about nature of poetry, poetic composition etc. and most
significantly imagination in Biographia Literaria, which are regarded as a very significant piece
of literary theory and criticism.
--------------------------

Biographia Literaria, Coleridge NOTE 201. (20 Marks)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Biographia Literaria, Coleridge NOTE 201. (20 Marks)

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Biographia Literaria, Coleridge NOTE 201. (20 Marks)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

''For after the subject is removed or the eye shut, we still retain an image of the things seen,

whom he worked closely. Under Wordsworth’s influence, Coleridge’s poetry transferred to a

he split it into a primary imagination and a secondary imagination. Primary imagination, as

their imagination to create.

and we all have it.

with objective and the human mind with external nature.

only of degree. The secondary imagination is more active.

and associative power’. Fancy therefore is a basic skill of imagination.

of literary theory and criticism.

You might also like